JAG 1. Chapter 1: Mac, then Tami and Gina

**Author's Note**: Set somewhere in an AU (Mic-free and mostly Renee-free) Season 6, or maybe very early Season 7. In fact, set this one where you will, as long as Harm and Mac are both single and have been working together for a number of years. This one will have 3 chapters, although the final chapter will be very short. I would love to know what you think about this story, so please review! Thank you for reading.

Originally written for and posted (under the name 'Dee') at the HBX for the June 2012 Challenge, which was to:

… _write a short story/scene in which Harm's smile plays a prominent part. For an added bonus, use the line below in your story. Anyone can say the line in your story, even Harm!_

_Mac: "That's a very nice smile, and I'm sure most of the time it gets you what you want . . ."  
We The People_

**Disclaimer: **The usual, I own neither the show nor its characters, etc etc.

_**Chapter One - Mac, then Tami and Gina**_

_**Mac's POV**_

Mattoni and I are in the elevator, on our way down. We're going to a meeting at the Office of Legislative Affairs – a meeting that's _guaranteed_ to be long and boring. I'm not looking forward to it, and for some reason I feel a little blue this Friday morning. An annoying little voice whispers in my ear that it just might be because I haven't seen Harm today, and because I know I won't be seeing him for the next couple of days. I ignore the pesky little voice – as usual, it doesn't know what it's talking about. Mattoni and I have just stepped out onto the first floor when the object of my most recent thoughts comes striding toward us, looking as always like a million bucks (not that I'd ever let him know it).

'Mac, hold the elevator, please,' he calls out from a few feet away.

I suddenly remember that he's not supposed to be here this morning. Wanting to find out why he _is_, I decide not to hold the elevator, watching it go up with an 'Oops, sorry, Harm.'

'You did that on purpose,' Harm says, indignantly.

'Why are you here?' I respond. 'Aren't you supposed to be on your way to visit your mother?'

'My flight leaves at 1530. I'm just here to pick up a few files, and then I have a few errands to run before I leave for Dulles.'

'Files? Please don't tell me you plan to spend your time in La Jolla working instead of hanging out with family.'

Harm looks at me wryly. 'I'll try not to.'

'Enjoy it; Harm,' I say, serious now, 'you're lucky to have them around.'

Mattoni clears his throat. 'We need to get a move on, or we'll be late for the meeting.'

'We're fine,' I reply, 'we still have thirty-four minutes and fifty-two seconds.'

Nevertheless, we exchange our goodbyes quickly.

_**Harm's POV**_

I've been to the office, the drycleaners, the gift shop, my apartment and now I've just arrived at my last stop before the airport, a dentist's office. I'm here to see Gina Scalia, the daughter of one of my mom's oldest friends. Gina works as a dental assistant here.

I walk into the office and introduce myself to the receptionist, a pretty, curvy brunette who introduces herself as Tami and asks me to take a seat. 'I'll call Gina right away, she's expecting you,' she says, with a big smile. As I sit in the small waiting room, Tami's end of the telephone conversation drifts over to me clearly.

'Gina, Commander Rabb's here.' Tami's voice drops a tiny notch. 'Oh my gosh, you didn't tell me he was a total hunk with a killer smile. Is he single?'

Tami's eyes light up at Gina's response, whatever it is. Tami continues, 'You'd do that for me? Awesome! I _love_ a man in uniform. Anyways, hurry up, don't keep him waiting!'

Gina arrives in the waiting room a few minutes later and gives me a warm hug. She pulls me into a nearby office – we're out of Tami's earshot, but she can still see us through a glass partition. I haven't seen Gina in years, but she hasn't changed a bit – petite and pretty, with long, wavy, black hair and brown eyes. She still has the nose ring and tattoos around her wrists that scandalized her mother when she got them as a teenager. The only change from the last time I saw her is that she's pregnant now.

'Harmon Rabb Jr!' she says, as our embrace ends and she takes a step back to look at me. 'Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes!'

'It's good to see you too, Gina. It's been a long time. You look beautiful.'

Gina laughs. 'You, my friend, are good for a pregnant woman's ego.'

'Congratulations. I can't believe the little brat that played in our yard is about to become a mother.'

