| Karen |
Surrender |
July 2, 2003 |
Disclaimer: The usual disclaimers. Don’t own them just playing with my Harm and Mac dolls.
Author Notes: This is just a bit of romantic fluff. No plot intended and any resemblance to anyone living or dead is
purely coincidental. Anything serious here is just a ploy to move the romance.
Rated PG-13 for suggestiveness but no actual descriptions of sex.
Tuesday 0600
Harm's Apartment
Her silken hair trickles through my fingers like the crystal waters of a mountain stream. Her golden brown eyes are the
doorway to an unknown universe that captures my soul. Her lips beckon me from a breath away, from across the room, or
around the world and I am drawn irresistibly to her. My mouth touches every part of her and she is a feast that eliminates
the need for other nourishment. She is everything to me. The touch of her skin as her body moves under me sets my nerve
endings afire. Her heat surrounds me with incredible comfort and inconceivable desire. She lay beneath me but I am the one
who is held captive. Our joining shatters the world and we are whole.
‘Ring’
“Uhnnn…noooo!”
‘Ring’
“Oh please….not again.”
‘Ring’
“Rabb,” I grab the damn phone, half awake and completely angry.
“Harm, its Mac.”
“Unh, Mac?” What the hell time is it anyway, I wonder?
“Yeah, you know, Mac, your partner?”
“I know who you are Mac. God do I know.”
“What?”
“Nothing.” Did I say that out loud?
“C’mon sailor, haul that lazy six of yours out of bed. The Admiral wants us ASAP.”
“What for?” I groan.
“Harm, are you OK?”
“No, yes, I’m fine.” ‘I’d never get back there anyway; I might as well wake up.’ “Yes Mac I’m Ok. What time is it anyway?”
“0603 sailor. C’mon sleepyhead we have work to do.” She sounds just too goddamn cheery for this time of the morning. How
will I ever live with this woman?
“I’ll see you at work,” I grumble and hang up.
Well, that went well, I tell myself. I’m awake enough now to realize I not only need to bathe, shave, and dress but I have
to strip the bed too. If I don’t sleep the rest of the week, maybe I can make it until laundry day on Saturday. No way I can
drop this stuff off and have it done. Christ Rabb, you have it bad.
Tuesday 0650
JAG HQ
“Ok people, we have a nasty one, and you two are the only ones who can handle it. I know I say that a lot, but this time
it's truer than either of you will ever know. Hell, I doubt I will ever know it all.”
“What is it, sir?” Mac asks, curious and alert. I wonder if she’d be this perky if I kept her up half the night.
“The CIA is filing charges against one of its operatives.”
“Admiral, how is that our problem?” I am trying for a little logic here before I’ve even had coffee ‘and why did that
require a 0600 wake up’ I add silently, still annoyed by the interruption. ‘Get a grip Rabb, this is work’ I tell myself.
“Well to start with, the operative is a Navy captain recruited for special operations. He is accused of being a double
agent.” I think the Admiral notices my grumpiness but is ignoring it for now. I’ll probably catch hell later.
“The problem is further complicated by the fact that a lot of the evidence against him will require a special selection of
members and judge to meet the security clearance classification. In addition, you will both have to submit to a deeper
background check in order to upgrade your clearances so you can see the evidence for your case. You will prosecute as a team
and I expect once you have everything you need you will pull out all the stops. We need this one to go away. Understood?”
“Understood, sir,” we answer as one.
“Good. Here are the packets containing the forms needed by the investigators. It isn’t as complicated as it would be if you
had no clearance at all. You’ve worked on similar cases before, just not at this deep level.” He hands us inch thick
packets. “Try to have them back to me by 1400 today.” That explains the early call. “The sooner they are returned the
sooner your clearance can be approved. Webb has already started the ball rolling on his end using your current records. As
long as everything checks out you will receive your evidence. Set everything else aside until you have this finished.”
“Sir, what about our other two cases? The multiple murders and the extortion ring.” Mac asks the Admiral. I’m still trying
to get my brain working. Apparently, she found some coffee on her way in. I was delayed by my laundry problem and didn’t
have time.
“Hand the extortion ring off to Commander Turner; you just received that one on Monday. The murder I need you to continue.
It will come to trial before this one. You will have some time before you are cleared for the espionage evidence, so make
good use of it to get the other one under control.”
“The murder is a high profile case that will generate press coverage due to the nature of the crimes. The espionage will be
kept completely under wraps due to the sensitive nature of the evidence”.
“You will be working long, hard hours. Try to get along. I don’t need to tell you how important both of these cases are.”
“Aye aye, sir,” we once again answer together.
We rise and leave the Admiral's office after coming to attention and being dismissed.
