IN DUE TIME
Author: Hollyjp
Spoilers: This is short follow-up to Automatic for the People and the Sixth Juror. All episodes and spoilers Seasons 1 through 10 are fair game.
Disclaimer: JAG is the property of Bellisario Productions, CBS, and Paramount. I have borrowed their characters for entertainment purposes only. No monetary gain will result from their appearance in my story.
In Due Time
1545 Local
NAS
Key West Florida
“Excuse me, Ma’am...Sir...I just called to check on our flight and due to the storm in DC all flights have been cancelled for this evening. We are on a flight for tomorrow morning at 0720. I checked with military transport and there is nothing scheduled sooner. I took the liberty of calling General Creswell and he said that given the hour and circumstances he wouldn’t look for us until tomorrow around 1100. He also said something about ‘remember no tans’.”
Harm and Mac exchanged glances before Mac enlightened the Petty Officer. “The General took exception to Harm saying we would get a chance to shake off the winter blues and told us he expected us to return the same pasty color the rest of them would remain in Washington.”
“Mac, he didn’t take exception to what I said, he just want to remind us we were the lucky ones pulling this duty.”
“I stand corrected.” Mac smiled at Harm.
The Captain Layton, Commanding Officer of NAS Key West watched the by-play between the two. “I was envious of your CO for having two such fine attorneys at his disposal, but your comments are making me think that maybe its not as great having the two of you together in the same command. Do you give your commanding officer headaches?”
“Not intentionally Ma’am,” Mac assured her.
“Well I appreciate your help on this case and I never would have guessed for a moment the way it played out. If you are finished here I’ll wish you well and hope you enjoy your free evening here in Key West before you return tomorrow to the cold north.”
“Thank you Ma’am,” Harm watched her walk away as he reached for his brief case. “So, what do you ladies say we head back to our quarters, get into some civilian clothes and find ourselves a nice restaurant. I didn’t get lunch today and could do with some sustenance....then later maybe we could watch the sunset on the beach or go for a walk. What do you say? It’s on me.” Harm offered.
“Sounds too good to pass up,” Mac smiled at him.
“Jennifer?”
“Well...would you be upset if I didn’t join you?”
“Other plans?” Harm asked.
“A couple of the other Petty Officers here were with me on the USS Gainesville and we were planning to get together this evening if we were still here.”
“By all means...enjoy yourself - but stay out of trouble!” Harm told her. “Mac?”
“I’m in...if the offer is still open.”
“You know it is.”
“Great...Have fun Jen. You can go ahead if you’d like. We’re almost done here. We’ll see you in the morning at 0500 for transport to the airport.”
“Yes Ma’am.”
Harm and Mac watched Jen walk away. “She’s doing alright isn’t she Mac?” Harm asked.
“Yes...she tries to do the right thing, but your influence certainly shows through.” Mac teased him.
“I’m not sure I follow.”
“She knows the truth is important and she risks getting herself in trouble to see that the truth is known...you do the same thing. Harm, her respect for you may mean she’s apt to adopt your unorthodox methods. That’s okay for you but might make it more challenging for her. She’ll have to keep herself out of the line of fire...she isn’t an officer either which, will make it more difficult for her at times.”
“So I guess my influence on her isn’t a good idea after all. Do you think my influence has effected Mattie the same way?”
“Yes...and I didn’t say it wasn’t a good idea. I said it makes it more of a challenge to walk that fine line...and yes, I think you have probably had that effect on Mattie...you do anyone that you spend time with...one way or another.” Mac closed her brief case and tucked her cover under her arm. “Ready?”
“Yeah, I am...have been.” Harm smiled to soften his words. Mac looked back at him trying to decide if there was a double meaning to them or not.
1725 Local
Seaside Restaurant
Key West, Florida
“This is wonderful...the food...the warm ocean breeze...the view...the sunset...the company...” Mac smiled as she saw her partner’s face light up with an answering smile.
“I wasn’t sure you would join me after Jennifer baled.”
“Why Harm?”
“I’ve felt like you were keeping your distance...not pushing me away like before...but not yet ready to have dinner alone with me when we were not in uniform. I certainly thought I’d pushed my luck when I mentioned sunset on the beach and maybe even a moonlight walk later.” Harm admitted.