'Well, we're all getting old, Harm. But seeing old friends like you makes me feel young again,' she replies, with a smile.

I smile back. 'How's your mother?' I ask.

'Doing well... she's recovering well from her most recent surgery. I'm so glad she's here where Tim and I can help look after her. Not that it wasn't a battle getting her here - you know how opinionated and... vocal she is.'

'I remember well. One time Tim and I were playing war games on your street – I must have been about eight. Somehow, we managed to wander off. It was pretty dark by the time we realised we were a long way from home. When your mother found us, boy, did she let us have it. My ears are still ringing... but she gave us the biggest hugs afterwards.'

'Yeah, she's a great hugger. And so is your mom – please give her a big hug from me.'

'I will. So where's this package I'm taking to La Jolla?'

Gina hands me a small paper bag. 'Feel free to open it up and take a look. It's just some fabric swatches that my mom wants Trish to look at – our mothers are working on a big, bicoastal design project,' she says with a smile.

'Really?'

'Uh huh,' she replies, rubbing her belly, 'it's this little fella's nursery. But the way Trish and my mom have been planning, you'd think they were doing the interior design for a gazillion-dollar Italian villa or something.'

We laugh together and then Gina continues. 'It's _so_ good to see you, Harm. You look great –still the same gorgeous smile.' She snaps her fingers. 'You know, speaking of that smile… I have a friend who owns a modeling agency – she is always looking for smile models.'

I'm incredulous. 'Smile models.'

'Yeah, you know, for toothpaste ads… stuff like that. I could give her your details.'

'Err, thanks… but I'm not exactly looking for work.'

'It could be a nice side hustle for you, Harm. A little extra cash. Say _ahhh_.' Taken unawares, I comply, probably out of some deeply ingrained respect for dentists (and the pain they are capable of inflicting). Gina tilts her head and looks into my mouth. 'Hmm, of course you might need to have just a teensy little bit of cosmetic work done.'

I close my mouth and protest. 'Hey!'

Gina laughs. 'Most smile models need a little work… nothing serious, just a little polishing up here and there. I can help you with that - and give you a nice, friendly discount.'

'Thanks, but no thanks, Gina. I'm not interested in a "side hustle" as a smile model, and I'm definitely not interested in sitting in your torture chair."

She lets out another peal of laughter. 'Ooh, my "torture chair"? Didn't know you were into the kinky stuff, Harm. Ok, seriously, why are you not interested in smile modeling? You did such a great job when you starred in that Navy recruitment ad – you're a natural in front of the camera.'

'First off, I can't think of anything more boring or awkward than standing around having my picture taken for hours on end. Second, I certainly don't have any spare time for it. Third, I don't particularly need the extra money. But most importantly, and I think you know this, I am not about to walk up to my commanding officer and ask him for permission to be a "smile model" on the side.'

'Ok counselor,' she says laughingly, holding her hands up in surrender, 'you've won this round. I had to try, my friend's been on my case for referrals… and it's a way for me to get a little extra work as well so…. Anyway,' she continues, checking her watch, 'do you have time for a quick cup of tea or coffee? I have a few minutes.'

'Maybe some other time. I should get going. But it's been so good to see you.'

Gina smiles, and there's a tinge of mischief in her grin. 'Same here. You know I had a huge crush on you back then, Harm.'

'You did not!'

'Oh, but I did. And so did all my friends... we thought that out of all Tim's friends, you were definitely the cutest.'

I don't quite know what to say to that. So I go with, 'that was a long time ago, Gina.'

'Yes it was... a lifetime ago, it seems.' She laughs again, almost to herself, and shrugs. 'I was heartbroken when you left for the Academy, you know. I was in my "rebellious phase" then, I'd just run off and gotten my ink and piercings, and I was dating a high school dropout who played in a local band – in short, I was a walking "rebel teen" cliché... so no one would have guessed that I was secretly pining for one of my brother's friends... I was devastated when you left. It felt like the end of a dream. You were going somewhere far away, and I knew you wouldn't come back for me, and you probably never even knew how I really felt about you.'

