Title: "Roses are Red, Violets are Blue"
Author: Carol
Email: [email protected] 
Rating: PG
Spoilers: "Hemlock"
Disclaimer: JAG is owned by Belisarius Productions, Paramount and CBS. Any other characters are mine. No infringement intended.
Summary: This is the third in the series of the Webb/Mac story. Don't judge the outcome on that, you might be surprised.
Previous stories in this series are "Trapped" and "Not a Date."

***

Major Sarah MacKenzie finally made it into work around 1100 hours after spending part of the morning at her semi-annual dental checkup.
"Good morning, Harriet," she said, heading to her office.
"Good morning, ma'am. Oh, Major? You received another delivery this morning. It's on your desk," Harriet said.
"Another one?" Mac asked, smiling.
"Yes, ma'am. You've sure caught someone's eye."
Mac entered her office and saw the beautiful red roses and blue violets on her desk. She red the card, it said, 'Roses are
red, violets are blue, soon I'll be back, to see you.'
"More flowers, huh?" Lt. Commander Rabb said, leaning agains her doorway.
"Cute poem. I noticed this one's not signedeither."
Mac turned around facing Harm. "You've been snooping?" she asked.
"Come on, Mac, everyone in the office is wondering who is sending you flowers all the time."
"It's just a friend," she said, turning back to the flowers, sniffing the aroma.
"A friend with good taste and a large credit line."
"Are you jealous?" she asked.
"No, well maybe a little. You know I care about you. I don't want to see you hurt again."
Mac was well aware of how Harm felt about her. They had spent alot of time together lately. Not what you would call a date, but working late on cases and then getting a bite to eat before going their separate ways home. This was all during the week. Her weekends were spent with Clayton Webb. Mac and Webb had decided not to tell anyone about their weekly dates. The othersat the office wouldn't understand, especially Harm.
"What's HE doing here?" Harm said, looking toward the Admiral's office. Clayton Webb had just gone in to the the Admiral.
"You know Webb, there's no telling what he wants," Mac said.
"I'd be willing to bet within fifteen minutes, we'll be summoned to the Admiral's office," Harm said.
"You're too hard on him, Harm. He's just doing his job."
"Well I'll be damn, he got to you, didn't he?"
"We spent alot of time together when we were trapped in that building. I learned more about Webb than you could imagine. He does worry our safety," Mac said.
"He did get to you. Not to mention wining and dining you."
Harm suspected that the weekly flowers Mac received were from Webb and he didn't like that idea. Not only was Webb competition for Mac's heart, but Harm knew Webb could hurt Mac.
Not physically, but emotionally he could wreck her if something happened to him.
"Don't be silly," she said, but was interupted by Petty Officer Tiner.
"Sir, Ma'am, the Admiral wants you asap," Tiner said.
"Told you," Harm smiled at Mac.
"Thanks, Tiner. We'll be right there," Mac said.
Harm and Mac entered the Admiral's office. Clayton Webb sat to the right of the Admiral's desk.
"Sit down, Commander, Major," the Admiral said. Harm and Mac sat in the seats in front of the Admiral's desk. Mac said next to Webb.
"Mr. Webb needs a ..........favor......... again," the Admiral said, phrasing his words carefully.
"What is it now, Webb?" Harm asked.
"Do you remember your friend, Bruce Carmichael from Naval Intelligence?" Webb asked Harm.
"Yes, he wasn't very cooperative when Lt. Austin was shot by the assasin that tried to kill . I haven't seen him in years. Why?"
"He turned against us. He went to the other side with a briefcase full of classified documents about a new missile guidance system," Webb said.
"How? Why?" Harm was shocked to hear this about his friend.
"We're not sure. We have recently located him in Iran,' Webb said.
"They want you to find him," the Admiral said to Harm.
"Why me?"
"He knows our agents, he'd go back underground as soon as he saw us. But, you won't be a threat to him. We want you to befriend him. Find out where he's staying and report back ot me.
Then, we go in and get him and bring him back to the States for interogation and prosecution," Webb said.
"Major, you'll accompany the Commander," Admiral Chegwidden ordered.
"Yes, sir," Mac said.
"W---W---Wait. The Major doesn't need to go along on this mission," Webb said, nervously.
Mac stared at Webbm then noticed the Admiral and Harm were staring at both of them.
"Webb, what the hell are you talking about?" the Admiral asked, in disbelief.
"I just don't think we should endanger more people than we need to," Webb tried to explain.
"Since when?!" Harm exclaimed.
"Mac speaks Farsi, Rabb doesn't. She goes," the Admiral said, sternly looking at Webb.
Webb knew there was no point in arguing with A.J. When he made his mind up, there was no changing it. Webb didn't want Mac going on this mission, but knew the the Admiral would pull Harm
out if Mac didn't go.
"We leave at 9 am tomorrow. I'll brief you more when we arrive in Tehran." Webb got up and left.
"Dismissed," the Admiral said. Harm and Mac stood at attention, turned and left.
Mac walked out of the Admiral's office and looked around to see if Webb was waiting anywhere. She didn't see him around the office so she headed for the elevator and then outside. That's
where she found him.
Webb was waiting on the sidewalk for her. He was leaning against the stone wall with his arms folded in front of him. When he saw Mac approach he straightened up.
"I know what you're going to say, let me explain," Webb pleaded.
"Just what the hell were you trying to do in there?" Mac asked, angrily.
"This could be dangerous, I don't want you over there. I'll get Harm an interpreter, one that Carmichael won't know. You won't have to go," Webb said.
"We talked about this when we agreed to start going out together, Clay. Your job is dangerous, I accepted that. Now, you have to accept the same for me."
"I don't see how you can compare our careers, you're a lawyer," Clay said.
Mac was getting madder by the minute. "I'm a Marine, fully capable and willing to go into combat if needed. Until you can understand and accept that, maybe we shouldn't go out again."
"Mac, wait." Clay said, grabbing her forearm as she was turning away. "We need to talk this over."
"No, we don't," she answered, pulling her arm away.
"Is there a problem here, Mac?" Harm asked, as he walked up.
Both Mac and Webb were surprised by him.

