Rating: GS
Disclaimer: Not mine...never will be, but I wish I owned DJE.
Spoilers: Um...I don't know, but don't be surprised if I use any episode as reference.
Summary: Mac has a reunion to go to.
Note 1: I have to admit I was sort of inspired by the movie "The Wedding Date". Note 2: I don't know any of Mac's relatives. We have never really been introduced to anybody besides her uncle and parents so just pretend. Sorry for any mistakes.
Archive: Just ask, please.
Friday
Jag Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Harm stepped off the elevator without watching where he was going. His face buried in the sports section of the newspaper. He managed to steer clear of anyone or anything until his luck ran out.
"Sorry." Harm muttered as he massaged his chest trying to lessen the pain.
"Jeesh, Harm. It felt as if I hit a brick wall." Mac rubbed her shoulder.
"What exactly are you trying to say?" He smiled.
"That you're dangerous." She smiled in return.
They walked in together, but parted to their respective offices.
Mac's Office
Mac walked to her desk and picked up her phone.
"Petty Officer, is the General free today?"
"Um...he's got a meeting in an hour with the SecNav, but he's got time right now."
"Great. Can you tell him I want to have a second of his time?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Mac waited on the phone while Jennifer discussed it with General Cresswell.
"Colonel, the General said you had five minutes."
"Thank you."
General Cresswell's Office
Mac walked into the familiar office. It was weird how it was so recognizable yet so unknown. It was the same office she had been walking into for the past nine years, but she realized it lacked the warmth that it once possessed. The coziness that the Admiral provided, not only for himself, but for the rest of his staff was no longer there.
Mac sighed as she remembered the old times when an ex-Navy SEAL sat behind the big mahogany desk.
She came to attention in front of the General.
"At ease. What can I do for you Colonel?" He gave her a look of frustration. "Sorry, Colonel, I have a lot to do with the SecNav on my six."
"Sir, I wanted to request permission to have some personal leave time." She held her breath. She knew the Admiral would find a way to help her out, but she wasn't to sure about Major General Gordon Cresswell.
"How much leave are we talking about Colonel?"
"Four days, sir."
"You want Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday?" His eyes nearly came out of their sockets.
"Yes, sir. My family just sent me an invitation for a family reunion in California. I haven't seen them in a very long time, sir."
"When is this reunion?"
"Wednesday, sir."
"And you would be flying back on Thursday?"
"Thursday night, yes sir." She nodded.
"I hate to do this especially with the SecNav breathing down my neck, but you don't have any cases on your slate." He paused as he looked down to his desk. "Very well, Colonel. Have fun. Hope you enjoy the nice warm weather over there."
"Yes, sir. Thank you sir." She let out a breath she had unconsciously been holding in.
"Dismissed."
"Aye, aye, sir."
Mac walked back toward her office with a lighter step, but still something prevented her mind from resting fully. And soon, before she reached her door, her problem walked behind her.
"Boo!" Harm whispered close to her ear.
She stopped dead in her tracks. Her heart racing from the feeling of Harm's warm breath on her neck. "Can I help you Commander?" She turned to face him trying to hide his effect on her.
"Wanna have lunch with me?" He smiled.
"Um...sure. I have to talk to you anyway. Let me just grab my cover."
Small Deli
Falls Church, Virginia
Harm pulled out a chair for Mac. She gave him "the" look.
"What? I was just trying to be a gentleman. I know you're capable of pulling out your own chair."
She wanted to tell him something, but he beat her to it. "Well, thank you."
They ate with comfortable conversations about work, about Mattie, about nothing at all. It felt good. It was a change from what had been happening between them a few months ago.
"Harm?" She set her ham and cheese sub down.
"Yeah?" He looked up from his salad.
"I decided to go to the reunion."
"Great. So..."
"I want you to come with me." She smiled.
Harm flashed his thousand-watt flyboy grin. "Good. Because I was about to insist you drag me along." He suddenly got serious. "Are you sure you want me to go with you, Mac?"
She laughed at his joke and became serious again. "Yes I'm sure. BUT..." 'Uh oh.' Thought Harm. Noticing that his grin had somehow quickly diminished, she jumped to correct herself. "I mean...BUT do you think the General will let you take some leave as well? He almost didn't want to give me the time."
Harm smiled again. "You let me take care of that. I will go with you no matter what. Ok?" He reached across the table to squeeze her hand. "When do you have your flight?"
"Monday at 0600."
"Ok, so I just have to make sure I get a flight with you." He smiled again.
They finished the rest of their lunch in a hurry to get back to the office. If they wanted to go, they had to be good kids and finish all of their homework.
Sunday
Mac's Apartment
Mac began to ready her things to go pick up Mattie. She had already packed the things she had and knew she wanted to take, but she saved a duffel bag to pack anything she bought and wanted to take.
She was about to grab her car keys when she heard the knock on her door. She grabbed her keys and walked toward the door determined to kick out whoever it was.
She opened the door. Ok, maybe not whoever it was. She smiled at the person.
"Hey there, marine."
"Hey, Harm. Um, what's up?"
"Not much. Here to pick you up to take you to the mall."
She chuckled. "I'm going to strangle Mattie."
"No, don't. I think we should thank her. Now come on. We still have to pick her up. And I'm sure we won't have enough time for shopping with you two along."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. Nothing."
Local Mall
Blacksburg, Virginia
Their walk around the mall ended up being a marathon. It was stop at one store, look, buy, and move on to next store. Harm was pretty much tired, but he held it in for his girls. He was actually enjoying the time spent with them.
They walked in to a Blossoms store where an array of dresses captured Mac and Mattie's attention.
Mattie rushed to a nice blue dress with a nice v-neckline. It was beautiful. She looked at the dress and then back to Mac, her eyes widened with excitement.
"Mac! I think you would look so beautiful in this. You'd be the envy of all of your family." She grinned.
"Mattie, the last thing I need is for my family to envy me. Besides, I think I will already be the envy of all the female relatives with the escort I'm taking." She smiled towards Harm and winked.
He was caught unaware, but he quickly recovered by winking back and getting closer to her. "I think you should take that one, too." He whispered in her ear. It didn't take much after that before Mac purchased that dress.
Hours of shopping and walking around was much more work than people thought it was. It was fun, none of them denied that, but it was tiring after a while. Harm had pulled his two girls off to the side before they stepped into another store.
"How about we get something to eat?" Harm gave Mattie and Mac a look that was pretty much irresistible.
"Ok. I'm kinda hungry."
"Only kinda? Who are you and what have you done with my Sarah MacKenzie?" He smiled.
Both Mattie and Mac heard and caught Harm's slip of calling her his, but neither cared to correct him. Mattie thought it was about time that they both snapped out of it and started moving towards something more than just friendship. Mac didn't want to correct him. It felt right for him to call her his. He had no idea that she was his from the beginning.
"Well, I'm really hungry. So let's go." Mattie interrupted the long staring contest taking place between the two, although she did so reluctantly.
TBC...