'You're right,' I reply, moved by her words and the picture they painted. 'I had no idea how you felt. And if I had, I probably would have asked you out. I thought you were cute too.'

'I know,' Gina says, with another sweet smile, and then she laughs out loud. 'Everyone thought I was cute back then. "Tim's cute, tomboyish sister". But you and I both know that's all you ever saw me as.'

'Don't knock it... I have lots of great memories of Tim's cute, tomboyish sister.'

'And I have lots of great memories of you. Truth is, as far as childhood crushes go, I had great taste, if I do say so myself. You're one of the good ones, Harm. I mean, you were a little odd and sometimes even batshit crazy, especially when you ran off to Vietnam like that and scared your mother half to death, but you've always had such a good, kind heart. That's why I can't wait for you to meet a nice girl and settle down.'

I roll my eyes. 'Now you're starting to sound like my mom.'

'Seriously, Harm. Look, I know you men think you're the only ones that are scared to commit, but I know _all_ about commitment phobia... I didn't want to settle down either. I've always been a free spirit, you know that... I thought the whole "love, marriage and a baby carriage" spiel was way too white-bread and conventional for me... but trust me, when it's right, starting a family is the most amazing thing. My husband tells me all the time that he wishes we'd gotten together earlier, and honestly, I do too. It's been awesome – I mean, sure, we have our moments when we want to kill each other, but on the whole, we are _so_ happy. And I want _you_ to be just as happy.'

I roll my eyes again. 'That's all very nice, Gina, and I'm very happy for you and Bill, but is that why you told Tami that you'd give me her number?'

'How did you know – '

'I figured it out from her end of the conversation. She wasn't exactly discreet.'

'Well, she's pretty, isn't she?'

'Giiiina,' I respond, drawing out her name with a note of warning.

'What? Ok ok, I'll admit that she's probably not really your type, but a date or two wouldn't hurt.'

'Thanks, but trust me, I have no problem finding dates on my own.'

'Are you seeing anyone serious?'

'Not at the moment.'

'Well then, what do you have to lose?'

'If you'd asked me that question five years ago, I'd have said "absolutely nothing", and asked Tami for her number myself. I've had more than my fair share of fun dates that I knew weren't going to lead to anything more. And I've enjoyed every minute of it. But as you yourself said earlier, we're getting older. Right now, I'm not really in the mood to go on dates just for the heck of it.'

'I said we were getting old, Harm,' Gina responds sardonically, 'not decrepit. Jeez, don't get so heavy, Harm. Whatever happened to the legendary ladies' man I keep hearing about?'

'Ok, let's make a deal. If I'm still not seeing anyone serious by the time your baby arrives, you can give me Tami's number – and any others you might have.'

She laughs again. 'I don't have any others. All my friends are married, or engaged, in serious relationships, or single by choice. So you'd better get your game on, Harm, if you plan to give poor Trish any grandchildren. It would be such a shame not to pass that killer smile on to the next generation.'

'What killer smile?' I respond, flashing the exact one I know she's referring to.

'Some things never change! You still have the ability to fry my brain with that smile – and,' she says, looking at Tami, who's still staring at us from behind her desk, 'I see I'm not the only one. Get out of here, Harm, before she comes over and gives you her number herself.'


	2. Chapter 2: Trish and Raj

_**Thanks for reading and reviewing the first chapter... here's the next...**_

_**Chapter Two – Trish and Raj**_

_**Trish's POV**_

It's so good to see Harm again. With the demands of his job, he visits so rarely, and my life is so busy that I can't visit him much either. I've just picked him up at the airport, and we're driving home, chatting comfortably as we go.

'So what do you feel like doing tonight?' I say to him now.

'It's late,' Harm responds, 'I'll be good with a shower, a bite to eat with you and Frank, then bed.'

'I can understand that. You've had a long day. We'll just have to make the most of tomorrow and Sunday. Tomorrow I thought we could take a nice walk along the pier, and have breakfast at Cora's. And then...'

_**Harm's POV**_

_Uh oh_. I know that tone – whatever my mother has planned for "after breakfast" is _not_ something I'm particularly going to enjoy.

'Then what, Mom?' I ask, suspiciously.

'Well... you remember my dear friend Maria Sharma?'