Next Day
Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean

Harm, Mac and Webb were taking a commercial flight to Iran. Mac sat by herself on the plane, Harm and Webb sat behind her and to the right. The flight had been fairly quiet so far, Harm
and Webb hadn't engaged in much conversation since taking off from the airport. Mac got up and went to the rear of the plane to the restroom.
She glanced at both Harm and Webb as she passed them, but did not speak.
"I guess I've ruined a good friendship, haven't I?" Webb said.
"What are you talking about?" Harm asked.
"Oh, come on. You know Mac and I have been seeing each other."
"I suspected there was something between you two, but she never mentioned it," Harm said. "I guess you're responsible for the weekly flowers, too?"
"Yeah, that was me."
"Now I know why she got so mad at you in the Admiral's office yesterday. You know, if Admiral Chegwidden had known you were seeing her, he never would have allowed her to come," Harm said.
"It's a little late now," Webb said.
Harm leaned over closer to Webb and whispered, "Webb, if anything happens to her on this mission, I will personally hurt you."
Mac walked back by on her way to her seat. Webb leaned back in his seat. He knew exactly what Harm meant, he knew Harm was in love with her, too.
The plane landed in Iran on schedule. The State Department had two men from the Australian Embassy waiting to take them to their hotel room. Webb went straight to the Embassy, while Harm
and Mac were taken to the hotel.
Late that night, Webb finally arrived at the hotel. He thought, actually he hoped, that this would be a good time to find Mac alone. He knocked on her door.
A few seconds later, Mac opened the door. She was wearing a white robe.
"If you're alone, I'd like to talk," Webb said.
Mac opened the door wider, letting Webb into the room.
"We can do this, Mac," he said, after she closed the door.
"And, then what? What about next time? We have to watch our own backs. We can't let our guard down to keep an eye on the other," Mac said. She walked away from him. "This won't work,
what we have between us won't work. I don't think we should goout anymore."
Webb stood there in shock. But, he knew she was right. It could be dangerous to worry about her instead of watching out for himself. "You're probably right. Good evening, Major."
Webb left Mac's room quickly. He may have given her a cold response, but was hurting inside.
Mac locked the door behind him. She turned to go to bed, a tear rolled down her cheek.
The next day, Harm made contact with Bruce Carmichael. He had agreed to meet with him to discuss his stealing of secrets. He wanted to make a deal. He had found out that once the
Russians had gotten the information he had sold to them, they no longer needed him. There was a price on his head now. They were to meet in a desserted part of Tehran. Many of the
buildings in the area had been bombed out. Harm and Mac had insisted on going alone, but Webb would not agree to that. He and several other agents would arrive minutes after Harm and Mac
entered the building.
At the Australian Embassy, Webb had been monitoring satellite images of the area of the meeting place for several hours, whenthey were available.
Harm and Mac came into the room.
"Anything yet?" Harm asked.
"We've been checking the images everytime the satellite passes over, but there's a big lapse in time where anyone could have gone into that building and we wouldn't know it," Webb said.
"We'll keep our eyes and ears open," Harm said, as he put on his wireless mic.
Webb opened a briefcase that was laying on the table. Inside were two .9mm handguns and magazines of ammo. He handed Harm his and then Mac her's. "Be careful," he said, looking at Mac.
"Both of you."
Harm and Mac got into a car and drove to the meeting place.
It looked like an abandoned warehouse and dangerous to even walk into. Part of the wall near the roof was gone as if a bomb had hit it and all the windows were broken out.
"We're going in there?" Harm asked.
"That's the address," Mac said.
"Let's get this over with," he said. Harm entered the building first, Mac followed.
The building was dark, Harm turned on his flashlight.
"Bruce, Bruce," Harm quietly called.
No answer.
"Are we early or late?" Harm asked Mac.
"Thirty seven seconds early," she answered.
"I thought you were coming alone," Bruce said. The lights came on and Bruce stepped out from behind some boxes. He was armed.
"This is my partner I was telling you about, Major Sarah MacKenzie."
"I don't recall any Major's looking like you," he said. Mac smiled.
"Bruce, the State Department can get you out of here. We can get you back to the States," Harm said.
"So I can go to prison? I don't think so. I'm sorry, Harm, I'm not going back with you. I'm going to find a nice tropical island to hide out on," he said. As he started to walk away, a
shot rang out hitting Bruce in the back. Harm and Mac took cover.
Suddenly, Harm realized they were caught in a cross-fire. Someone behind them was fired at the person who had shot Carmichael.
"Keep your head down, Mac," he said.
"Who's behind us?" Mac asked.
"I don't know. Friendly's, I hope."
After several seconds the gunfire stopped. They would hear footsteps approaching them from behind. When they heard them stop, both spun around, guns drawn.
"Whoa, Commander. We're the good guys..... CIA. Mr. Webb is
on his way here," the man in front of the group said.
Harm breathed a sigh of relief.
"Carmichael's dead," an agent came up and reported.
"The sniper got away," another agent reported.
Harm and Mac walked to a corner of the building to stay out of the way of the agents, but to also be by themselves.
"If the sniper hadn't killed Bruce, do you think those agents would have?" Mac asked.
"Knowing how the Agency works...... they probably would have," Harm said.
"We weren't brought here to negotiate with Bruce. We were decoys to flush him out, weren't we?" Mac asked.
"Probably."
Mac moved over to Harm, putting her arms around him. Harm did the same. She wanted to be held and that's just what he did.
Webb arrived and ran in just in time to see Harm and Mac in each other's arms. He stopped dead in his tracks watching them.

