Title: 24/7: Wednesday

Disclaimer: puh-leeze

Summary: A week in the lives of our favorite should-be couple.

Spoilers: Boomerang II, A little of the one where Mac spills the beans to Sturgis, but nothing major.

Harm walked into the office, and for the first time in three days, he had a smile on his face. Sturgis walked up to him and grinned widely himself.

“I take it that smile is a result of not smelling like a girl this morning.”

Harm rolled his eyes. “Very funny. I finally bought new shampoo. I need to talk to you by the way.”

“No way.” He said, backing up. “If this is about Mac, I don’t want to hear it.”

Harm grinned. “It’s about her, but it’s not what you’re thinking.” He opened his office and the two men stepped inside. “Yesterday, when the Admiral forced us to talk, I realized a couple of things. Going out with Caroline, yeah it made her jealous, but it also pissed her off. Which resulted in her going out with Jake, which made me mad. I’m sick of playing games with her, Sturgis. I’m sick of dancing around how we feel about one another. I want her and I want you to help me get her.”

“Harm,” Sturgis started in a warning tone, “This is not a good idea.”

“I know she cares about me.” Harm said softly. “I know she does.”

Sturgis smiled softly. “She does.” He confirmed.

He looked up, hope shining bright in his eyes. “Has she said something to you?”

“Trust me on this Harm. She cares. A lot. But I’m not going to help you. You put yourself in this mess. You pull yourself out.” He patted his friend on the back and left the office. Harm sat down and a chair and sighed. How on earth was he going to win her back over?

***

Mac sighed as she walked into the office. She collapsed into her chair and massaged her temples with her fingers. All this crap with Harm had her so stressed out. She was leaning back in her chair, eyes closed, when someone knocked on the door.

“Enter.”

She opened her eyes and saw Harriet opening her door. “Ma’am, may I ask you something?”

Mac nodded. “Of course. Please, sit down. What’s up, Harriet?”

“For Christmas, my mother gave me two gift certificates for ‘Salon du Soleil’, that really nice day spa across town. And I’m taking Friday off to go, and I’m wondering if you’d like to join me?”

“I’d love too.” She flipped open her organizer and checked Friday’s events. “It’s fate, I’m completely free Friday. I’ll talk to the Admiral after today’s meeting, and then we’ll finalize everything.”

“Great!” Harriet all but squealed. “This is going to be so much fun!”

***

Harm ran his hands through his hair as he flipped through the phone book. He had to think of some way to apologize to Mac. Then he saw it. An ad for ‘Build-A-Bear’. He smiled remembering how Josh Pendry called him all excited a few weeks ago. There was a girl in his history class who he wanted to go with him to the Valentines Day dance. So he had bought her a Build-A-Bear and the little voice box inside said, “Will you go to the dance with me?” It was very sweet. His godson was going to be very popular with the girls if he kept doing stuff like that. He stood up, grabbed his coat and all but ran out of the office.

“Sir?” Tiner asked, more then a little confused.

Harm stopped and thought for a minute. “I have to go see someone about my case on Friday. If anyone needs me, have them call my cell.” Tiner nodded and Harm stepped into the elevator. He got in his SUV and drove to the nearest mall. He thanked God as he pulled into a parking space near the entrance and he went inside. He checked the mall directory and quickly found the store.

“Hi, I’m Anna, welcome to Build-A-Bear, how are you today?”

Harm forced a smile. “I’m good, thanks.”

The sales girl persisted. “Are you getting a present for your little girl?”

He smiled and shook his head. “No, the woman in my life is pretty pissed at me, so I want to do something different.” He scanned the wall of animal skins. “Any suggestion on what to get a woman you’ve really upset?”

Anna smiled. “Let me show you what I would want.” She picked up a large, fluffy polar bear. He’s my favorite.”

Harm picked up the stuffed display. “This is pretty cute.”

She smiled. “Come on, let’s go stuff it.” She led him to the ‘fluffer’ and stuffed the bear with cotton. Once that was done she handed him a red satin heart. “Here. Kiss this and make a wish.” She smiled as he frowned at her, but did as he was told. “Ok. Now, do you want the bear to say something?”

