Title:   Another Time
Author:   Mel (e-mail me at [email protected])
Disclaimer:   The characters of JAG are the property of Donald Bellasario, CBS and Paramount and no profit has been made by my utilising them in my story. All the other original characters belong to me.
Rating:   PG
Spoilers:   Most episodes from season four and five
Summery:   Some years in the future, Mac tracks down an old and dear friend as she seeks a second chance.
Archiving:    As long as you ask first and keep my name on it then it should be okay.
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Sarah Mackenzie breathed in the polluted Washington DC air with a smile. An odd reaction even for a tourist, but it had been ten years since she had last been to the city, and she had missed it. Standing in the airport was like meeting an old friend, which in a way was partially right. After a twelve-hour flight, trapped on a cramp plane with screaming children and bored adults, Mac had finally reached her destination...and hopefully, the opportunity of a second chance.
 
It had been just over ten years since Mac had left her career with JAG and her life in America to join her then-fiancé, Mic Brumby. Looking back, she seemed so young, so eager to settle down and accomplish her dream of just being happily married. Mic had swooned over her, romanced her in such a touching way. Many men she had come into contact with had fallen for her so quickly, but in Mic's case he was willing to take his attraction one step further...he proposed to her.
 
Maybe she had been too eager for the whole marriage dream, Mac thought as she arranged to rent a car. Maybe she should have waited for the man she truly loved. Harmon Rabb Junior- her JAG partner and best friend. Oh, there were times when she actually woke up in the middle of the night and wondered what Harm was up to. She never felt such a deep sense of loss since the day she waved him off at the airport to begin her new life with Mic in Australia.
 
It had been selfish of her to accept Mic's proposal when it was Harm she really wanted, and perhaps it was that selfishness that had driven Harm away from her. He had known she only accepted Mic's hand in marriage because of his reluctance to commit to her in a relationship that was more than simple friendship. Either way, her marriage to Mic was doomed to failure. She still pined for Harm and he knew he was always second best.
 
Nine years of marriage and there was nothing to show for it except a set of divorce papers and two fish. They had both had hectic careers and had put off having children, then one day they found they could not bring a child into the world where its parents would just behave like casual acquaintances. And that's all she and Mic had become- good friends but nothing more. Not exactly the grounds for a marriage.
 
Mac had asked for the divorce, it was not too late for them to start afresh and Mic deserved to someone who would not see him as a substitute for what could have been. And as for her, she had plans to re-visit the past and try to salvage old bonds.
 
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It hadn't been too hard to track Harm down even after ten years. He had moved from his little apartment to a beautiful house in the suburbs, and was able to retrieve his address from the phone book. Mac smiled at she regarded the whitewashed house with a huge front yard complete with white-picket fence.
 
When she had moved to Australia a decade ago, she had lost touch with Harm almost instantly. She had hurt him deeply when she left him for Mic; she could see that now. She had basically tried to force Harm to accept his feelings for her and when he was unable to voice those emotions, she had turned away from him for another man. Harm had always found it difficult to commit to women- there had been that airhostess, Annie, Bobbi, Jordan- each of his relationships barely lasted more than a year. Mac suspected this problem had arouse from a childhood where he watched his father disappear and leave his mother with only grief.

And instead of trying to help him, she had abandoned him.
 
But this time, it would be different. She would find him and try to make things work for them...as it should have ten years ago. Sighing, with a surge of happiness at the thought of being reunited with the only man she had ever loved, Mac opened her car door and made a move towards the house.
 
Just then, as she was halfway up the driveway, the front door swung open and Harm stepped out. The sight almost made Mac gasped- he looked so happy, the years had treated him well. His hair was slightly longer than she remembered and his eyes were more of a tranquil blue than the intense ice cold of before. He was wearing a light green shirt and blue jeans so she could not see his insignia of captain. Harm was laughing at something, and as he stepped into the summer sun, a collie dog followed him. That did not surprise Mac- she might have had Jingo but Harm was always the dog-person. He had the same sense of loyalty and fierce protective instinct of a canine.
 
It was when the dog began growling that Harm turned in Mac's direction. He instantly sobered at their eyes met. It was almost electric, for the first time in years- ten years to be exact- Mac felt complete. She wanted to rush over to him and have him hold her, but something held her back. She wasn't sure what it was.
 
"Mac..." Harm uttered, finally finding his voice. He then broke into a broad smile that lit up his face. "Mac, what are you doing here?"
 
