take_your_hands_off

Title: Take your hands off me!

Disclaimer : The Jag characters belong to me not to Donald Bellisarius who rents them from me.

(I must be a little confused, must I not???? Where are my pills????)

Warning : I still don't know if I have to warn you or not, as when I'm writing about Harm and Mac I never know which the results will be, so I guess you have to beware of the author herself.

Rating : well between PG,R, and who knows????

Feedback : I don't want it, I PRETEND IT, or I'll unsubscribe from all the lists (Stop jumping up and down for the sudden rush of relief you felt, I'm a die-hard Jag fan, and nothing, nothing will succeed in keeping me apart from it and from you).

Spoilers: none, but definitely after the fourth season, and something mine as some characters are invented, and do not exist.

JAG HEADQUARTERS - MAC'S OFFICE

Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie was worried. Very worried. She had two days to find a boyfriend.

Once again her pride had gotten her in trouble. She just told her Duke schoolmate Kim that there was a man in her life, and that she had been dating him for a while and they were deeply in love.

All that before being informed her friend would be in Washington for a couple of days with her husband, and that they wanted to meet her and her new boyfriend

The phone call started greatly. The two women had been pretty close while attending the Law school, helping each other in preparing for the exams and going out together in their free time. Their tempers were like night and day; Mac being introvert and averse to open up to anyone, Kim being exuberant and always ready to make friends with everybody.

They found a middle ground and established a solid bond that lasted 'til their graduation and after, even if only by letters and phone calls.

Mac knew her friend had married. What she didn't know was the reason why her mouth said those lies concerning her personal life, instead of admitting that aspect of her existence sucked.

They talked about their jobs, and Mac told her she had a great career at Jag, goods co-workers and friends and bright perspectives, describing enthusiastically to Kim the several experiences she had had serving under Admiral Chegwidden's command. So when things got into personal, she kept the same vivaciousness, and before realizing was she was saying, her deceptive lips had already signed her death sentence.

The only excuse she had was that Kim's visit to the Capitol came out almost when they were hanging up the receiver.

Therefore Mac couldn't but accept her schoolmate's invitation for an outgoing for four. The only other option would be to disgrace herself and without even any plausible explanation to present.

Besides Kim would have never accepted a refusal, and under other circumstances Mac would be really thrilled to see her again. But her mind couldn't fully taste the great news since it was frantically analyzing the ways to make a miracle happen in only 48 hours.

She stared at the phone for a long moment as if the device could furnish her with a quick and painless solution to her previous temporary insanity.

Then she shook off her torpor and felt the urge to bite her tongue, or better cut it.

She cursed aloud, uttering swearwords that she wasn't even aware she knew, blushing for some of them were particularly colorful. Her anger was basically towards herself, and she used a heavy touch to scold herself for the hornet's nest she had gotten herself into, but then she turned it toward the subject of her passed and present problems: men.

Lt. Bud Roberts and Lt. Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. were stationed around the open door of her office at that moment, and the files Bud was holding fell to the floor with a resonant noise when she let out a rather unbelievable sequence of insulting words against the male population of the planet.

Their mouths dropped open, but she was too busy trying to find some new definitions to notice the two pairs of stunned eyes fixed on her.

Her former partner's eyes replaced amazement with amusement and cut her digressions off.

"Well, you surely grew up where friends don't sandbag friends, but they taught you some...uhm...interesting ways to use our language. I thought I knew almost every dirty word, 'til I heard you today. Your surprising talent impressed me, and Bud too. Liked that "We need them only because they have that dangling eleventh finger between their legs. Well, I hope some of us have got something bigger and longer than a finger. Maybe you have been unlucky in your choices, Mac"

Then he paused when he looked at the younger Officer's face, due both to his last statement and to Mac unusual behavior.

"Bud, hey Bud, come on recover. I'll try to explain to you the meaning of the "curious" expressions Mac drew out, but I'm afraid some are unknown to me too. Some others instead are really incomprehensible and contorted. Like when she referred to our brain calling it a rotten mush that not even cats will eat if presented to them."

"Pigs, I said. Not cats but pigs. It's different. Cats have their own preferences while pigs are famous to eat everything they can collect. Except a man brain." She interrupted him annoyed by their intervention but not at all embarrassed.