He nodded. “Yeah, but I need someone else to do this for me. I’m going to be her ‘secret admirer’ and if she knows its me, she won’t come Friday night.”

“Charlie, get over here!”

A young man walked over to them. He circled his arm around Anna’s waist. “What’s up?”

“This guy is giving this to someone as an anonymous present. She would recognize his voice, so you’re going to do it.”

He shrugged. “Ok.”

Anna put the voice box in and hit record, and signaled for Charlie to start. He read from the card Harm had given him. “Hey beautiful. I love you Sarah. Will you go out with me Friday night? Reservations at La Tours for 7:00. Please come.” And Anna cut the mike off.

“Oh, that is so sweet. Charlie, you could take some pointers. Now go away.” He smiled, kissed her on the cheek and walked away. “Ok. Now, you have to pick out an outfit for him or her to wear.” She followed Harm over to the clothing section and…. Cammies! You’re buying her a bear wearing cammies!”

Harm laughed. “She’s a marine. She’ll love this.”

Anna smiled. “Oh, ok. I thought you had lost all that romance for a moment.” She took the outfit out of the bag. “I’ll dress him, you get on that computer and enter his information and everything.”

Harm nodded and sat down at the table and tried to think of a name. He smiled and typed in “Marine” for the name. He typed in Sarah MacKenzie for the owner. He waited patiently by the printer as the birth certificate was printed out, and he walked back over to Anna. She held up the bear for Harm to inspect.

“How does he look?”

He lit up. “Its adorable. She’s going to love it.” He picked up the bear and went to pay for it. Anna put the bear in the carrier box and handed it to Harm.

“She’s a very lucky woman.”

He smiled again. “I hope she thinks so.”

He walked out of the store and stopped by the florist. He bought a single pink rose and headed back out to his car, and to JAG. Once he was almost there, he called Sturgis. “Hey, it’s Harm. I know you said you didn’t want to help me win Mac, but I need your help. It’s just delivering a present.” Thanks. Meet me in the parking lot. I’m almost there.”

***

Mac walked into her office and stopped in her tracks. There was a Build A Bear box on her desk, a pink rose stuck through the handles. She walked into the office and pulled out the rose. She inhaled its scent deeply and then opened the box. She laughed out loud once she pulled the bear out. She searched the box and found his ‘birth certificate’. His name was ‘Marine’. She searched for a card or something but found nothing. Then she saw a “press here” button on the bears paw. She timidly pressed his paw and waited for what the bear had to say.

“Hey beautiful. I love you Sarah. Will you go out with me Friday night? Reservations at La Tours for 7:00. Please come.”

She didn’t recognize the voice, and she played it again. ‘Obviously it’s someone who knows me. Oh, what the hell.’ She opened her organizer and wrote in, ‘La Tours, 7:00’.

***

Harm took a deep breath before he tentatively knocked on her door. After the second knock, she pulled open, and froze when she saw it was him.

“What do you want, Harm?”

“I just… can I come in?”

She sighed and held the door open wider. He walked in and tried to hide his smile. She had the bear on her couch and the rose in a vase on the table. She sat down on the couch. “What do you want, Harm?”

“I just want to apologize for everything that I’ve said and done these past few days.” He said softly.

She shrugged. “Its ok. I’ve come to terms with the fact nothing is going to happen between us. I’ve dealt with it. Please don’t make it any harder then it has to be.”

He sat down beside her. “Mac, I don’t want it to be hard. I want to be with you. Please. I have never begged for a woman in my life, but I’ll beg if you need me to. Please, give me a chance.”

She stood up and walked over to the window. “Harm, I need time. You wanted me to wait for you, and I didn’t. It caused a lot of heartache. I’m asking you to wait for me. I hope you will, so we can avoid that heartache.” Mac sighed and looked at him. “All this time, I wanted to hear the words. But I’ve realized that actions are so much more important. Show me you love me. And we’ll see what happens.”

Harm stood up. “Okay. That’s fair enough. I’ll give you whatever you need and prove to you however I can how much you mean to me, and how much I want you in my life.” He opened the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Mac.”

End ‘Wednesday’

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