'The one who's married to the Wainwright CEO?'

'Yes.'

'Uh huh. What about her?'

'Well, her daughter Sonia is getting married...'

'And you want me to go to the wedding with you? No way, Mom.'

'Why not?'

'Well, for one thing, I don't even know your friend's daughter. For another, I'm not invited.'

'It doesn't matter that you don't know Sonia, you've met her mother several times. And Maria says she'd love for you to attend.'

'But – '

'And it's not even a wedding... not really. It's an Indian ceremony called "mehndi". It forms part of the wedding festivities but it's less formal, and I think it'll be a lot of fun.'

'Fun for you, Mom... I can guarantee that it won't be fun for me. I won't know anyone else there.'

'So, your mind's made up? You won't even _consider _being my date?' she asks, giving me the same sweet smile that undoubtedly melted my father's heart all those years ago.

I can feel my heart melting too, but I remind myself that I have to stand firm. 'Isn't Frank your date?'

'Well... he is, but hey, I want to show you off. Can you blame me?'

I smile to myself. My mother is nothing if not persistent. 'Yes I can,' I reply, 'especially when I know that you particularly want to "show me off" to the eligible young ladies that will no doubt be attending this event.'

'I do not!' she replies, looking offended.

'Yes you do, Mom,' I retort, and then decide to try a different tack. 'Let's make a compromise. I'll drop you and Frank off at the event, and then I'll come and get you when you're ready to leave. That way, I'll get to congratulate the bride and her parents without having to be there for the entire ceremony.'

'But what will you do after you drop us off?'

'It'll be the perfect opportunity for me to catch up on some work.'

'Harmon, do not tell me you've come here with a bunch of files again. If I've told you once, I've – '

'Oh look, Mom, we're home.' _Just in time_.

'For the record,' she says, as she swings into the driveway. 'I am under no illusions – I know that introducing you to "eligible young ladies" is not going to get me any grandkids. I show you off at any given opportunity because I'm proud of the man you've become. The man who's finally going to realise that the right woman for him is right under his nose, and the man who's going to be brave enough to make his move... before someone else does.'

I know exactly who and what she's talking about, and for the first time in years, I don't argue with her.

_**2030 the next day**_

It's been a good day so far – a nice morning run, a leisurely walk with my mother along the pier, breakfast with her and Frank, a drive up the coast, and a little case prep. And now we get to the not-so-fun part. It's time to pick up my mom and Frank from the Sharmas. And knowing my mom, even though I've already added a good half-hour to the requested pick-up time, she won't be ready to leave when I get there. Cue lots of standing around, making small talk with strangers. _Yippee_.

At the gate, I hand the security guard my ID and wait for him to confirm that I'm on the guest list. Then, as I drive through the gates of the Sharmas' palatial mansion, I'm struck by the vibrant colors and glittering decorations that meet my eye everywhere I look... they've obviously gone all out for this wedding. I walk into the large hall, and there's a large crowd of people dressed in colorful, mostly Indian-influenced clothing.

I'm looking around, trying to spot my mother in the throng, when I spot something else. The Sharmas' great hall (yep, that's right, their house has a 'great hall'… I did mention that it's a huge mansion, right?) is a large rotunda with two levels – the upper floor is bounded by a balustrade, overlooking the main rotunda. Linking both levels is a huge marble staircase, down which I presume the bride made her graceful descent sometime during today's festivities.

As I look up, I spot a girl dressed in a blue _sari_ on the upper level. Suddenly, she leaps up and swings one leg over the balustrade… My instincts kick in immediately, and I rush up the stairs. As I do so, thoughts race through my mind - is she actually planning to make a 15-foot jump during a wedding? Is she the groom's broken-hearted ex? Is she drunk, suicidal, mentally ill or just plain stupid? When I get close, I slow down and cautiously approach.

'Hey… you ok there?' I ask the girl, who's now straddling the railing, legs dangling down each side, and looking down keenly.

As she turns to face me, the curtain of silky, raven-colored hair that had shielded her face from my view swings back. She smiles. 'And who might you be? The handsome prince that's come to save me from an untimely death?'

'Probably not death… but some very, very painful injuries,' I reply.

