“On Our Way”

HBX Fanfic Challenge Jan 06

Author: Gibson

Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. Much to my chagrin, JAG and all characters belong to The 500lb Gorilla.

Category: AU, Vignette, Romance H/M (slight angst - major fluff).

Rating: AO (for sex and language)

Summary: An attempt to hijack what happened in Sydney before it even got there. Takes place after Cabin Pressure but before Boomerang. I have to explain, this started as the January challenge, but I was unsatisfied with it and left it for awhile. Finally, I took another story that I had written (and never finished either) and sort of melded the two of them together. I hope it worked out OK. Thanks for reading!


NAVAL AIR STATION BRUNSWICK
BASE HOUSING
2200 ZULU

Harm opened the front door of the fashionable 2 story and his shoulders immediately deflated.

“Delivery for Lt. and Mrs. Bradley?”

“Knock it off Webb.” Harm stepped back and allowed him entrance. “Get inside the house.”

“Where’s Mac?”

“She’s in the bath.”

Webb smiled knowingly “Really? Does she need any help or do you take care of that for her?”

“Do you have a reason to be here Clay or do you just take immense pleasure in making my life miserable?”

“Oh c’mon, Rabb. You can’t tell me that you and she have never…”

“Yes I can.”

Webb smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “Alright, you can tell me that until the cows come home and I’ll never believe you.”

Harm bristled angrily at the agent’s dogged determination to remain on what he considered a very sensitive subject. “Why is that so difficult for you to understand, Webb? Have you never just been friends with a woman before?”

“Never. But even if I had, anyone who’s ever been within 3 feet of you two can tell that you’re not just friends.”

“Just drop it Webb… now!”

“What happened Rabb? Did you cheat on her or something?”

Harm threw down the dishtowel he was using and turned on the agent angrily, “I would NEVER!...”

“Aha…” Clay smiled with immense satisfaction. “So you have at least thought about it…That’s encouraging, Harm.”

“Clay – the Op isn’t supposed to go off until tomorrow night. Do you really have to be here right now?”

“I know, but there’s a slight chance we could go early – tonight even. Will you be ready for that?”

“Sure.”

“I’ll give you a heads up well in advance if that’s the case so don’t worry about waiting up or anything. Also, I wanted to check in on you two and make sure you were alright… you know, make sure you hadn’t blown your cover or anything seeing as we’ve been out of touch for three days.” Clay opened up the box he was carrying and removed a small briefcase. Taking out a pen and a small lighter, he laid them on the counter in front of Harm. “I also brought you some toys just in case you need them tomorrow. The Zippo’s a digital camera. The pen expels a mixture of Ketamine Hydrochloride and Acepromazine Maleate in case you need to put someone out really fast.”

“Why does this not instil me with any confidence?” Harm quipped with annoyance. “And since when are you ‘Q’ all of a sudden?”

“Hey, I’m a man of many talents, Rabb.”

“I’ll bet.”

“Just be careful with that stuff and don’t get caught tomorrow.”

“Listen Webb, I appreciate your concern for my safety, but don't you think you'd be better off going home and getting a good night's sleep?”

“I wouldn't be able to sleep if I was home. I seldom do.”

“My heart bleeds for you. Maybe you should have picked a profession that allowed you a little bit of personal integrity and then perhaps your conscious wouldn’t bother you so much.”

“My conscious is just fine Mr. 18 confirmed kills, how’s yours?”

“Just peachy, thanks for stopping by.” Harm walked back to the front door and glared at Clay as he opened it.

Webb composed himself for an instant before he acquiesced. “All right, I can take a hint. So sue me for caring about you guys.” As Clay walked past Harm he murmured quietly, “You and Mac have a pleasant sleep tonight.”

“And don’t let the door hit you in the ass on your way out” Harm countered. Shaking his head, Harm locked the door then headed up the stairs to the bedroom.

As he entered, Mac walked out of the bathroom wearing a robe over a pair of peach, silk pyjamas. Harm tried desperately not to notice that her was hair still wet and she smelled of some sort of bath oil that was making his blood sing. “Was that someone at the door?”

Harm just raised an eyebrow at her at an effort to delay replying. Meanwhile he desperately tried to produce saliva for his suddenly parched throat. “Webb.” He choked, but thankfully it sounded more like a disgusted retort.