"Whatever, Mac. Let's leave her alone, just to avoid her putting into action her bloody intentions towards….." He asked directly to her.

"What did you say? Those viscid, revolting worms?"

Her look was enough to make them rush away.

Mac nodded in agreement when the two men escaped at the sight of her black look.

She was ready for battle that morning, better if it was a brawl.

After some other mumbling against the mankind, her brain finally registered that Harm had just brushed up his old habit to tease her about her sentimental choices.

Their relationship after his return was stagnant, still undefined. They hadn't had time to talk yet; they still found themselves with lots of pending explanations.

But that morning he took a personal step towards her for the first time since months, even if it had been a comment, which the more she rummaged about, the angrier she got.

Bad habits are hard to kill and since she had never let one of those particular opinions of his fall down without any bickering, that day could not be the exception. So she stood and headed for her former partner's office ignoring a bewildered Bud who was getting out, and closing the door behind her.

Harm raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Mac entering his office without knocking was a normal circumstance in the past, as they often had to work together on a case, but he immediately realized that the reason why she was there at that moment was not related to professional matters.

"When did you decide to play the macho man again, sailor?"

That nickname she was used to use with him made him smile and relax a bit, but he didn't lower his guard all the same.

"I wasn't playing any game, Mac let alone macho-man" he started carefully.

"You just came back to comment on my personal life. And by doing that you brought back only the bad aspects of our friendship. Those ones where I always fought the urge to kick you as you pretended to know everything and everyone."

"Really? Why didn't I ever notice you held so much against me? You and I have a lot to discuss, but before I was defending men in general, I was not referring to yours in particular." Irony poured from his words.

"What was there to take any defense?" Mac requested putting her hands against her hips.

"I felt like reassuring you that not every man has "only" an eleventh finger size between his legs, as you stated."

He began to see the potential comical aspect of the situation, and besides he was happy to have the opportunity to talk to Mac again that way, even if he knew her too well to underestimate her bad mood. But Mac had always been one of the few women he enjoyed being with, or challenging. More, she could be really funny if she let her playful side spring up.

So he felt his breath catch, waiting for her inevitable answer.

"Reassuring me, right? Does the matter of the size concern you too? Did I cut you to the quick?" she said, and immediately after she covered her mouth with her hand, realizing what she just asked. She didn't let him recover and added:

"Forgive it, I didn't mean to ask you; ...I mean I don't really want to know." Her voice faded away. Harm was really amused at that point, and was not at all disposed to help her to get out of that ticklish conversation. "that." She finished, and trying to regain a semblance of reason she went on. "I think I only wanted to attack you. Ok, let's start again. Thanks for your need to inform me I might be wrong about the description of those;..appendages, but;" She was cut off abruptly

"Appendages??? " and for the first time in a long time he let out a real laugh. "God, Mac where do you get your inspiration? From the National Geographic? "Appendages." He repeated again." Fishes have appendages, men have;"

"Whatever" she cut him off. "To make a long thing short, I was expressing my frustration for a problem I've got and I didn't give you permission to butt into it. But nothing stops you when you take something to heart. Well now that you accomplished your task to give me the right perspective about the same despicable and insignificant human race you belong to, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and go back to my incorrect rumbling against some other part of your body. Maybe before speaking I'll consult a manual of human anatomy, just in case my old memories fail me." That last sentence made him burst out into laughing again. Then he turned serious.

"Is there something I can do for you concerning your troubles?"

"Are you kidding? I don't want to make you die while laughing at me like a madman."

She didn't remember any previous time when she saw him so amused.

Honestly it was also the first time they let themselves go so far onto the sexual field.

"With you, not at you. Anyway you know I owe you one,"

"So you don't consider all those times I had to rake my brain to find a plausible cover when you were late at work, or when I sacrificed myself to do boring researches for you, or..."

"Hang on. Ok, I got the point, Madam. A couple will be all right for you?"

"Better. But you are of no help this time. Bye."

And she left as quickly as she appeared.

He stared at her stiff back walking away and a sudden peace of mind washed over him. They did a little but significant turning to take things back between them like they were.

He had to admit to himself that he had missed her more than he could imagine.

Sometimes flying was even boring if compared to a sane verbal fight with his ex partner.

He never went deeper in analyzing why his entire day was so influenced by her presence or the lack of it, or why he thought about her upon and before any other, like even Jordan pointed out, as his instinct alerted him the field would be too dangerous.