“Then it may surprise you to know that any doubts I had went away when you mentioned those as a possibility.” Mac smiled, almost shyly, while watching the expressions on Harm’s face.
“Then I’m glad I stated my intentions...for the evening,” Harm smiled as he reached across the table and took Mac’s hand. “May I?” he asked as he covered her hand with his. Mac smiled and nodded in response as she turned her hand to weave her fingers through his.
“Why now, Harm? I mean, you told me once that location doesn’t change who we are.” Mac asked quietly.
“I know...and I still believe that...but there hasn’t been an opportunity for us to be together at home. I mean you were healing and then had rifle qualifications while I was sent to China Lake. We were both busy after I got back and then this case came up. I’ve thought about asking you out...but sunset in January in Washington on the beach somehow isn’t quite the same,” he joked.
“Jerk! Why do you always have to do something to our Hallmark moments, Harm?” Mac asked, still smiling.
“Because sometimes the moments get too intense for us and I’m afraid we’ll implode if I don’t create a distraction or release some of the tension between us.” Harm admitted.
“So you think there’s tension between us?”
“Yes...at times...I probably feel it more then you do.”
“Why’s that?” Mac asked.
“Well...I’m ready and you haven’t said you are.”
“Harm...I was ready a long time ago and you weren’t...that’s why we’ve had this dance...”
“I know...it started even before Sydney, but I’m talking about now...since Paraguay...since I lost all hope and then found it again...since Webb.” Harm stopped and watched her face. She nodded slightly and withdrew her hand from his. Harm feared what would come next.
“Harm, I’m sorry about how I acted in Paraguay and after we returned. I don’t know if I can explain...”
“You don’t have to, Mac...”
“Yes, Harm I do...it’s part of my healing...it’s part of me being ready...for us.” This time Mac reached for Harm’s hand. “I need to catch up to you...maturity wise when it comes to emotions and relationships.” She smiled before continuing, “Harm, whether it was Mattie, the trial, Paraguay, losing the Navy...something made you face yourself and make some choices that allowed you to get to a place that I haven’t quite gotten to yet. I’m trying...and you know I won’t make excuses for my actions...blame it on my past...but I am beginning to understand that while its not an excuse for my actions, I need to see how my past does effect the decisions I make. I can handle men that say what I want to hear because that’s easy. That’s what I grew up with. At the same time, I know that as an adult I need to be able to trust the man in my life without question...without hesitation.”
“Mac...”
“Please Harm...let me get this out.” At his nod she continued. “It was easy to take Chris, Dalton, Mic, and Clay at face value. I decided to trust them blindly. I had no reason not to trust them. They not only said the words I wanted to hear, but they didn’t hesitate to encourage me to trust them, and to talk me into seeing things their way...you on the other hand are different...you are the unknown...the unreadable variable that I’m always a little off balance with in some ways.” Mac smiled and the silent communication between them assured each one that it was okay to keep going.
“You trust me to know my own mind. You honor me by not forcing your opinion or your desires on me. You expect me to be able to understand where you are coming from without you telling me...the way you seem to understand what I mean but don’t say to you...and now, thanks to Mattie and your reflection into yourself, you know what you want and are waiting to see what I want. I led you to believe that I didn’t want you or that I wanted someone else more so your sense of honor kept you from stating what you wanted.
“Meanwhile, I was waiting for you to tell me what you wanted so I could react to that...I’ve always been a reactor Harm, not a creator...” Mac stopped and the expression on her face alerted Harm that something big was going on in her head. He waited for a few seconds and then encouraged her to keep talking.
“Don’t stop now Mac...keep talking...”
“I told Dr. McCool that I had never created anything and that being a mother wasn’t enough. I wanted to carry a baby. I want to create something...just now I realized that I could create something by working on a relationship instead of letting it happen to me...or I could create a friendship instead of waking up to realize it existed one day...I could make the choice to create us...” Mac gazed into Harm’s eyes with her teary brown ones, a smile on her face.
Harm swallowed hard, biting his bottom lip and gazing intently into her eyes. His smile lit his eyes more then it showed on his face as he slowly nodded his head in agreement.
“Yes,” was all he said.
The moment was interrupted by the waitress checking to see if they wanted something else. They declined and Harm paid for their meal. Without speaking, they left the restaurant and instead of returning to the car, they headed down to the beach walking side by side holding hands. In the other hand they each carried their shoes.