“Play nice now, Harm. This is his baby. I’d hate to piss him off in the middle of it and have him hang us out to dry.”

“And how would that be different from any other mission he’s had us on?”

Mac just laughed quietly and settled herself up against the headboards. She was surfing aimlessly through the channels when Harm came out of the bathroom in just a pair of pyjama pants and climbed into his side of the bed. Immediately he turned over and faced away from her.

Mac looked at him inquisitively and then shut off the television. “Are you mad at me, Harm?”

He turned slightly and looked over his shoulder at her with surprise. “No. Why do you say that?”

“Well…” she mused sarcastically, “… we’ve been here posing as husband and wife for three days now, and every single night you teeter on the edge of your side of the bed like an indecisive lemming.” She paused for a moment when there was no reply. “You can spread out a little you know – it is a Queen sized bed.”

Harm made a extravagant display of spreading out, but in reality, he didn’t actually move more than a fraction of an inch.

“Oh for Pete’s sake, Harm” she huffed defensively. “I didn’t realize it was so horrendous to share a bed with me.” She in turn made an elaborate display of getting comfortable on her side of the bed, facing outwards the same as Harm was.

“Mac… it’s not that, just power down alright.”

“Whatever, Harm. It’s OK, I understand. You’re probably not used to going three days without getting any. I can see why you’re cranky. I’m sorry to put such a dent in your social calendar.”

Harm closed his eyes and tightened his lips. “That was uncalled for Mac.” He said warningly. “Can we just drop this subject and go to sleep, please?”

Mac considered this for a moment and then quickly turned to face Harm. “No, we can’t drop this actually. There’s something bothering you Harm and I want to know what it is. I know you well enough now to know when something’s up. Spill it.”

Harm turned again to look at her over her shoulder. “Mac, it’s nothing OK? I just don’t want to…” He sighed and flopped his head back down on the pillow. “I just want to sleep over here OK?”

Mac was quiet. “You know, Harm… we have hugged and stuff before, I’m not going to be upset if you accidentally bump up against me or something in the middle of the night. I think I’m a little more adult than that."

Harm was silent as he turned over and looked at her sincerely. “It’s not exactly that.”

“But I’m close?”

Sighing, he fell on his back and stared at the ceiling. “I guess it’s just that…” he laughed slightly, “…well, there’s usually only one reason I have a woman in my bed…”

“Ah… I see. So you’re afraid you can’t control yourself. You might accidentally mistake me for one of your girlfriends in your sleep” she quipped jealously.

“No, Mac” he resigned quietly. There was silence in the room while he debated as to whether he should continue. When he did continue, he turned and looked at her carefully. “I’m afraid that in my sleep, I won’t remember all the reasons that I’m not supposed to touch you.”

Mac simply stared at him, while Harm was too afraid to move. Afraid that the moment might be shattered into a million pieces if he even breathed. “And what would those reasons be?” She finally responded hesitantly.

Harm barely shrugged and didn’t move his eyes away from hers - feeling like he was suspending them both in mid air with his gaze and if he even looked away for a second, they would both come crashing to the ground. “Work… fear… the fact that you aren’t interested…”

Mac finally broke their gaze and shifted back to leaning against the headboard before looking at him again. “And you got this impression when?”

Harm continued quietly. “You said so the first time we worked together, Mac. You said that my smile probably got me a lot of things but it wouldn’t work on you.” Harm paused a moment. “Are you saying that my impression might be wrong?”

Mac turned and looked back at the blank TV screen and didn’t answer him. “And what about this fear. What scares you about me?”

Harm could no longer look at her from her new position, so he swallowed another lump in his throat and stared back at the ceiling. “Everything.”

Mac nodded defensively. “I see. Well, I didn’t realize I was such an overpowering force to be reckoned with. You know Harm, I can understand if you don’t feel that way about me, but please don’t try to sugar coat it OK? I mean, I told you once I understood that you thought of me like a sister and that’s fine, but please don’t try to pretend otherwise in order to protect my feelings.”

“Mac…”

“I’m serious, Harm. If you think of me as a sister that’s fine, just please stop saying things like you just did… and stop looking at me the way you do sometimes – it really sends mixed signals!” She suddenly turned over to face the other way in order to save face. Her tears were threatening and she couldn’t bear to say what she had just said and then start to cry.