So he simply acknowledged those sensations she provoked in him and archived them as inevitable and related only to her. He considered forcing her to reveal what kind of problems she had, but then decided to wait and see.

At the end of the day Mac's situation was the same. She kept up trying to find a solution, but she found none.

So she picked up the phone and rang the Roberts' house.

"Hello?"

"Hi Harriet, it's Mac."

"Ma'am, what a pleasant surprise;" were her first words, then, since it was rather unusual for Mac to call her at home from her office, she got worried.

"Something happened to Bud?"

"No, no. I just...just called because I need an advice. I know you must be busy with little AJ but..."

"NO, you are kidding right? Everything that can take my mind away for a while is welcomed. Don't misunderstand me Madam, I love my son, but he is sucking me all up together with my milk. What's up?"

"I got up to a mess. I accepted to go out with one of my old schoolmates and her husband with my boyfriend."

"Have you got a love story, what terrific news Ma'am."

"That's the point I haven't any love story, and worse I don't even have a man within reach."

"Oh, Gooodddd."

"Yes, that's exactly it. God. Do you think God can help me to find someone who can be considered a man? Anyone, actually."

"I'm afraid not, Madam. Do you believe Bud can be good for it?"

"Bud????" she was so surprised by the offer that she was speechless.

"Well" she began, clearing her throat " you know I would have thought about him myself" she said while crossing her fingers and hoping her nose wouldn't grow so long to tickle Brumby's neck in his office that was next to hers.

"But the man I'll find would behave like he is in love with me, and I don't think a married man would do it . I mean you know it could happen that we have to touch or to do something lovers are used to do. It would be really embarrassing both for him and for me." She grinned proud for the way she settled matters without offending Harriet.

"Yeah, I didn’t consider that aspect. But don't go to Brumby

Ma'am. He is already too much...infatuated with you and such a compromising situation can worsen things considerably ."

A laugh rang in her ears.

"Thanks for your delicacy but Brumby is not infatuated, he is in heat."

And they both giggled.

(Author's note: God how I liked to write this)

"You said it Ma'am. " Harriet managed to say.

"Now, you do understand the situation is really desperate, don't you?"

"There is...uhm...Commander Rabb or the Admiral. Oh God, not the Admiral."

At that point Harriet seemed she was not able to stop roaring with laughter, while Mac was horrified by the thought of asking to the Admiral to go out with her. No to mention to have to treat him like the man of her life.

"Sorry Ma'am, but I couldn't keep out of my mind the moment you'd take his hand or kiss him... If I didn't know it would be dramatic, I'd be there to assist to the show. Ok, then..."

"The picture you gave me is scaring enough to convince me to go home, log on my computer and surf through all the "lonely hearts" web sites. NO, I better put a note on those magazines for singles, insisting 's an urgent matter, don't know exaggerating my physical descriptions or quality. NO maybe I can go to the first specialized agency, you know those ones that organize blind meetings and so on..."

"Calm down, Ma'am. We have some more time to search for something less...degrading. You can't date a stranger, especially considering that you'd have to explain to him why you would have to jump or climb on him. And during your first date."

The other woman moaned "I don't think I can jump on any man, known or unknown. I don't even remember how it feels like being kissed or held by a man. Oh my, I'd better hire a gigolo."

"Don't say it, Madam, don't even think about this latest solution. No, I'm sure you could do all that, but only if you had some more time to know him better. Why not Commander Rabb?"

A long silence followed Harriet's question.

"Because."

"You are friends, right? Therefore you are familiar with him and he broke up with Commander Parker, so you won't damage anyone."

"Just my pride in having to beg him. Or if I'm lucky having to stand his teasing from now 'til the end of eternity."

"What do you prefer then? Telling your friend you are going alone?"

"NOOooooooo. But let's let Harm out until he becomes the only and ultimate solution."

"Well as far as I'm concerned he already is your last choice, Ma'am. The most logical too."

"I feared you would say so, Harriet. And there is nothing logical concerning Commander Rabb." and she let out a sigh.

"I had a couple of cousins, but they live in Florida and even if I did call them they would never be here on time"

"I...I really appreciate your precious help. Now I have to go to recover all my courage to face him. I know I can't do that and so I have to design a plan B."

