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Date Posted: 17:46:54 04/20/09 Mon
Author: .
Subject: So Real

Prompt: From Up Close and Personal Submitted by Mouse

Tally Atwater: I want you around in the morning.
Warren Justice: You already have me around in the morning. How, I don't know, but you do.
Tally Atwater: I want to know you're legally required to be there.

Title: So Real

Harm and Mac had begun dating a few months before but somehow, this morning, things had changed�

********************

JAG

�Hi,� Mac murmured, passing Harm in the break room as she reached to take down a mug for her morning coffee. With a nod of his head, he acknowledged her, but didn�t respond verbally. �Um�something wrong?� Mac queried, somewhat miffed at the lack of words.

�No,� Harm managed, walking out of the small room and heading for his office. Mac stood in silence, the coffee forgotten as hot tears came to her eyes. She would not cry! With a huff of breath she squared her shoulders and left the room too, heading for her own office and managing to close the door quietly instead of slamming it shut as she wanted to do.

Harm was bent over his computer keyboard Mac noticed, slumping down into her own chair. The beep on her computer alerted her to an incoming message.

Flyboy here� Sorry :(

What was that all about? Mac responded, her fingers on the keyboard short and stabbing, her composure rattled.

I thought I was dreaming again this morning. Finding you in my bed�when I�d been thinking of you� It was amazing! You were amazing!

Thank you�I think, Mac�s mouth lifted in a smile. So, her Flyboy was still reeling from her early-hours visit. At first he had been sound asleep when she entered the apartment...

Harm�s Place

In the recent times they had been together, Mac had never stayed until the morning, and the previous night had seen her leave before midnight as always, unwilling to compromise either of them by having someone report her vehicle at Harm�s apartment �the morning after�. Despite this, the early morning hours found her in his part of town yet again; she could not honestly have said how she got there. At first she had simply stood on the top step, leaning against the glass partition as she watched him sleep, face down on the bed, the sheet tangled in his long legs, so that barely a corner offered him some modesty. It didn�t matter anyway as she already knew what he looked like, from any angle. With the briefest of actions she stripped herself bare and slid onto the bed beside Harm, drawing the sheet up with her as she lay on her side and watched him some more.

From the depths of his slumber, Harm seemed to sense something, and a smile graced his mouth. Mac knew just how agile that mouth could be, and she wondered how she could have waited this long to come to him.

Harm�s murmur caught her wandering mind but she had missed his words and she leaned in closer�

Gotcha!

Harm! A squeak of sound before his lips covered hers in a sleepy smooch, and then strengthened into a deep, passionate kiss that all but took her breath, and his.

Rolling them over, the sheet tangling even more as their bodies came into close contact, Harm opened his eyes, adjusting immediately to the darkness surrounding them. Reaching up to Mac�s face, he brushed the hair out of her eyes, watching her expressive face as she tried to decipher the look in his eyes.

JAG

Suddenly Harm entered Mac�s office without knocking, and she jerked her head away from the computer screen in surprise. His last words on screen had raised the hairs on her neck, and she was trying to formulate an answer as he spoke the same words that he had written.

�I want you around in the morning.�

�You already have me around in the morning. How, I don�t know, but you do,� Mac answered slowly, unsure where this conversation was leading.

�I want to know you�re legally required to be there,� Harm answered without hesitation, and Mac watched in stunned silence as Harm rounded the edge of her desk and came to stand in front of her, reaching down to draw her up to him. With no conscious thought to the open blinds, let alone the open door, Mac rose to her feet and found herself in close contact with Harm�s long, lean body. Housed in his winter uniform the actual flesh beneath was hidden from her view, but she knew it as well as she knew her own � traitorous � body, and as always her eyes dilated and her breathing became erratic.

Usually Harm grinned at her reaction, just before he kissed her senseless, but this time was different. There was no mind-blowing kiss, just an insistent stare.

