Title: Beaten to the Punch

 

Author: Rising Sun

For feedback e-mail me at: jagrslc@yahoo.com

For updates on my new FF join: jagrslc-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

FF Archived at: http://www.geocities.com/jagrslc

 

Rated: PG-13

Summary: A brawl at JAG brings Harm and Mac together.

Classification: Romance: Harm/Mac

Spoiler: Lifeline (but that is really reaching)

Disclaimer: JAG characters portrayed belong to JAG, CBS and Paramount Television. No copyright infringement intended.  All other characters depicted are purely fictional and any similarities to actual people are purely coincidental.

 

Feedback: PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE!

 

Story Written February 13, 2002

 

FRIDAY - 1300 LOCAL

JAG HQ

 

Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie felt awkward but she was a woman and Marine enough to deal with the unique situation.  There she was with her partner Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. facing off against her fiancé Mic Brumby in a law suit against the Navy.  It had to be a test of some sort why else assign her to the case?  Well she was up to the job.

 

“Mic be reasonable.” She said, “Two million for a mistaken identity case?”

 

“My client has had grievous bodily harm done to him as well as diminished capacity.” He argued.

 

“How would he know!” Harm demanded “He’s eighteen and just been circumcised!”

 

Without thinking Mac reached over and gently touched the forearm of her partner to calm him.  The diamond engagement ring flashed in the light.  She was unaware of the reactions of both men to the action and the ring.

 

“Twenty five thousand.” She offered her hand still on Harm’s.

 

Mic was distracted and struggled to focus. “One point five million.”

 

Harm snorted.

 

Completely unaware that Mic’s emotional state had changed and not for the better, Mac turned to face Harm and exchanged a mute conversation with him.  She turned back to Mic.  “Unacceptable.  See you in court.”

 

“Mac! Be reasonable!” Her fiancé wailed.

 

She sighed, stood and moved away from the table to think.  As did so her hand traced Harm’s arm and shoulder.

 

The sounds of chairs crashing caused her to spin round. What she saw shocked her.  Harm and Mic were rolling round on the floor in a fight that was causing as much damage to the furniture as they were to each other. She dared not get between the two men as the fight ensued.

 

The crash brought Bud Roberts running.  He popped his head into the room. Mac spotted him.  “Lieutenant!  Get me security ASAP!” She barked the command at him.

 

As she waited for the assistance she watched the fight and a gnawing suspicion that she was some how the cause of the fight registered.  [Not again!] She thought.  With in minutes of the command the Military Police were separating the fight.

 

Mac strode up to the two men “Gentlemen! And I use the term loosely what the hell were you thinking!” She roared. “A Naval Officer and a former Naval Officer both of whom should KNOW better!”  

 

“I would like to hear the answer to that myself!” Admiral AJ Chegwidden had walked in. “My office all three of you NOW!”

 

+          +            +

 

Mic and Harm stood facing AJ while Mac stood to the side watching the proceedings.

 

“Answer the Colonel’s question gentlemen!” He demanded.

 

Both were silent.

 

“Colonel what happened in there?” He asked.

 

“I don’t know sir.” She replied.

 

“Don’t give me that!” AJ snapped.  “It is more than likely you were the catalyst in this latest round! Now what happened?!”

 

She gulped.  “Well sir we were negotiating the Anders case. I stood and left the table.  With my back to the others all I can report is that I heard a crash. When I turned …” She shook her head “They were fighting! I don’t know what happened in that split second to start it!”

 

As Mac relayed her knowledge of the incident Harm had been weighing the pros and cons and decided to speak up. “Sir.”

 

“It speaks!” AJ snarled “Yes Commander.”

 

“I had reason to believe that the Colonel was in physical if not mortal danger.” He revealed.

 

“From Mic?” AJ was incredulous.

 

Mac was silent.

 

“Yes sir. As the Colonel turned her back to us Mr. Brumby stood and began to move in what I considered a menacing manner towards the Colonel. With her back to him she would have been in no position to defend herself. So I stepped in.” Harm stated.

 

Her skin suddenly felt too tight for her.  Mic had come close to hitting her before but this was too close for comfort. She went cold, her fingers narrowed and the engagement ring fell off.  She managed to catch it before it fell.

 

Her reflex action at catching the ring caused the three men to turn to look at her.  “Anything to say Brumby?” AJ looked back at the men.

 

“No” Mic stood still but his eyes flashed his rage and his face muscles twitched.

 

“Colonel?” AJ queried.

 

Without saying a word, for what she was about to do; none were necessary, she stepped forward and handed Mic the ring.  Returning to her position she looked to her CO and said, “All other actions I leave to you sir.”

 

“Mmm” He muttered.  “Mic I have no control over you so you are free to go, as to whether there will be a civil suit is not up to me, however if I find that there is collateral damage you will be getting a bill as will you Commander.”

