For Challenge #4

Using the Lines:

Line 1:  There would be no greater gift 

Line 2:  But it's a green Christmas for me

Line 3:  At least it's only once a year

Bonus Line:  All this mistletoe, no kiss

Forever, With Love

by Jaggie 107

Christmas Eve, JAG HQ, morning briefing 

“Another cold, snowy Christmas,” Mac murmured, glancing out of the conference room windows before taking her seat next to Harm, who gave her a  pointed look.  “What?” asked Mac, looking at him in return.

“Nothing; you just sounded a little down.”

“Not at all.  Just pointing out the obvious,” Mac retorted quickly and then turned to talk to Harriet, effectively closing the subject with Harm.  He looked down at the folder in front of him, but his attention was focused on the conversation between Mac and Harriet.  The younger woman was murmuring to Mac that she loved having Christmas in DC, 'but it's a green Christmas for me, this year, being in Florida ...'

“Admiral on deck!” Harm stood immediately as Chegwidden entered the room, and the others followed suit until they were waved down by their commanding officer.

“Good morning, people.  I trust we will get at least a morning’s work done today.”  At the sound of ‘ayes’ around the room Chegwidden glanced up at them all.  “That was a rhetorical question.”  A quick scan of the room showed a number of red faces, having been caught out.  Not least was Bud Roberts.

“Lieutenant Roberts, you have the reports ready that I asked for in advance of your departure?”

“Aye, yes, sir…” Bud shot to his feet.  “Sir, the reports are all completed.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant. As you were.”  Bud dropped back into his seat, relief visible on his face. 

Mac gave Harm a sideways glance and found him writing furiously on his scratch pad.

“…won’t you, Commander?” Chegwidden’s voice came to Harm at the same time as Mac shoved his foot with hers under the table.

“Yes, sir.” Harm’s head came up and he addressed the Admiral.  “I have contacted the civil court and we should be able to bring PFC Winters back for court martial after the holiday.  In the meantime he remains in the custody of the local Sheriff’s department.”

“Very well.  Keep on top of it, Commander.  PFC Winters has a lot to answer for.”

“Aye, sir.” 

Mac could have sworn Harm had been so busy writing that he had missed Chegwidden’s question.  Her instinct to warn him by kicking his foot had proved unnecessary.  Somehow he had kept track of the conversations around him and knew when the Admiral was addressing him.

“Colonel?”

“Sir?”  Mac was annoyed with herself that she had been caught out.  Giving her attention fully to the Admiral now, she hoped she hadn’t missed too much.

“I understand you have accepted to be Duty Officer over the holiday.  Are you sure about that?”

“I have no other commitments, sir.  It isn’t a problem.”

“Are you not visiting with Chloe this year?”

Mac shook her head.  “Sir, her father is taking her on a trip to the Gulf.  He wants to show her some of his life, but from a safe distance.  They are staying in Bahrain .”

“I’m sure Chloe will enjoy that, especially at this time of year.  I envy her,” Chegwidden noted, and Mac nodded.  Under her breath she muttered, '... so do I ...,' wishing she could be thousands of miles away too.

 Christmas Eve, early afternoon 

“Ma’am?” Harriet appeared at Mac’s door as she spoke, and Mac waved her inside with a smile. 

“What’s on your mind, Harriet?”

“I just … I feel so awkward, ma’am.”

“About what?” Mac looked up from the file on her desk and indicated the chair in front of her desk.  Harriet took a seat and folded her hands in her lap as she took a deep breath.

“It’s just … this is the first holiday my parents …” Harriet began, and Mac got up from her seat and came around the desk to take the chair next to Harriet.

“You’re worried about not doing a Christmas dinner?  Oh, Harriet!”

As Harriet wrung her hands together Mac put a hand over hers to stop the movement. 

“It’s wonderful for you and Bud to be going away for Christmas.  Your parents haven’t seen you in ages; you said so yourself, remember?  It’s going to be a great family Christmas for you all.”

Harriet nodded, but she was still looking worried.

“What is it?” Mac wasn’t sure why Harriet was still so concerned.

“It’s just … you and the Commander, and the Admiral.  You’re all our family too.  It’s not going to be the same …”

“Harriet, you’re sweet to be concerned about us, but don’t be.  We’re going to the service later, and then having something to eat with the staff in the cafeteria.  Harm will go to the Wall as he always does.”

“But …” Harriet began to protest again, and Mac gave her a mock stern look.
 

Christmas Eve, late evening 

Mac heaved a big sigh and looked around herself at the empty bullpen.  Harm, just leaving his office, briefcase and cover in one hand as he closed the door, happened to hear her.

“That’s an awfully big sigh, Marine.  Something wrong?”