Suddenly, the girl swings her leg back in and vaults neatly off the balustrade, landing close to me. She's petite and looks about eighteen or nineteen, with beautiful dark eyes and a gold stud in her nose. I study her face, which is lifted to me in defiance, eyes flashing.

'Well, that was easy,' I comment wryly. 'When I was running up here, I was wondering which one you were – broken-hearted, drunk, suicidal, depressed or just plain stupid. I see the correct answer was "just plain stupid".'

She puts her hands on her hips in indignation. 'And _you_ are just plain rude.'

'It's not rude to tell you the truth... which is that it really is stupid to play silly games on high railings. It's particularly stupid _and_ disrespectful when there's an important ceremony going on down below.'

She pouts. 'But that's just the point. I wasn't playing games, I was conducting an experiment.'

'An experiment,' I repeat incredulously.

'Yes,' she replies, throwing up her hands. 'To see if, in the middle of all this overblown craziness, anyone would even notice that someone was practically dangling from the upper floor. I had almost proved my point… that people have gotten wrapped up in the ridiculousness of this wedding to the point of insanity. And then you had to come and ruin everything.'

I bite back a smile – I had thought that coming to pick up my mom and Frank would be dull and tedious. But this young lady is doing an excellent job of keeping me entertained. 'Aha,' I say.

She looks at me in annoyance. '_Aha_ what?'

'Aha, the option I forgot to consider when I was jogging up here – _jealous_.'

I can practically see the steam rising from the top of her head. 'Jealous? _Jealous_? Of what? Of being forced to participate in a meaningless farce, just to please strangers who I'll probably never see again? Of living my entire life chained to some man? Or wait… maybe you think I'm jealous of throwing away years of education and experience to become a breeding machine with nothing to offer the world but more additions to its already overblown population.'

The penny drops. 'So the bride's a friend of yours?'

She laughs bitterly. 'She's my older sister. And yes, she is also my best friend... or at least she was. This charade she seems intent on playing out is going to wreck everything.'

I move closer to her. 'I can tell that you love your sister. Are you really going to let her decision to get married ruin your relationship?'

She's about to lash out at me again when she stops short, as though she's just remembered something crucial. 'I can't believe I've said so much to you,' she says, in a small voice. 'Who _are _you?'

'I'm Harmon Rabb Jr. Your mother's friend, Trish Burnett? I'm her son.'

'Oh,' she says, and the expression in her eyes softens, 'you're the famous Navy pilot-lawyer or lawyer-pilot or whatever.'

I laugh. 'That's me.'

'Good to see you're still in one piece.'

I'm puzzled – it's true that I've seen some... tough situations during my time in the JAG Corps, but she has no way of knowing that. 'Courtrooms aren't really all that dangerous.'

'Yeah, I know. I meant that it's good to see that you haven't been torn apart by the ravenous single females down below. My mom specifically asked Aunty Trish to bring you, and told all of my sister's single friends that you're this gorgeous Naval officer with a million dollar smile.'

'Really?'

'Really. Sonia's friends have been waiting with bated breath for you to arrive. Haven't they sunk their claws into you yet?' she asks, amusement dancing in her eyes.

'Not yet,' I respond, 'you see, I had just stepped into the hall when I saw this girl trying to throw herself from the upper floor.'

She shoots me a wry look. 'Trust me, you may not have saved my life, but I sure as heck saved yours. Sonia's friends are fun, but they're on the hunt.'

'Well, some men would say there are worse fates than getting mauled by a group of beautiful women.'

She laughs. 'I have a feeling you might be singing a different tune when they're done with you. But now I'm the rude one. I should introduce myself. I'm Rajkumari. Raj for short.'

'Beautiful name. Means "princess", I believe.'

She's clearly surprised. 'You understand Hindi?'

'No, I just dated an Indian princess once.'

'Ah, so Aunty Trish was right about you being an incorrigible ladies' man.'

'She said that?' I'm appalled.

'Not in so many words. But she has mentioned that she can't wait for you to settle down. My mom asked Aunty Trish once if she's ever tried to fix you up with anyone. And then your mom went, "It's not getting dates that's his problem. It's committing".'