�Harm?� Mac managed to utter, her eyes as wide as saucers as she found herself asking another question. Or at least trying to� �Was�um�did you�just��

�Propose? Yes, I did�I mean, I know I should do it better�I will�� With that confusing response, Mac felt his arms leave her and her body sagged slightly, and she was gently lowered to the seat of her chair once more as Harm went one step further, and settled down on one knee.

�Harm?� Now it was barely a whisper, and the curious faces at her door were as far from her thoughts as the threat of the General finding them in such a compromising position!

�Sarah, I love you,� Harm began, and continued, unaware of the audience that was growing in number. �The years we�ve known each other have been�eventful.� A snigger amongst the audience at this comment went unheard, or certainly unanswered. �The last few weeks have been incredible, and I woke up this morning and realised that I wanted this�you�for the rest of my life. Our lives�� Harm barely paused for breath, and then asked the one question only Mac had the answer to.

�Will you please marry me?�

Mac couldn�t answer verbally right at that moment, but she raised her hand to Harm�s face, her eyes shimmering, giving him an answer in their inimitable fashion of speaking without words. The audience however, not privy to their abilities, were anxious for a spoken answer.

�Well, Colonel? Are you going to put us all out of our misery and answer the man?�

General Cresswell had entered Mac�s office without either of them being aware, and his voice roused the pair of them enough to look his way, even though neither of them moved to salute their commanding officer.

�Yes�� Mac murmured softly, reaching forward to kiss Harm before speaking a little louder. �Yes, I�ll marry you�� and the resounding cheer brought them both to their feet then, with Mac secure in Harm�s hold. As the General came around the desk to congratulate them he gave them both a stern look first.

�Now I know what Admiral Chegwidden meant�� he murmured, adding for good measure ��when he said I�d have my hands full with you two.�

�Sir?�

�Let�s just say I was forewarned,� Cresswell was a man of few words, but his next, lengthier, speech had them standing to attention. �This will be the last PDA in this office, at least until I can finalize arrangements. You might want to step into my office in the next five minutes and I�ll brief you both.�

Harm answered for them both with a short �Aye, sir.� As the General left Mac�s office, and the door closed behind him, they were left alone for a few moments more before silently agreeing to go to Cresswell as requested.

In the General�s office they came to attention before being waved down to the seats opposite the large desk. Cresswell lifted a folder from the desk and got to his feet.

�You haven�t left me much time; I�m presuming you are going to be sharing accommodation now?�

�Sir? I...we...� Mac began, but found herself stumbling uncharacteristically. Harm gave her a reassuring smile before speaking up on behalf of both of them.

�The Colonel and I will be looking for a property together, sir, but for the time being we will maintain our separate apartments. Discretion is paramount still, and we both feel we have kept our relationship...fairly...private.�

The General coughed around an inelegant word before opening the folder in his hands.

�Admiral Chegwidden saw fit to research the options for when this situation arose.�

�Sir...when?� Mac was curious, realizing that AJ Chegwidden had never considered that they would not reach this point in their relationship, no matter what transpired beforehand.

�The Admiral was an astute man, Colonel. There are two options; one would see Commander Rabb assigned to the Pentagon full time, while you remain here as Chief of Staff. The second would afford the opportunity to keep you both at JAG, with you assigned to the Judiciary,� Cresswell paused as he looked first at Mac, and then at Harm. �You, Commander, would become my Chief of Staff.�

�We�ll take it,� was uttered as one voice, and Cresswell couldn�t resist his retorted comment before grinning.

�You don�t want to discuss the matter first?�

�There�s no need, sir,� Mac answered softly, and Harm nodded in agreement. It was the only option.

�Very well, I�ll have Coates arrange the necessary paperwork, and make an appointment with the SecNav.�

�Thank you, sir,� answered Harm, and Cresswell nodded as he returned to his chair and sat down.

�Now that the officialdom is sorted, I can offer my congratulations on a more informal basis. I do, however, have one question.� Steepling his fingers, Cresswell eyed Harm and Mac over the tip of his fingers.