"Mr. Webb," an agent said. Clay didn't hear him, he was still watching Harm and Mac. "Mr. Webb!"
"Yes, what is it?" Webb finally said.
Mac opened her eyes and saw Webb looking at them. She pulled away from Harm. "We should get back to the hotel. They don't need us here any longer," she said.


Three Days Later
Webb's home

Webb had arrived back in the States two days later. Yesterday was spent in briefings and paperwork. He looked forward to today, he finally had a day off. Just as he had sat down and put his feet up to enjoy a cold drink, the doorbell rang.
When he opened the door he was surprised to see Mac standing there.
"Hello Clayton."
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Hoping you would let me in so we could talk?"
"I'm sorry, of course, please come in." Webb opened the door letting her in. He was puzzled by why she was there. The last time he saw Mac was in Iran and she was in Harm's arms. She had
left the next day without talking to Webb.
"I heard you were back in D.C. and wanted to talk to you," she said, sitting on his couch. Webb sat on the other end of the couch, but faced her.
"I thought we settled everything in Iran," he said.
"I think we need to discuss it further now that we are back."
She took a deep breath. "I think this little excursion we took proved to us that it can't work between us. We just work too closely."
"Oh, and you and Rabb don't?" Webb got up from the couch and walked across the room.
"That's different."
"And, just how is that different?"
"He and I don't normally work in life or death situations. Take a reality check here, Clay. Look back at the last couple assignments the three of us have worked on together. Each time
one of us, either you or I were in danger," Mac pointed out.
"And, Rabb was, too."
"The only times we are in danger are when we're working with you!" she said, raising her voice.
Webb went silent.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said it that way," Mac said.
"No, you're right. I always put you two in danger. I'm the one who's sorry."
"If we continue to see each other, one of us could get hurt. We'll be watching out for each other instead of watching out for ourselves. I don't want you getting hurt," she said.
"I could request not to work with the JAG anymore."
"You've developed too many contacts to start over again." She moved in front of him and took his hands into her's. "I think we should just decide to remain good friends."
Webb swallowed hard. "I suppose you're right."
"I better go," Mac said, letting go of his hands and heading to the door. Webb followed, still holding one of her hands.
She opened the door and started out, but Webb held her hand tight. He pulled her back, close to him. He looked her in the eyes for a split second, then kissed her, long and hard.
When he released her, she was stunned. She slowly turned and left. Webb closed the door behind her and leaning against it said, "Goodbye, Sarah."

THE END

return to home