"Write him."

"What?"

"Use your internal e-mail system to communicate to him. I know writing is better than speaking."

"Harm can use his computer as much I can fly his plane. I'll crash."

"But he has to open it during the day at least once. And he won't resist in reading yours. I saw him use it, cursing, but putting it on. I bet he'll accept."

"Sure he will, Harriet, but after having me on my knees begging him for as long a time as he considers enough for his ego, and only because he'd already taste the aftermath. And I don't know if I'm so strong to get through it alive."

Harriet didn't dare express her own opinion about the reasons why Harm would accept as she knew Colonel Mackenzie was dumb from that ear, but she suspected unexpected conclusions of that date.

"Come on, you have no alternative."

"But I'll write my request. No way I could ask to him face to face."

"Just keep me informed, Ma'am."

"Harriet, you are a good friend. Thank you"

"Don't mention it. "

A smiling Harriet went to the bedroom to lay down her sleeping son.

After having phoned Harriet, Mac’s mood was worse than ever, since she had to admit that Bud’s wife had been right in indicating Harm as the only solution to her problem to find a man in such a short time.

In the deepest part of her mind she had already got to the same conclusion, but she instinctively refused to accept that verdict, being sure it was more dangerous than hiring a perfect stranger.

She didn’t know why she felt so, but the vision of kissing and holding Harm like lovers are supposed to do, scared her more than facing a firing squad. But she couldn’t waste another precious day to rummage over some impossible options. Harm was her lifeboat, whether she liked it or not. But her problem was that maybe she would have liked it too much. And above all the main obstacle was to convince Harm.

She then shifted her chair in front of the computer screen with the same resignation as a martyr.

She clicked the compose command, flexed her fingers that got numb by nervousness, and began to type.

"Dear Harm, I need a man and I thought of you." She immediately erased the sentence.

<Yea, that’s a good start Sarah. You have to be brief, not lethal. Look at what you wrote. You sound like a hot line phone girl. Try another approach.>

"Harm, I want you to do a great favor to me. I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend for one night. I have a valid…" And she stopped for a while and rolled her eyes

<Going on that way you’ll win the trophy as the best liar of the year> and inserted

"explanation for my uncommon request and I’ll tell it to you soon. But trust me I really need your help. I know it’ll be a great effort for both of us but it will only last a couple of hours"

<excruciating hours, no deadly hours frankly speaking. Maybe I must add something like: if I survive I’ll thank you for the rest of my life> the next words she scribbled down were

"You’d only act like you were hopelessly

<no,noooo replace hopelessly with something less strong, or he’ll rush away without even reading it 'til the end>

"You’d only act like you were in love with me, and you know lovers.."

she moaned by writing that word related to Harm

"…. are supposed to be rather intimate. Therefore, since all that should be spontaneous, we can define a common strategy tomorrow, a sort of plan, so that we reduce the risk of being unmasked"

"I’m not suggesting we have to train..." she typed on the screen

<Training???Training?? Are you out of mind? Delete those sh…stupid words, now. What if he takes this thing too seriously and insists in this point? How could you stand that kind of training with him? You are lucky if you won’t do something really stupid during that painful dinner, guess what your mental state would be if you tried all that before due time.> Then she ended the e-mail.

"If you can’t do it, nevermind I’ll think of someone else. I will understand your denial, believe it or not what I asked you sounds incredible to me, too. Just let me know your decision as soon as you can.

Thanks,

Mac"

< Good idea to inform him about another possibilities, such as picking up another man, so that you won’t sound too desperate. But there is a little particular about your possible refusal, Harm. I’ll be forced to commit suicide. And maybe it will be the best choice, it will only make the agony shorter.>

<It’s not enough to have him inhabit my dreams permanently, most probably I’ll have also to endure the torture of knowing my fantasy was only a paler reflex of reality.>

Before clicking on the send command, she sighed and her mouse unconsciously went to the delete box, but she avoided selecting it for a whisper.

After confirming the mailing, the screen returned to the starting program and she stood.

Half an hour later Harm’s screen bell rang to inform him a new message arrived at his incoming box.

<It’s Mac. No object displayed. Unusual. I can’t see any reason for her to write me a message, we have no common cases at the moment. Well considering her actual mood, she must have forgotten to indicate the content of the posting.>

He opened it and, after a short look, his face went as pale as chalk.