�Sir?� Mac glanced from Harm to the General, waiting.

�Actually, it�s my wife that has the question. If you are free this weekend she would like to invite you to dinner at our house.�

�I guess...we�d be delighted, sir...� Mac answered hesitantly, not quite sure what she was letting both she and Harm in for. Dora Cresswell was as much a force to be reckoned with as was her husband.

�Good.�

�That was the question, sir?� Mac ventured to ask, incurring an astonished look from Harm, and a sheepish grin from Cresswell.

�Actually, no...but I�ll let my wife be the one to ask. Now, if you�ll excuse me, the JAG day has begun and we�re due in the conference room shortly.�

At the inferred dismissal Harm and Mac rose to their feet and came to attention before being dismissed verbally.

Harm left Mac at her office door with a smile and an unspoken promise for later, moving on to his office to collect the requisite items for the morning conference. As he closed the door to his office on his way out, he noticed Mac standing in the doorway to her office, where he had left her.

�Up and at �em, Colonel. The General will only give us so much...� Harm paused, realizing Mac hadn�t moved from the moment he�d left her earlier. �Mac?�

�Huh?� Mac answered, shaking her head to clear the confusion that reflected on her face.

�You seem out of it, Mac. What�s wrong?�

�Nothing...nothing,� Mac murmured, giving a faint smile of reassurance. It didn�t work. Harm gently moved Mac further into her office, and drew the door closed behind them.

�This is me, Mac...I know that look.�

�I...I don�t know how to explain this...it�s just...� Mac looked at Harm with a fierce stare, as if making sure he really was in front of her; as if making sure this was reality. Harm waited for Mac to continue. He knew she would. �When I came in the office just now, you smiled at me. I remember that smile from this morning...before we went to sleep...�

�And?� Harm was smiling once again, remembering too...

�And I woke up in my apartment, Harm. My own apartment.�

�I don�t get...oh!� Mac nodded as Harm realized just what Mac was alluding to. �I was there too, Mac. It was so real; it had to have been real.�

�I know it was, Harm...but it doesn�t explain...� Mac was rambling again, until Harm lifted a finger to her lips.

�Whatever happened, Mac, it was real for us. Who knows...maybe it�s another way we can now, huh?� The smile was back. Mac couldn�t help but smile in response.

�You think?� With a more suggestive smile over her shoulder, her promise for later, Mac preceded Harm out of her office. �C�mon Flyboy, time to go to work.�

�Right behind you, Colonel...� Harm placed a hand on Mac�s back as they left the office, and the gesture reassured him as much as it did Mac.

It had all been so real...hadn�t it?

The End

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Replies:

[> I like it. Thanks! -- Mouse, 17:58:43 04/20/09 Mon [1]

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[> Interesting. -- . . . - - - . . ., 18:37:55 04/20/09 Mon [1]

Just what would Dora Creswell's question have been?

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[> That left us with a puzzling question--what WAS Mrs. Cresswell's question? -- SammiSue, 19:47:24 04/20/09 Mon [1]

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[> Very Good!!!! I am a bit confused what bed were they on and what was Mrs Cresswell's questions, a sequel to explain all thus -- ei, 22:12:34 04/20/09 Mon [1]

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[> Nice...now, what's Dora's question??? Its killing me!!! -- JagfanNat, 22:37:42 04/20/09 Mon [1]

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[> A story within a story - very clever. I don't mind a little "throw-away" that's not followed up on - it lets us use our imaginations! -- enjoyed it., 23:05:43 04/20/09 Mon [1]

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[> So, what was real? Interesting... -- SP, 13:46:53 04/21/09 Tue [1]

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[> LOL a great story continue please curious to know what the question was please. -- Bev uk, 16:20:49 04/21/09 Tue [1]

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[> Very nice. Inside -- JAG Junkie (Ronda), 22:45:25 04/23/09 Thu [1]

I can imagine all sorts of things Dora might want to ask! LOL Will there be a sequel?

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