'Slander,' I say with a smile, 'don't believe a word of it. Those days are behind me. But speaking of committing; is your problem that you think Sonia has committed herself to an unworthy man, or that you think she shouldn't commit herself to anyone at all?'

She rolls her eyes. 'Nice segue, Mr Rabb! That's a very nice smile, and I'm sure most of the time it gets you what you want, but I don't know you, remember? I'm not going to talk to _you_ about my sister.'

'Talking to a neutral stranger can sometimes be more helpful than talking to someone closer to the issue. Besides, you know my mother… and you know the guys at the gate wouldn't have let me in if I wasn't really her son.' I take my wallet out of my pocket and show Raj my ID. 'Just to set your mind at rest.'

She takes a look and then she is silent for a moment, thinking. Then she says, 'Well, I guess I have to talk to _someone_. I have good instincts about people, and you don't look _too_ shady.'

'Gee, thanks,' I say, with a laugh.

She ignores me and continues, 'And you're a lawyer _and_ in the military, so you're used to keeping secrets. Besides, Aunty Trish is really smart, so if you're her son _and_ the brilliant lawyer that she says you are, then you're probably pretty smart too.'

'Well, I don't know about that, but I've been told that I'm a good listener.'

'Ok, here's the thing,' she begins. 'I've always looked up to Sonia. She's eight years older than me, so she really watched over me when we were growing up. She's my protector, companion, mentor. She's such an amazing role model. She was a star student at UCSD – when I started there last year, all her professors couldn't stop gushing about her when they realised I'm her sister. She's a tough act to follow, but I love her for it. She challenges me.'

Raj laughs as she continues. 'She's gorgeous – you'll see when you meet her. But more important, she's an amazing person on the inside – intelligent, kind, inspirational. And the guy she's marrying, Ajay, seems like a really nice guy. He's not some Neanderthal, I know he respects my sister – well, either that or he's doing a great job of pretending – I hear everything changes after the wedding day. Anyway, the thing is, I have nothing against him. But I have a _huge_ problem with the institution of marriage. I have a problem with all the fuss and drama over an institution that ties people together and forces them to give up their dreams in order to conform to some social concept that's usually deeply skewed against one so-called "partner". Plus, it's hopelessly outdated.'

'So your sister's lost your respect just because she's decided to get married?'

Raj's shoulders sag. 'Weeelll… I wouldn't quite say that.'

'What's changed then?'

Raj seems lost for words. 'I'm just… I'm just worried that she's making a mistake and throwing her individuality away… I don't want her to lose herself, and I sure as heck don't want to lose my sister.'

'Raj, I respect your views on marriage. And I do think your concerns are legitimate – many people do give up their dreams for the sake of marriage, and too many people, in my opinion, buy into the idea that there's some marital prototype that every couple has to conform with. I believe every marriage is different and should be what the two people involved want it to be. So my question to you is: what sort of marriage do Sonia and Ajay want?'

She opens her mouth to speak, but I hold up one hand to stop her. 'I'm not asking you to tell me. I'm asking you to talk to Sonia and find out. Don't make assumptions based on your ideas of what marriage is. I know how crazy wedding preparations can get – I don't know if you've had time to really talk to her since all the craziness began. But I can promise you one thing - if you let distance come between the two of you now, it'll only lead to heartache – for both of you. Trust me, she doesn't want to lose you either.'

Raj is silent for a moment. Then she speaks up. 'Thanks, I'll think about... what you've said.'

'Different things make different people happy, Raj. And raising children is harder than any job in the world.'

'I hear you. I just think it's so unequal sometimes. I mean, we rarely saw our dad growing up – he was always so busy working, making money to give us all the so-called comforts of life. He's practically a stranger to us now. I don't want that to happen to my sister's kids.'

'It doesn't have to. Just talk to her, let her know you feel. If she's half the amazing woman you say she is, she's thought this through, and she'll put your mind at re-'

'Harm!' I hear my mother's voice pierce through the general noise coming from downstairs. 'What are you doing all the way up there?'

Raj and I look down. She smiles. 'Well, guess it's time for you to get mauled! Thanks Mr Rabb. You'll keep this conversation just between us, won't you?'