He read it at least three times, his face getting paler and paler.

<Hey guy, hold on. What are you going to answer?> he stopped just an inch from the keyboard, a sensation of imminent catastrophe gripping his throat. He then got bore, as he could not explain that feeling to himself. His instinct told him to refuse, but since he couldn’t find any way to deny her something, he got even more alarmed realizing the reply was granted.

<No, reformulate the question counselor. Are you going to accept her insane proposal? Hell, she knew I couldn’t say no after all she did for me. Besides I can’t let her ask someone else> and his eyes went to her new partner Brumby. < As much as she swears she can control him, I don’t know how long she’ll handle such a thorny situation, in case he decided to take advantage of the fact that she’d be helpless to dodge his attacks. >

<But it doesn’t finish here between you and me, my friend. You’ll pay for forcing me to comply to play your boyfriend for a night. Let her boil a little more. Some answers can’t be written, they absolutely deserve to be dealt face to face> and he flashed his usual flyboy grin.

<I’d use the excuse the computer and I have never had a strict and profitable relationship.>

And smiling without even knowing it, he took back the report he was reading.

The day passed slowly for Mac, scanning every five minutes her incoming queue. She just threw her mouse on the floor, almost breaking it when she heard a knock.

She was kneeling under her desk to search for the object she flung, and she was not able to see the intruder so she simply said: "Enter" with her best Marine’s voice.

Harm lowered himself to look at her from the other side of her desk. Her hand wandered blindly on the carpet, as the little light inside her office was not enough for her to spot the mouse. The daylight had faded away a short while before, between 6:30 and 7 p.m. and she had only her desk lamp to enlighten the office. She stared at a pair of legs, whose owner could be anyone working there. Believing it was Bud she managed to explain what she was doing.

"Bud, is it you? You should be home, it’s rather late, and besides I don’t need you anymore. I’ll follow your example as soon as I can get my hands on my mouse that dropped down."

Five long fingers met hers and she realized immediately they weren’t Bud’s. She registered then who was their owner.

"But I heard you need me, instead. Twice, judging by your actual search. And it didn’t drop Mac. You swept it away with a slap." He didn’t take his hand out from atop hers.

She did it, like she had been burnt.

"What did it do to you, by the way?" his voice was amused.

Adding a further effort to find it, Mac moved under the desk while Harm reached her, trapping her and reducing the already too narrow space. Breathing normally became a hard task for her to accomplish. She remembered to do that only because it was automatic. Harm was too near.

His unique smell filled her nostrils, his after-shave still so perceptible she fought the urge to ask him if he carried a bottle of it always in his pocket.

"Are you going to help me get it or are you just trying to find out how a sardine feels like being closed in a can?" she pointed out

<Get out of here Mac, soon.> her brain ordered her at the same time.

She could only see the dazzling light of his teeth in the semi darkness surrounding them, worsened by the shadow of the upper part of the wooden desk.

"Here it is, Mac. First problem solved. The rescuer came and you don’t have to worry anymore, baby…" he used his best gloomy voice.

Her hands grabbed the mouse, and hurrying to stand her head collided hard with the lower surface of the desk that won the first score.

"Ough."

That didn’t stop her from darting up. Safer, she found her boldness again.

"Someone would think the wrong things in seeing you under my table."

Harm followed her slowly, dusting his pants.

"If you’d been caught under mine would be worst, Mac." He chuckled

She blushed lightly but refused to give up and kept looking at him straight in his eyes.

"I thought you didn’t read my message"

"I did" he confirmed her

"And…." She couldn’t help but tremble a little uncertain about which answer would be good.

"Circumstances, I want circumstances."

"You have every right to ask that. Ok, my lips betrayed me and I promised one of my old friends to go out with her and my boyfriend. Ok I know it’s stupid, you’d never do such a foolish thing. Just tease me to death and let's step forward. "

His grin widened as she stoically stood in front of him with her eyes closed, waiting for what she considered an inevitable penalty.

When she heard nothing, she disclosed them, scrutinizing him under her lashes.

"Are you ready to go home? Put off the lights and wait for me." he turned and left.

His shoulders shook to repress a loud laugh.