“Nah, just wondering,” Mac answered softly, without turning around.  The door closed with a click, loud in the sudden silence, and despite herself Mac jumped.  Harm came around so that he was facing Mac and he noticed the movement.

“You seem a little nervous, Mac,” Harm murmured, and Mac gave him a small smile.

“It’s just … nothing.  It’s nothing.  Have a nice Christmas, Harm.  Are you on your way to the Wall now?”

Harm nodded, eyeing Mac with some trepidation; not sure how his words would sound.  But he said them anyway.

“Come with me.”

“What?”  Mac was surprised, and pleased, to be included in Harm’s annual visit to the Vietnam memorial.  In some small way she had felt a tie to the place herself since she and Harm had been together when he had finally discovered the fate of his father.

 “Please, come with me?” Harm repeated, putting out his free hand to Mac in invitation.  Mac hesitated for the briefest moment, and then slipped her hand in his, giving Harm a soft smile.

“I’d like that.  Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.  Are you ready to go now too?  I can wait…” Harm indicated Mac’s office door still open, files on her desk illuminated by the desk light.

“I won’t be a minute,” Mac answered, moving to close down her office and collect her things.  Her hand was still in Harm’s grasp however, and she was brought up short as he held on.  “Harm…?” Mac turned back in confusion, as Harm gave her the strangest look.

“I…er…sorry,” Harm released Mac’s fingers from his grasp and gave her an apologetic smile.

“It’s okay,” Mac swallowed nervously as she hurried into her office to turn out the light and pick up her coat, cover and briefcase.  Moments later she was back in the bullpen.

“What were you sighing for, earlier?” Harm asked, and Mac’s steps faltered slightly before she turned back for the main glass doors out to the elevators.

“Nothing, really …” she hedged, but Harm was suddenly very curious.

“It didn’t sound like a ‘nothing’ sigh.  ‘Fess up, Colonel.”

Mac stopped and gave a similarly heavy sigh once more.

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

“Nope.”

“O-kayyyy,” Mac murmured, turning back to face Harm and dropping her briefcase, cover and coat on a nearby desk.  “Remember, you asked for this,” she warned before coming to stand in front of Harm, directly under the sprig of mistletoe hanging over Harriet’s desk.  The last of the decorations the young Lieutenant had hung before departing for the holidays earlier.

Mac’s words were barely audible, but Harm heard them.

“I was sighing because I was thinking, 'hey, all this mistletoe, no kiss,' and…”  Before Mac could continue Harm kissed her.  There was no warning, no arms reaching for her, no body pressed tightly to hers, just a mesmerizing kiss that transported her from the semi-darkness of the bullpen to somewhere in an alternate universe that held only herself and Harm, and that kiss…

“Mac?”

“Um?”

Harm’s soft laughter brought Mac’s gaze up to his, and her dazed expression cleared to reality of where they were, and what they had been doing.

“You kissed me.”  Mac’s voice was husky, and she cleared her throat a little. 

 Harm nodded.  “Seemed a good idea at the time.  … Christmas, right?” 

Mac’s disappointment was two-fold.  Harm seemed quite blasé about the kiss, and he had kissed her, when it had been her intention to kiss him.  Actually to do more than kiss him, but that would have come later …

“At least it’s only once a year,” Mac muttered, turning away, but Harm’s words caught her once more.

“Doesn’t have to be,” Harm cajoled.  “You could have this forever, if you want.”

Mac swallowed.  Had she really heard correctly?

“Forever?” Mac repeated, swallowing on a dry throat.

“Sarah Mackenzie, will you please tell me you wanted that kiss as much as I did?” Harm reached out then and drew Mac to him; her arms seemed to rise of their own volition and settle on his waist as he framed her face with his hands.

 “You did?” Mac could only answer in words of one syllable right now.  Of all the scenarios she had pictured of Harm declaring himself in love with her, this was not one of them.  Then again, he hadn’t said he loved her … had he?

“I did.  There would be no greater gift than to know that you love me as much as …”

“I do,” Mac interrupted, her face wreathed in a smile, her hands moving around Harm’s waist so that she was closer to him, to the length of his tall body, so close that she had to lift her head to look up at his face, which currently showed confusion.

“You do?”

“I do,” Mac emphasized the ‘do’, and Harm caught on quickly.  Just before his lips met Mac’s in a more expressive kiss, he grinned at her.

“I do, too …” and then there was silence.

Save for the voice of the Admiral in his office, making a call.

“This is Admiral Chegwidden.  I need a replacement Duty Officer.  Colonel Mackenzie is indisposed.”

Standing at the Memorial, later

“Dad, I’d like you to meet Sarah Mackenzie, soon to be Rabb …”

The End