“Well sailor, I guess we will be living in each others pocket for a while,” she smiles at me. Her eyes are warm and her
smile is genuine. Has she always looked at me like this, or am I just noticing?
Webb scored the tickets, and I took her to that special pre-opening of the new dinosaur exhibit at the Smithsonian last
Friday. That was when I first noticed this look in her eyes. Then, when I surprised her with the invitations to the ball at
the British Embassy this Saturday, the look became more frequent and spontaneous. It’s not like the look was never there,
it’s more like a veil has suddenly fallen away. Now if I can just keep from doing anything really stupid, maybe I can
convince my Marine that I’m crazy about her.
“Harm?” she asks, puzzled when I don’t respond.
“Sorry, still not awake yet,” I tell her. “I think it’s a wonderful idea myself. Is it ok with you?”
“Yeah.” She smiles that smile again. “Yeah, I think I can handle it.”
We head for the break room to fill our mugs with the start of the gallons of coffee I believe we will find ourselves
consuming. We decide to settle in my office to fill out our paperwork for the upgraded security clearances. It takes
almost every minute until 1400 to finish but we manage by skipping lunch.
“Tell you what Mac, if you go get us some lunch, I’ll lay out the murder case and hand the other one off to Sturgis. You
fly, I’ll buy, what do you say?”
“I don’t know Harm, you’re the pilot here; you trust me to do the flying? You’re awfully fussy about food and you know I
usually navigate directly to the burger place,” she teases.
“I know, but we don’t have time to be choosy. How about this, we’ll take turns getting the food until this is over OK. Just
bring me something with chicken or fish and a salad. Oh, and a super size something with extra caffeine. Dr. Pepper is
good.”
She shakes her head. “You OK Harm, you’ve been kinda goofy all day? You know this much caffeine isn’t good for you. Even I
don’t drink that much.” Hmmm concern, this is good, I think.
“Hey lighten up you can’t tell me that jarhead coffee isn’t double the strength of the regular stuff, and I’m fine, just
haven’t been sleeping well.” I shrug, trying for flyboy nonchalance.
“I see; maybe you’re sleeping with the wrong person.” She has a completely innocent look on her face, then she winks and
turns to go get lunch, leaving me standing with my mouth hanging open.
“Mac...” I try to say something, but nothing comes out. She’s walking away. I bolt for the office door. “Mac,” I call
across the bullpen, as heads turn, unnoticed by me. “You know I sleep alone”.
She quirks an eyebrow at me and answers, “That’s what I mean flyboy”, and she’s gone into the elevator. I am left to collect
the open mouth stares of our co-workers. I can’t wait to see how fast this gets back to the Admiral.
Friday 2350
Mac’s Apartment
We’ve spent virtually every waking moment together for the last three days. I’m getting ready to go home now and I can’t
leave without figuring out a way to spend every moment with her tomorrow as well. Tomorrow night is the embassy ball but
that’s just not enough. I haven’t been brave enough to even consider kissing her—well, ok I have considered it, I'm just not
brave enough to do it. But I can’t get enough of her company, so just before I leave I dream up this brilliant plan.
“Ya wanna help me wash my car tomorrow? We can do yours too.” I ask her. “I want to get mine clean for the party tomorrow
night.” I know, I know it’s an embassy ball but that sounds so stuffy. I probably shouldn’t be asking my date (date?) well
yeah, I guess that’s what she is. I had just started out looking for ways to spend time with her that wasn’t work related
and called in some favors from Webb, but I guess this is dating. Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, I shouldn’t be asking her to
help me wash the car for our date, but I’m having a real hard time being away from her. I’m making up any excuses I can to
have her with me. We’ll work on our cases again Sunday, after I convince her to have breakfast with me but I want to spend
as much of tomorrow with her as I can.
We still have the extortion case. Three hours after Sturgis agreed to take it, the admiral sent him to Kuwait to investigate
charges against a marine unit for mistreatment of prisoners. From what he told me, the charges are not valid, but he has to
prove this beyond a shadow of a doubt. Mac was torn between our espionage case and wishing fervently she could go with
Sturgis. I don’t want her in Kuwait unless I’m there too.
Part 2
Saturday 1300
Georgetown
We get both cars cleaned and detailed out, trying not to get too wet, then we go for a quick lunch at a nearby deli. That’s
when she gets the idea for this afternoon…
“Hey Harm I noticed you have your laundry in your car, why don’t we do it together in my laundry room.”
She saw the two large bags in the back of the car. Now I’m torn between not spending the afternoon with her and trying to do
my laundry without her seeing it. I decide I’m sneaky enough and can’t give up the chance to spend time with her.
