Title: Flying Away 3: Smooth Landing
Author: Anne Taul, anne_taul@gowebway.com

Summary: Part 3 of the Flying Away series; Harm returns to Washington for a visit.
Disclaimer: JAG, its characters, premise, etc, are the sole and exclusive property of CBS, Paramount and

Bellasarius productions. No profit is being made or sought from this purely recreational endeavor. No infringement of copyright is intended.


 

Flying Away 3: Smooth Landing


2AM
SARAH MACKENZIE'S APARTMENT
GEORGETOWN


Mac turned slightly in the midst of a deep slumber. An expression of contentment flitted over her face. Then, suddenly, she was startled and jumped. The phone rang, its loud peel invading the silence of the night.

She turned and reached toward the night stand. Who on earth would be calling at this hour? It was the middle of the night. Whoever it was, had better have a pretty good excuse for waking her up this way!

"Hullo?" she mumbled into the receiver.

A deeper voice on the other end replied, "Hello. Sleeping Beauty."

"Harm? Is that you?" She was waking up to her dreams.

"Hi, Honey."

"Why are you calling at this hour? What's wrong?"

"uhmm...Sarah, are you awake? I want to tell you something."

This sounded serious, so she sat up and focused her attention. "Is something wrong, Harm?"

"No, nothing's wrong. I think, actually, that it's good news."

"What?"

"Are you familiar with the Stealth Phoenix Fighter Project?"

"Only what I've heard on the news. It's some new plane the Navy's testing that evades radar and fires some kind of laser beam instead of regular bombs, so it's more precise in hitting its targets."

"Yeah, that's the one."

"Why are you asking? Is that something you're working on?"

"Not exactly, but I'm familiar with it. Anyway, Congress is trying to cut the Pentagon's budget again. The Stealth Phoenix is one of the projects that they're trying to get rid of. But the Navy wants to keep the project. It's benefit will far outweigh the costs for its development."

"Harm, not that I'm not glad to hear about this, but you called me in the middle of the night to tell me about an airplane?" Planes were his life, now, so she immediately regretted saying it.

"Honey, the Navy needs a lobby to argue with the Congressional committee and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to continue the project. Because of my litigation skills and knowledge of the aircraft, they're sending me."

"You're coming to Washington? You're going o be here? In my arms? In my bed? When?" Her voice rose with each question.

"I just found out that I was coming a few hours ago. I'll be leaving this afternoon, my time. Honey, I should arrive at the airport there at about 10:00, your time, in the morning. "

"Harm, that's eight hours!"

"It sure is. I can't wait to see you. I want to kiss you and hold you in my arms, and..."

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to the "and" part to. I'll meet you at the airport."

"Are you going to let he people in the office know I'm coming?"

"Not yet. I know everyone would like to see you, but I want to keep you to myself for a little while first. It's been seven weeks, three days, fourteen hours and 36 minutes since I've seen you."

"Really? It seems longer."

It seemed longer to her too. Though they had maintained very close contact since their trip to FIJI, letters and phone calls were a poor substitute for being held in the arms of the man you love.

They talked a few more minutes, mostly about how much they missed each other and what they wanted to do to each other when they were together tomorrow. After hanging up the phone, Mac absolutely could not go back to sleep.

He had warned her that it was only for 2 days. But two days could be a lot of good time together if they planned it right. And two days also meant, two nights.



LATER
AIRPORT


Mac had come up with some excuse about delivering documents to a civilian attorney to get away from the office in time to meet her lover's plane.

She stood in the terminal, watching passengers disembark from Harm's flight. Finally, she saw his head, above the rest of the arriving passengers. She was glad that he was so tall.

Calmly, he walked to her, enveloped her in a big bear hug, and picked her up off the floor.

Mac responded by circling her arms around his neck and initiating a deep, passionate kiss. She could hardly believe how good his arms felt around her.

When he set her down, her hands tried to lift up the T-shirt he was wearing. His hands roamed over her back , pulling her ever closer to him.

"I missed you so much." She uttered breathlessly.

"Sarah, let's get out of here before we end up doing something that will get us thrown out."



She dropped him off at her apartment, before heading back to JAG. She promised to be home as early as she possibly could that evening.

Mac returned to the office, and all the rest of the day, she wore a big smile on her face.



She arrived home at about 1800 hours. Opening the front door, she was greeted by a wonderful aroma. Something good was cooking. The lights had been dimmed, and candles burned all over the place. Soft music wafted through the air. "Harm?" she called.

No answer.

As soon as she sat down, he appeared in full dress uniform, carrying a tray of appetizers and a glass of sparkling soda water.

Before she got either of these, though, she got a kiss that curled her toes. She had never imagined that a single kiss could carry such intensity.

As the evening progressed, they ate, they drank, they fondled and caressed.

It didn't last too long, a they weren't able to contain the urgency of their desire for each other.

They started undressing on the couch, but eventually he carried her to the bedroom, where they renewed their friendship in a very intimate and satisfying way.

It was the most wonderful thing in the world to wake up in each other's arms in the morning. They both thought that this simple thing made the pain and difficulty of their relationship, in its current circumstances, seem worth it.

All of the next day, Mac spent in court. Harm stayed around the apartment working on his arguments to present to the Congressional subcommittee. That had been delayed by a day, which extended his stay to three days instead of two. Neither Mac nor Harm complained about this change in plans.

That night, they went out on a picnic in a nearby park. Sitting on the blanket and staring at the stars reminded them both of how special their relationship was and how lucky they were to have found each other.