“Ma-ac.” Harm said plaintively as he turned to his side and propped his head up on his elbow. “You’re misunderstanding me. Dammit!”

“Don’t worry, Harm. I didn’t misunderstand you. You’re afraid you might accidentally touch me in the middle of the night and that scares the hell out of you because I’m just ‘good ol’ Mac’”

“No Mac.” His voice was even but tense. “I’m afraid that if I accidentally touch you in the middle of the night, I won’t want to stop until I have everything.” Silence hung in the room and he wasn’t entirely sure, but it seemed that Mac had stopped breathing.

“And by ‘everything’ you mean?”

“I mean ‘everything’, Mac. Don’t you see? I can’t do half-way with you.” He paused as his voice turned to little more than a whisper. “With you it would have to be everything - you and me together… a house, rings, babies… forever…” he could have heard a pin drop and he figured the best defence was an offence so he continued. “But I’m scared, Mac because those things come with a risk… we wouldn’t be partners anymore… and the way my relationships have been going lately, there’s a significant risk that I might screw everything up so badly that I wouldn’t even have your friendship by the end of it and… I don’t think I could bear that.”

Mac’s voice was so small he could barely hear it as she still lay still, facing away from him. “So you we’re just planning on never acting on these feelings?”

Harm gave a short laugh. “Well, I uhhh… was hoping I could act on them some day… once I figured out what to do. But I haven’t quite figured out yet how we can both keep our jobs and be together… so I guess… no, I wasn’t planning on acting on them anytime soon.”

Suddenly Mac’s shoulders started to shake as she sobbed quietly into her pillow.

“Awwww… Mac. Dammit… please don’t cry…” he reached out to touch her but was afraid. Afraid of his own words and whether his inability to stop touching her once he started would be a reality. Suddenly the sound of her crying was too much to bear and he urged her upper arm towards him. “Mac… c’mere.”

In one swift movement she turned over and rolled into his arms. Harm crushed her to his chest and stroked his hand through her hair. “C’mon Mac… please don’t cry. Why are you crying?”

Mac pulled back from him and looked up into his eyes. “Harm… I love my job… but I don’t think that I would be willing to exchange my happiness for it.”

Harm simply stared at her. “Do you… do you really think I could make you happy?”

“I couldn’t imagine anyone else making me happier.”

Unbeknownst to himself, Harm had started running his hands up and down Mac’s back and hips during their last exchange. “Mac?”

“Yes?”

“See… I’m touching you.”

Mac smiled. “I noticed.”

“And just as I suspected, I don’t want to stop.” He smiled at her seductively.

“Then don’t.”

“But see then, Mac… if I don’t stop touching you… I’m going to want to kiss you…” Inch by inch, Harm’s face was moving closer to hers. “… and then, Mac?”

“Yes?”

“Once I start kissing you, I’m not going to want to stop.”

“I can’t imagine a reason I would want to…”

Mac’s sentence was cut off as Harm’s lips descended onto hers with fierce abandonment. Lost in the moment, exactly how he thought he would be, his right hand settled on her six and he pulled her up against his obvious arousal. This was the final undoing of them both. Within seconds they were grasping at clothing in an overpowering need to be skin-on-skin. The minute they had accomplished this, Harm knew he was doomed.

“Oh God, Mac.” He whispered as his hands roamed over her body. “I’m not going to make it… I want you too much…”

“I know…” she whispered back, but was cut off as his long finger slowly slid into her depths. “… Oh… oh, Harm…” she reached up and took his lips in a searing kiss, unable to fathom the look of intense desire in his eyes. She knew this was going to be over too soon, but she couldn’t slow the runaway train that their desire had taken them on. Moving his arm away from her body, she reached down and took a hold of his rock solid erection – nudging his tip against her entrance. Harm ducked his head and sucked in a quick breath at her touch. “Next time, baby” she whispered. “Right now I need you inside me. I want to feel you cum inside me.”

Harm closed his eyes and groaned against her cheek. “Oh Christ, Mac” he hissed at the precise moment he sank into her.