Mac had worn a white sun-dress with a red, pink and green floral print splashed and swirled in a diagonal path from shoulder to hem. The skirt swayed by her knees and fluttered in the breeze. She wore a short sleeve bolero jacket over it as the evenings tended to cool a little. Harm had worn a light green cotton knit shirt and off white denim jeans. They watched the sun setting into the ocean as they walked along in silence. Mac stopped them and turned toward Harm, still holding his hand.
“Harm, right here and right now, I need you to answer some questions for me, please.”
“Alright. Ask your questions.”
“Are you involved with Alicia?” Mac asked.
“No. I did have her over for dinner a couple of times...when you weren’t available. We enjoyed professional discussions and nothing more. She was left in no doubt when she hinted she wanted something more. I made it clear that wasn’t going to happen. She handled it graciously.”
“More then I did I guess,” Mac mumbled before looking back up at him with a nervous smile. “Are there any other women lurking around in your life?”
“Not that I know about...well...not that I have encouraged.”
“Story time, Sailor?”
“I’m not sure I can tell it without upsetting you.”
“It important to me...to us...that you try.”
“Alright, Mac. When I was in China Lake, there was a young Lieutenant assigned to help me out. She seemed to hang on my every word, but I swear I did nothing to intentionally encourage her.”
“I believe you Harm...but there’s more?”
“Oh yeah! This gets tougher to tell. Remember I won the woman the one point two million dollar settlement?” Mac nodded so Harm continued. “Well, she kissed me even after I had told her that I was kind of involved...she told me I made women fall in love with me.”
“Did you kiss her back?”
“Did I pull her into my arms kind of kiss or just hold still for a couple of seconds kiss?” Harm watched Mac’s face and decided he needed to talk more. “The kiss only last a couple of seconds. No, I didn’t pull back but I didn’t respond either. Look let me show you...you lean in and reach up to kiss me and I’ll show you exactly what I did and didn’t do.”
Mac started to chuckle. “Harm it’s okay...I believe you.”
“Okay...but my plan didn’t work.”
“Your plan?”
“Yes...to get you to kiss me...”
“Oh.” Mac looked up into Harm’s face in the moonlight. As she reached up he lowered her face so her lips could touch his. But instead of pulling away, or holding still, Harm reached for Mac and locked his hands around her waist. His shoes dropped to the sand as hers did when she slid her hand up his chest and over his shoulders to hold him as they kissed.
When they broke apart, Harm rested his forehead against Mac’s and smiled. “Where did that come from?” he whispered.
“From my decision not to push you away anymore. Harm, I realized tonight that I am ready for us to try to have a relationship. I know there are no guarantees, but I also know that if we don’t try this now...it won’t ever happen...and I want it to happen.”
“You asked me what I wanted when we were on the ship that time when we first met Tanveer. I told you that if you loved Webb, then what I wanted didn’t matter. Do you still want to know what I want?”
“You said last May that you wanted to be a part of my life.”
“Yes, I did. I still do Mac...but I want more...” Mac stopped him by putting her fingers against his lips.
“I know...I do too...but...”
“But?” Harm asked slightly crestfallen.
“We’ve really been our own worse enemy haven’t we?”
“Yes. Are you telling me that you aren’t ready to move forward?” Harm asked.
“No...that’s not it at all. I want us to be a couple but I’m just not ready for you to say what I think you were going to say,” Mac told him. “Harm, do you think we should start walking back?”
“Probably.” They turned around and picked up their shoes and hand in hand strolled back the way they had come...this time feeling more confident and sure of themselves and their relationship.
“Mac, tomorrow on the flight back, we’ll be in uniform and with Jennifer, so I won’t be able to hold your hand or put my arm around you like I want to. Do you think we could plan on going out tomorrow night when we get home...in civilian attire?”
“I’d like that.”
“Do you feel like you’re being pushed forward?” Harm asked.
“No...I feel like the door is finally open so we can walk forward, to each other.” Mac assured him.
When they reached the car, Harm stopped Mac and bent to kiss her lips again.
“You do realize that if Jennifer hadn’t been here we may have been able to get a hotel room and claim over-crowding...” Harm grinned as he waggled his eyebrows at Mac.
“In due time, Squid,” Mac laughed at his attempt at a lecherous look as she took his hand again and leaned over to kiss his cheek. “In due time.”
THE END