Hesitating for a moment, he moved forward and embraced her. Mac wanted it to last forever, the warmth of the sun and of his body was so tender and comforting. She had loved Mic in some ways, but he could never give her that tingly feeling just by holding her. However, all too soon, it was over when Harm pulled away. He was frowning politely now, looking so much like a little boy faced with a difficult math problem at school.
 
"I'm glad to see you, Mac, it's been a long time," he said.
 
*Too long,* was all she could think.
 
"But what are you doing here? Where's Mic?"
 
"Mic and I are divorced, I decided to come home again."
 
"I'm so sorry." Harm seemed genuinely regretful that things had not worked out for her and Mic. Strange for a man who had previously hated Mic Brumby's guts. It just went to show that some things, and some people, really do change. "So, want to come for ice cream?"
 
Mac smiled. "Sure." This was just what they needed to discuss their possible relationship. Time together. But it was strange he suggested ice cream and not coffee, after all they were not eight years old. "Why ice cream though? I thought we grown ups talked over-"
 
She was cut off by the sound of running feet coming from inside the house. Suddenly, a small girl jumped outside and ran into Harm's outstretched arms. She was an angelic, beautiful child of around three or four years of age with her long dark hair pulled back from her sparkling blue eyes. But her appearance did beg the question, who was she?
 
Before Mac could ask, an older looking boy carrying a water pistol quickly followed the little girl- who was shyly hiding her face in Harm’s shoulder.
 
"You can't hide forever, Nathalie," the tow-headed boy shouted.
 
The girl, who was apparently called Nathalie, smiled fiendishly at the boy. "You can't get me. I'm with Daddy and you can't soak him."
 
Daddy? Mac's jaw almost dropped to the ground. The child had called Harm 'Daddy' so that must mean that...Harm just smiled proudly at the kids, and Mac knew immediately that the pride could only be described as paternal joy. But if Harm was their father than who was the mother...?
 
"Christopher James Rabb, I thought I told you no more water pistols."
 
Mac, stunned, looked from the now contrite little boy to the owner of the scolding, Southern-tinted voice. She thought nothing could amaze her now, but she was wrong when she came face-to-face with a blond-haired, obviously heavily pregnant Terri Coulter.
 
The last time Mac had seen Terri was when the Naval-reserve pathologist had come to Washington to help out with the autopsy of tragic Annie Lewis. She had not been blind to the chemistry between Harm and Terri, evident despite their turmoil in investigating a child's death.
 
It was almost surreal as Mac watched Harm's grin widen as he moved over to Terri, still carrying Natalie. Christopher shadowed his father then handed the water pistol to Terri. The four of them looked like the model family with the two kids and dog standing outside a magnificent house.
 
"You remember Terri, don't you?" Harm asked, completely oblivious to her shock and anguish. "And this is our seven-year-old son Christopher, and our four-year-old daughter Nathalie." He smiled spontaneously as he lovingly laid his hand on Terri's stomach. "Oh, and I can't forget, our baby-girl-to-be, Laura."
 
Terri laughed, swatting Harm's hand away. "You must excuse my husband, he can be a little delusional at time. This here is Baby Steven."
 
Christopher rolled his eyes. "Mom and Dad can't agree if the baby is a boy or girl," he said.
 
"I hope it's a...girl!" Nathalie laughed from her father's arms.
 
"A girl? This morning you said you wanted a brother."
 
"I already got a brother, I don't want two. One's enough."
 
Mac couldn't stay here any longer. She couldn't be a witness to this. This happy family that was everything she could have had, symbolised everything she had missed out on because she made a stupid mistake ten years ago.
 
Harm watched in puzzlement as Mac backpedaled to her Ford Taurus that sat in front of the driveway. "Mac, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Still, frowning, he watched as she muttered some lame excuse about 'leaving the oven on' then she dashed into her car and drove away.
 
"What's wrong with her?" Terri asked.
 
"I don't know..." murmured Harm. Their contemplations were interrupted by bored whining.
 
"Let's go already," Christopher moaned, pulled his mother down the driveway. "I want a sundae."
 
"Me too," chimed Nathalie.
 
Quickly, Mac's impromptu visit was forgotten as Harm and Terri smiled at their young children. From the distant safety of the street end, Mac watched in a sharp envy and jealousy. Terri Coulter had the life she had so desperately wanted, had pined about from the day she had first set eyes on Harm. But as she wept bitterly in the cold sanctuary of her rental car, she could only witness the pure delight Harm had for his family, and ponder over what could have been...

THE END

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This was a very short piece but I felt I had to write it after hearing how selfish Mac was, running off with Brumby because Harm would not say he loved her. What she did was unforgivable, and she had to be punished for it.

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