THE NEXT DAY
CHAMBERS OF THE
CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE ON STRATEGIC DEFENSE


"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is just an outline of the many ways that the Stealth Phoenix will most assuredly increase both the efficiency and effectiveness of this country's military aviation. I will, of course, be available, if you have any questions or if you'd like to see more specific data. Thank you." Harm ended this presentation, as the members of the congressional subcommittee on strategic defense, a branch of the Armed Forces Committee, began to rise from their seats.

He was stuffing folders back into his briefcase when a vaguely familiar voice from behind him called his name.

Harm turned to find himself face to face with Bobbi Lathem.

"Congresswoman..." He addressed her.

"Bobbi." She corrected him.

"Bobbi." He repeated.

"It's good to see you, Harm. It's been a long time."

"Yes, Ma'am...Bobbi, it has been."

"Are you enjoying being back at sea, and in airplanes."

"Yes, I am."

"It must get awfully lonely being at sea for so long at a time. I mean, there aren't very many women out there."

"Well, there are lonely moments. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that we have our share of fine female officer aboard ship."

"I'm not talking about officers and colleagues. I'm talking about women." With this, she began twirling one of the buttons on the front of his uniform between her fingers.

He pulled away, just a bit. "Is there something that I can help you with, Bobbi?"

"Well, I was thinking, since you're in town for a few days, maybe you'd like to stop by my place later tonight. I could help you alleviate some of that loneliness and boredom."

"Uhmm.." Harm stammered, "I don't think that would be too appropriate, Ma'am, after all, I'm lobbying your committee."

"To hell with the committee."

Harm turned to look at her directly, "Bobbi, I've got to be honest. I'm involved in a relationship right now.'

"I won't tell anybody, if you won't."

"This is not that kind of relationship. This is serious."

"So, who's the woman who has finally captured the great Harmon Rabb."

"Well, now, a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell."

"Oh, my! It's too bad you're not interested, because I definitely am." She said as she shot him an incredibly seductive glance, and left the room.

All the way home, he was troubled by this encounter.

Mac was waiting for him when he got there. She met him at the door, wearing her bathrobe. After commenting that he looked to be tired and stressed, she led him to the bathroom. She had prepared a warm bath for the two of them to share. She promised him that it would relax him and make him forget his problems.

Boy! Was she ever right. The warm water cascaded over his body, as her hands washed over his skin. When she leaned back against his chest, his hands returned the favor. They soaked in the tub for a long time. Afterward, she made dinner, which they followed with a very physical dessert.

As they lay, ensconced in each others arms, he was again reminded of his conversation with Bobbi Lathem. Is the way she approached him, the way women are usually treated in that environment? He hoped not.

"Sarah, Darling?

"Hmm?"

"Do men hit on you very often at work?"

"What men?"

"I don't know, any men, the ones you work with? Clients? consultants? Anybody?

"Why are you interested in that?"

"Just because of something that happened to me today."

"Some woman tried to pick you up? Who?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm just wondering if that happens to you."

"Yeah, sometimes it does. Not all the time."

"How do you handle it?"

"I tell them that my boyfriend is as big as King Kong, and jealous. What did you do?"

"I told her that my girlfriend has a license to kill, and she's not afraid to use it."

She maneuvered herself up to kiss him. "I'm not, you know."

"I love you." He confirmed.

The next day, Harm's final one in Washington, Mac made closing arguments in a murder case. Harm met with the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon to lobby for their support of the Stealth Phoenix project.

Neither of them was too encouraged about how convincing they had been. They went out to an expensive, but romantic dinner at a quaint little restaurant on the Potomac river. They ate and danced, all too aware that their time together was limited. After dinner, they walked up and down the river, glorying in the moonlight.

Harm loved holding her hand and talking to her this way. He'd known lots of women in his time, but he'd never even been close to anything like this with anyone before.

Mac knew that in another day, she'd be back to being alone, missing him, running to the mailbox and waiting for a phone call. She just couldn't care though. Right now was all that was important. She was perfectly willing to take whatever he could offer her right now, and not to waste time wishing for more.

Mac shivered slightly in the night air.

Harm stopped and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

She paused, then continued, "Harm, I think we had better go home."

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"No, but I'm not sure how much longer I can control myself this close to you."

"Now, now, Major."

"I'm serious, Sweetheart."

They walked back to the car, then proceeded back to her apartment. Before they had even gotten out of the car, they had begun to undress each other. The need was overwhelming.

It slowed a bit as they entered her front door. He kissed her passionately and held her tightly against his chest for a long moment, before carrying her to the bedroom.



They awoke very early, but lay in bed together for a long time. He stroked her hair and trailed soft kisses across her forehead and temple. She held tightly around his chest.

Finally, he spoke, "Darling, it may be a long time before we're like this again."

"Don't remind me." She ordered.

"Every time a lie down in my rack on that ship, I close my eyes and imagine that I'm holding you in my arms."

"And I imagine that you're here with me."

"Sarah, I promise you that sometime there will be a time when we can always be together. I don't know when or how, but we will be."

"I believe you, Harm. I have to."

They lay like that for a long time. When they did get up, it was time for him to get ready to go to the airport to catch his plane.

"Mac, are you going to drive me to the airport?"

"No."

"No?"

"Harm, I'll say hello to you forever, but I don't ever want to get good at saying goodbye. I just don't need to practice that."

"Okay. I'll call a taxi.



20 MINUTES LATER


When the cab arrived, they were seated on the couch, wrapped in each other, literally.

He rose, touched her arm, kissed her cheek and said, "I love you."

Harm was out the door before he could see the single, large tear roll down her cheek.

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