“Sure Mac; if you’re not going to be busy.” I’m trying not to sound overly gleeful here at the prospect of having her with
me for the rest of the day.
“Nope, I’m just going to do some stuff too. Maybe we can combine some loads and save a few quarters.” That could get tricky
but I’ll wing it.
Later we are sorting and folding our stuff, and she sees the bedding, so she starts to help.
“Gosh Harm, two sets of sheets in one week?” She looks at me uncertainly; am I seeing a shadow of that veil in her eyes.
Quick, think of something.
“I…uh,” now what, oh I know, “I had a snack in bed and I spilled it.” I nod my head grinning like a fool and hoping this
sounds plausible.
She laughs merrily. “Somehow, I never had you pegged for the ‘eating in bed’ type.” She’s in such a good mood I risk a
reply.
“There are a lot of things you don’t know about what I do in bed.” Dammit, I wasn’t supposed to blush when I said that.
She just laughs again, this time it’s a deeper laugh. I can see the little wheels turning in her head and the look is back.
Hmmmm, well at least she laughed and she didn’t kick my butt down the stairs.
We finish the laundry and I see it’s getting late. I figure I need to apologize. “I’m sorry for not giving you enough time to
get ready for tonight. I guess the day just got away from us.” That’s sort of a lie. It didn’t get away from me, I enjoyed
ever last second of it.
“Harm I have two and a half hours before you pick me up you’re the one who has to drive across town and back. I only have to
take a bath and put on a dress.” She replies with her special Marine logic.
She makes it sound so simple. “I don’t understand. I thought women took hours to get ready for this kind of event”. I have
to ask.
“Harm,” she laughs again, shaking her head. “I’m a Marine. I can conquer a small country in two and a half hours. But this
is such a fancy social event I will most likely take a bubble bath, so it may take me forty-five minutes to get ready.”
OK, visions of her in a bubble bath. I just shake my head, hoist my laundry bags, and get out of her way. I wouldn’t be
surprised to come back and find she’s the new owner of a small country.
Sunday 0145
Mac’s Apartment
The embassy ball was wonderful. The other men were looking at me enviously all night. She was definitely the most gorgeous
woman any of them had ever seen, and most of them were world-class diplomats.
I really hated even allowing her to dance with anyone else. But for the sake of protocol, it was, unfortunately, necessary a
few times. However, I claimed her quickly again after. I think every one finally got the impression that I wasn’t interested
in sharing her company. They eventually left us alone.
I walk her to her door and surprisingly she doesn’t protest. Maybe she is thinking of this as a real date too.
“Mac,” she’s opening her door and I just don’t want to let go.
“Yes Harm,” she walks inside and holds the door open for me to follow. I halt just inside the door. There are moves I could
try but this is Mac and I don’t want to do this too fast. She might not toss me out. She might even let me get away with
it, but I want her to know how important she is, so I’m taking this slow if it kills me. She turns to face me.
“Harm you Ok? You have that look again.”
“What Mac?…..What look?” I’m babbling again.
“The one that tells me I’d better hit Webb up for a sub space transmitter if I’m going to keep communicating with you,” she
laughs.
I laugh too. I guess I am acting a little goofy.
“You want some coffee or something?”
“Yeah or something,” I reply not realizing I’m speaking aloud again.
“Or something?” she asks quirking her eyebrow at me.
“Sorry Mac. I meant coffee would be fine.” I stumble over the words and I doubt she believes me, but she pretends she does,
as she heads for the kitchen shaking her head.
I go after her. “Mac,” I recognize that this isn’t a good idea.
“Yes?” she turns in the doorway.
“You know on second thought I’d better just go. I mean, I haven’t been sleeping well and more coffee...well; we have early
call on those cases tomorrow. How about we do breakfast, my treat, before we get to work.”
“Ok Harm,” she looks mildly disappointed, I think, but brightens at the suggestion of breakfast. “Here or at your place?”
“Tell you what, I’ll pick you up and we’ll go to one of those omelet buffets. There’s a place several blocks from here; then
we’ll get to work. 0800 Ok?” This will take more favors from Webb, and an early call that will wake him up, but he still
owes me plenty. I’m going to collect all of it, if I have to, for this particular mission.
“Ok Harm,” she walks towards me. I back towards the door ready to leave.
“You lock the door when I leave, OK?” I hear myself say for no particular reason. I know she has the good sense to lock the
door.
“I will Harm,” she looks amused but isn’t offended. Super. She reaches past me to open the door and somehow I find my arms
around her and my lips on hers without a conscious thought. Now that I’m here, I find I have to fight to control this,
because of the way she is responding.