 

Mic nodded and left.

 

“Understood sir!” Harm responded.

 

“I doubt that you do.” AJ snarled. “A Navy Officer! … A Commander no less! … A senior member in my Command brawling like some mid shipman!”

 

“Sir with all due respect the Commander did explain…” Mac tried to aid her partner.

 

“Colonel if I were you I’d keep silent on this! If it were not for you we would not be having this discussion!” AJ roared. He paused. “The day is shot. Go home come back on Monday … I’ll tell you my decision then… DISMISSED!”

 

“Aye sir!” They snapped to attention and left.

 

========================

 

2213 LOCAL

HARM’S APARTMENT

 

Harm opened the door in response to the knock to find Mac standing there. “Mac!”

 

“May I come in?” she asked.

 

“Sure.” He stood aside to allow her to enter.  “You ok?”

 

She sat on a stool at his kitchen counter.  “This afternoon’s events have been running through my mind like a recording.” She said.

 

“I know. What a mess.” He agreed. “What do you think the Admiral will do?”

 

She shrugged.  “He was angry this afternoon. After he’s cooled down I think you’ll be lucky to get a punitive letter of reprimand, one month’s forfeiture of pay and a bill for damages to the conference room. That would be my recommendation if asked.”

 

He nodded mutely.

 

“Consider yourself damn lucky if there’s no Article 32, Admiral’s mast or demotion.” She continued.

 

“I know I know.” He groaned “But I couldn’t allow him to hurt my…” He stopped abruptly.

 

He wasn’t fast enough. “Your?” she prompted.

 

“Nothing.” He stuttered.

 

“Uh huh.  Run Rabb Run.” She was irritated.  “Any thing to drink?”

 

“You know where it is help yourself.” He replied “What do you mean RUN!”

 

She picked up a soda from the fridge and leaned against the door.  “Exactly that. Anyone gets to close emotionally and you RUN!”

 

He stared at his hands.

 

“Forget it Harm.” She said, “It’s not important.”

 

“Did Mic ever hit you Mac?” He asked her directly.

 

“No.” came her instant reply and then she added, “There were times I thought that he was going to, but he never did.  Today I knew that one day he would and for a split second in the Admiral’s Office I saw my parents.  Then the ring fell of as if it were a sign and I decided to get out with my life while I still could.”

 

Harm shook his head. “How can a man who professes to love a woman raise his hands to her? If you were mine I’d raise my hand only to caress you. Not to hit you.” He reasoned.

 

Mac stared at him.  “If I were yours? Did I miss something there?”

 

Harm blushed deep red as he realized what he had said.  “Mmm the drink ok?”

 

“I rest my case Run Rabb Run.” She mocked.

 

He looked everywhere but at her. “At your engagement party when I said that what I wanted most was never to lose you … I meant it.”

 

“Of course you did.” She agreed.

 

He knew she was misunderstanding him, but he couldn’t tell if it was an act. “I care Mac.”

 

“You don’t care.” She declared.

 

“Of course I do I always have.” He defended himself.

 

She closed her eyes for a moment to calm herself, and then said “Platonically sure… intimately never, as such the finer points of my needs, desires or relationships with other men are always lost to you.”

 

That stopped him.  “I care.” He repeated.

 

She decided to ignore him and took a swig of her drink. He decided to change the CD that had been playing.”

 

“Rabb!” She snapped.

 

He automatically stopped at the command.

 

“You do many things well but what you excel at is avoiding commitment.  You run… as you are about to do now.”  Mac enlightened him.  He gaped like a fish.  “Think before you challenge me on that.” She warned.

 

He shut his mouth, turned and walked to the player.

 

Mac looked at the can in her hand and whispered to herself.  “I don’t care what others say … it is a burden to always be right!”

 

Harm changed the CD but the music type remained, light romantic, instrumental Jazz.  He walked back to the kitchen where Mas was still leaning on the fridge door.  He walked right up to her and said. “When you are right… you are right.” He lowered his head and kissed her on the lips.  “I didn’t mean to say it but now that I did I mean it… If you were mine I’d raise my hand only to caress you.”

 

He emphasized the point by lightly running his finger along her cheek. She trembled.

 

“So what do you say?” He asked.

 

“To what?”

 

For dramatic effect he leaned over and whispered in her ear. “First be my girl.” He pulled back to see her reaction.

 

All she managed to say was “First?”

 

“A time and place for everything.” He teased “Girlfriend, wife, mother and grandmother… with me.”  He began to be concerned when she said nothing. “Mac?”

 

“Mmm?”

 

“What are you thinking?”

 

“That within twenty four hours I have gone from having a man to be single to having a man.” She remarked.

 

He chuckled realizing that he’d finally got his life squared away.  “You are a Marine and one hell of a woman … you can handle it.”

 

THE END.