For a brief moment neither could move. There was only the sound of their combined breaths as they tried desperately to gain control of their bodies. Harm took the opportunity to say the one thing he finally felt he needed. He lifted his head slightly so he could meet her eyes. For a moment they could do nothing but stare, trying but failing to come to terms with the magnitude of what they were doing. “I love you” he assured her, but before she could reply, he took her lips again in a heartfelt attempt to prove his statement.

Mac pulled him desperately to her body, pushing her hips upward against him as they groaned into one another’s mouths. Never in her life had she ever teetered on the brink of an orgasm simply by being entered, but here she was, hands clamped desperately on Harm’s six, pushing him as far into her as she possibly could while their hips pumped together wildly. Finally, they had to break their kiss as they both approached climax. Mac cried out an instant before she felt his hot seed pulsing into her. The last sound she heard was Harm’s stifled shout into her neck. Then there was suddenly nothing.

“Oh… God…” Harm tried unsuccessfully to raise himself from Mac’s body as she gasped for breath. “God, Mac… what the Hell was that?”

Mac ran her hands down Harm’s sweat slicked back and fought against his efforts to take his body weight from hers. “Don’t… ummm… I think I … blacked out…”

Temporarily abandoning his efforts, Harm nuzzled her neck and ear. “Oh…” he groaned again. “Oh… I have slipped the surly… bonds of earth… danced the skies on laughter-silvered… wings… put out my… hand… and touched the… face of God…” Harm gave one more valiant effort to control his presently useless appendages and gave up in disgust “… and I can’t get my fucking arms to work…”

Mac dissolved in helpless giggles. “How very poetic, Flyboy”

“Hey… never said I was a Romantic.”

“I don’t know, Harm… I hate to alarm you, but you just compared that with flying?”

Harm shifted once again and hugged her body closer. “Mac, that was nothing like flying. Flying is fun and… exhilarating.” He shook his head as if at a loss for words. “That was… unbelievably… enigmatically … life altering!”

Mac sobered in agreement as she hugged him tightly and whispered into his ear. “God, I love you so much, baby.” To her sudden apprehension, Harm was silent for a moment, then he tensed and his shoulders started shaking uncontrollably - he was crying. Mac hugged him tighter still and fought an onslaught of tears herself. She couldn’t imagine why he could be crying and prayed silently that it wasn’t anything that would suddenly bring a halt to her new found euphoria. ‘Probably just the release’ she thought. ‘After so many years of hiding our feelings, maybe they all came to the surface too quickly.’

“I’m sorry.” He sniffed as he finally pulled away and lay beside her – unable to meet her eyes. Mac’s similar sniff finally made him look up, smiling slightly that she was crying too. “Look at us… a couple of senior military officers and we cry during sex.”

Mac laughed and wiped her eyes. “Yeah, don’t let it get out or I’ll lose my Globe and Anchor for sure.” Smiling hesitantly she threaded her fingers in his. “You OK?”

Harm looked down briefly and smiled. “Yeah,” he said softly, “I guess just finally hearing those words… I guess they had more of an effect on me than I thought they would.”

Mac’s brow creased in confusion. He couldn’t possibly mean what she thought he did. “Harm… are you trying to tell me that no woman has ever told you they loved you before?”

He looked up sheepishly. “Well… my mom…”

“Harm!” Mac could hardly believe her ears and it almost made her want to cry again. One of the main reasons she had never let her feelings for Harm come to the surface was because she didn't want to be just one of a million other women who had previously professed their love for him.

“Well… Jordie once told me that ‘she fell in love with the lawyer’ in me… but no, no one’s ever come out and said ‘I love you’.” He shrugged a half grin “What can I say – I’m an asshole.”

Mac shook her head in amazement as Harm pulled her closer. “It’s my own fault.” He whispered closely to her lips. “I never said the words to anyone either… until now.” He kissed her gently and felt the stirrings of arousal once again.

“Well, you'd better get used to it, because you’re going to be hearing it a lot in the future.”

“Oh yeah?” he whispered seductively and pulled her against him once again. Just as he was about to lose himself in her kiss, the shrill ring of a cell phone filled his consciousness.

“Damn” he muttered and grabbed the phone off the end table. “Rabb”.

“Showtime.” It was Webb’s voice on the other end of the line. “You two on your way?”

Harm stared deeply into the eyes of the beautiful Marine beside him and responded quietly. “We certainly are.”


The End.