I release her slowly and find myself falling into her eyes. “Thank you for your company tonight, Sarah.” My voice isn’t
normal.
“Why Harm? I should thank you for taking me. It was wonderful. I’m not even going to ask how you pulled it off. But I’m
impressed.”
I grin with pride at her appreciation. Another soft kiss and I slip out the door. “Lock up; g’night.” I whisper as I
leave.
Wow. Tonight I don’t need a plane to fly. I feel like I’m sixteen and just kissed my first girlfriend after the prom. It
may sound silly but its how she makes me feel.
I call Webb at 0600 to get us reservations. He’s torn between annoyance and amusement. He says his mother called him at
0200 to find out who the mysterious Navy Commander and his drop dead gorgeous date were at the ball last night. Rumor had it
she was a Marine. Everyone was intensely curious because they kept mostly to themselves and, although graciously polite when
spoken to, they spent no time ‘working the crowd’ of dignitaries. He had to tell her it was ‘need to know’ to get her to let
him get any sleep.
Saturday 0230
The following week
Harm’s apartment
This whole week we have spent every evening on prep work for the murder trial and the extortion case in anticipation of being
swamped with the espionage case.
Our clearances were approved on Monday. A special safe was installed in my office for the files so we have to do all that
work at the office. Then we spend our evenings on the other two cases.
I steered us to her place each night so I didn’t have to worry about her going home alone but tonight she insisted we come
here. I really couldn’t think of a good excuse, so I relented. I know she’s getting ready to go and I don’t want her out
this late by herself.
Yeah, I know she’s a Marine, and I’m a man in love so shoot me.
“Gosh Harm, I didn’t realize how late it is, I’d better be going.” She starts gathering files.
“Mac, stay here tonight.” It just tumbles out.
“What?” She doesn’t look offended just surprised.
“I mean, you can have the bed. I’ll...I’ll take the couch. I just don’t want you out this time of night.” Screwed that one
up now she looks offended.
“Harm, I’m a Marine.” Her standard issue answer. “I can take care of myself.”
Do they make them write that five thousand times in boot camp, I wonder? I’m going to have to have that printed on a t-shirt
for her. But right now, I just stand up, snug my tie, fasten my shirtsleeves, and put on my jacket. When she finishes
gathering her files and has her coat on she turns and sees me.
“Harm what are you doing?” She’s not only annoyed, now she’s exasperated too. Might as well go for the gold.
“I’m escorting you home.” I’m using simple logic and calm rationale. See where it gets me.
“No you aren’t.” She walks over and stands almost toe-to-toe.
“Yes I am Mac. You can leave, I can’t stop you but you can’t stop me from driving behind you and seeing you home.” I pull
myself up to my full height. She may be a Marine but I’m 6’4”. I know, she’s tougher.
“Harm what’s gotten into you I’m a Mar…..” she starts again.
“Dammit Mac, I know you’re a Marine,” I’m raising my voice now. “I’ve been with you in a combat zone remember? I know what
you can do, what you are capable of. But dammit in a combat zone they let you carry an assault rifle and a big knife and
knowing you, you probably had some grenades too.” The more I talk the angrier I get because I’m afraid something will happen
to her.
“There, you were on the alert for unfriendlies. Here, you are in the capitol of arguably one of the most civilized nations
on earth and there’s probably more danger here that there was there. And on top of that, they won't let you carry the guns
and knives and grenades. Now, you either stay here or I’m coming with you, I don’t care which, but that’s the choice.”
“Harmon Rabb you are the worlds worst control freak. I’ve gone home alone hundreds of times in the past,” she shouts back.
“I know that Mac, and I never liked it. It makes me crazy until I can find an excuse to see if you’re safe.” I’m really
boiling now, “and I know I’m a control freak, why the hell do you think it’s so hard to tell you I love you.”
“You…..you what?” she’s staring at me with those eyes again. The door is opening on that universe I have only ever dreamed
about.
“I love you,” I say simply. What can I add to that? I guess I didn’t mean to say it like that, but there it is. It’s out
there now and I won’t take it back, not even if I could. I’ve waited too long to say it. She’s still just looking at me.
Then she takes half a step closer. She looks down and her silky hair cascades over her face then back when she looks up into
my eyes. The doorway in her eyes is fully open now and I’m falling. I can’t move. Her presence holds me captive. She steps
closer still. She’s a breath away. Say something Mac, please say something, I beg silently.
“Harm, I won’t sleep in your bed,” my heart takes a dive then she says “not without you”.
It takes about sixty seconds to figure out what she said before she is in my arms and we’re completely lost in a kiss that
takes control of us.
She is everything to me.
We are whole.
The End