'Of course. And please call me Harm. And since you got me up here by way of your... unusual experiment, you're going to have to escort me down'.

She slips her hand into mine. 'It would be an honour. I'll even tell you which of Sonia's friends to avoid.'

As we walk down the stairs, I tell her about another petite, raven-haired girl with a nose piercing, and how she also scorned marriage once upon a time, only to end up happily married... and pregnant. She protests vehemently that it'll never happen to her. I just smile.

As we reach the foot of the stairs, her final words to me before we join the fray are, 'So, I probably shouldn't tell you this since your head looks like it's big enough already, but... you know my mom's description of the gorgeous Naval officer with the million dollar smile? Well, unlike marriage, you actually do live up to the hype.'


	3. Chapter 3: Back to Mac

_**Hi everyone... thanks so much for reading and reviewing! Here's the final chapter...**_

_**Chapter Three: Back to Mac**_

_**1330 on the following Tuesday**_

_**Mac's POV**_

Harm's back. I can't stop smiling. I _hate_ the fact that I missed him so much even though he was only gone for a few days. I keep telling myself that I'm just thrilled because he's the only one that gets as excited as I do about the Foxley case (he's opposing counsel). That bothersome little voice in my head keeps telling me I'm deceiving myself – but the one thing I can't deceive myself about is that I'm glad he's back. He seems pretty happy too – seeing his mom and stepdad must have done him some good. I tell him just that when I walk into his office (to discuss Foxley, of course), and he flashes _that _smile. You know the one.

'While it was very nice to see my mom and Frank,' he responds, leaning back in his chair, 'the real thrill of the weekend was meeting a large number of charming, beautiful ladies. It was... enlightening.'

I roll my eyes. 'Seems like some of that California sunshine went to your head, Harm, because we both know "enlightenment" is the last thing you think about when you see a beautiful woman. Where did you meet all these beautiful women, anyway? Did you spend the entire weekend on the beach?' (I am not jealous. I am _not _jealous.)

'No, I went to a wedding.'

'A wedding? You didn't mention anything about a wedding when you were leaving.'

'It's a long story,' Harm says, rising to his feet and walking around the table to me. 'I'll give you the abridged version. I went to a wedding and met a bunch of smart, beautiful women... but none of them could hold a candle to you.'

I feel my face heat up and my heart melt into mush. I've known him for years. How does he still have this effect on me? Before I can ask him to stop kidding around, he opens his mouth to speak again.

His voice drops. 'I missed you, Mac. And before I lose my nerve, I want to ask you out to dinner tonight.'

'You –' My voice comes out all weird and croaky. I clear my throat and continue. 'You mean like a date?'

'Yes,' he says, looking into my eyes so deeply that I start to feel like I'm drowning. 'A date.'

I make one last grab for levity, just in case this is all one big, elaborate joke at my expense. 'What's brought this on, Harm? Is your mom giving you a hard time about being single again?'

As I speak, I watch uncertainty creep into his expression. 'If you'd rather not, Mac, I completely – '

'N-no, no,' I stammer out, 'I was just kidding around. I'd love to go out with you. On a date.' (Just to be clear.)

He lets out a slightly shaky sigh and runs his hand nervously over his hair, which comforts me... it tells me that I'm not the only one feeling weird and awkward here – and hopefully not the only one feeling light-headed and excited either.

'Ok,' he says, and that smile is back. 'I'm starving, want to go grab some lunch?'

'Sure, why not?' I ask, with a smile, and we walk out of the room together. Through my haze of exhilaration and contentment, I hear him say some weird stuff about how I should think about getting involved in "smile modeling" and "side hustles". It makes no sense to me, but whatever, he's always had a strange sense of humor. I'll get him to explain the joke later. For now, all that matters to me is that Harm's back, and all's right with the world.

_This story is dedicated to my beautiful friend Muna, who had the most beautiful, dimpled, **gorgeous **smile, and the biggest heart. She was such a beautiful, beautiful soul, inside and out. She loved people and was an amazing friend. My darling friend, I love you and miss you so much. Your incredible heart and spirit will never be forgotten._


End file.

JAG, Friendship, Romance