<God, this matter must have some great aspects, above all. Now she has to accept everything I tell her to do without any objection. And a compliant Mac is absolutely something to exploit. Maybe I can rent a video camera just to blackmail her. One can ever know what the future is presenting him.>

He closed the door of his own office and headed for the woman in front of the lift, fuming.

"You have time from here to the parking lot to update me." he informed her, pushing the button of the lift.

"You’re kidding, aren’t you? "

His gaze answered for him.

"I thought of hiring a gigolo first, then using the Internet to connect to several singles sites, and then the softest way to suicide, to find a proper solution. Then your face came to my mind."

"Related to suicide?" he was too amused to shut up and let her go on.

"Warm. Guess what, as soon as my brain considered the ultimate action, I got the vision of you springing out. What a coincidence..." she replied ironically.

He let out the too long repressed laugh.

The lift came to halt and they got out and headed towards their respective cars.

"Where are you going Mac?"

"Home. I'll give you the night to think it over."

"I don’t need to. Follow me in your car. I happen to have some slices of pizza to share with someone."

"I have to change first and…."

"Mac..." He warned her

"All right. Go first." She couldn’t help but give in. They parted and got to their cars.

Mac stuck out her tongue toward Harm, and smiled despite of the anxiety she felt inside, as she didn't remember the last time she let herself do such a childish gesture.

Harm already savored in his mouth the moments to come. Mac begging him to help her. And more, Mac forced to convince him to pretend to be her boyfriend. But a sudden thought made him frown.

< Do you realize what it means, don't you? We have been carefully avoiding any possible physical contact for almost five years, we didn't even burn our fingers and she is asking you to jump into the fire.>

He had no time to go further with his considerations for they were already in front of his apartment. He locked the car doors and gestured her to approach.

"Come on, keep your spirit up, Mac! I don't bite." he told her, mocking her.

" Sure." she answered, but the way she said it meant that she didn't believe him.

She started at the sound of the door closing behind them, the soft noise echoing in her ears like thunder.

Mac had been in his apartment lots of times, but something was different that evening. She felt like she had stepped into unfriendly territory. Her body stiffened revealing her uneasiness.

Harm softly pushed her back, so that she found herself sat on one of the stools he had around the kitchen table.

"Relax your shoulders, Mac or they'll ache. Want a massage?"

Mac rolled her eyes, her back to him, but didn't utter a word.

He turned around the table and opened the fridge fixing her a glass of mineral water, repeating the same moves he often had done in the past. His face was visible, but she kept her eyes on his hands pouring the water in the goblet.

He had long fingers, but she had already noticed that. She slightly shook her head to hold back the dangerous visions that they created in her mind.

Harm handed her the glass.

"So, how is she?"

Mac stared at the slice of lemon for a while.

"She works for an important lawyers' firm in Denver. We haven't seen each other for a long time. Kim invited me to her wedding last year, but I couldn't go. So when she called me today I was so happy that I ….. " she stopped unable to find a proper explanation for what happened.

"That you invented a brand new boyfriend." He made a scolding voice.

"I guess so. I mean… the matter slipped from my hands. I…listen I know I'm a fool to have asked you such a thing, but ...OK, the reason why I didn't want her to know that I'm between relationships is that she always joked about my seriousness. Honestly she kept telling me I was too selective. So I believe I wanted to surprise her, but I didn't know she would be in DC for a short holiday with her husband."

While she was talking Harm sat in front of her, sipping his own glass and staring at her.

"Does she know you well?"

That question made her look at him for the first time since they got in.

"Why?" her puzzled face made him smile

"Because it's important. If she is a simple acquaintance, well we don't have to go too far in our…uhm…trick, but if she is not ….well" and he paused shrugging his shoulders.

"She knows enough of me not to expect me to sit on your lap, cuddling you like a hor…a teenager."

His smile widened.

"Did she ever see you with one of your boyfriends?"

She reflected before speaking. Then she giggled like she was remembering a funny joke.

"Yes, but that doesn't count. I really was almost a teenager then."

"Uuhhh… this will be a rather interesting dinner." He pointed out

She narrowed her eyes.

"No, it won't."

"Yes it will." He repeated

"However" she went on disregarding his last statement. "I've never been that kind of girl"

"Which one?"

"Don't be so pleased, the matter is dramatic."

"I'd say comical."

"I'm happy to be your private clown, but forgive me I can't see the funny side of it."

"Affectionate. I never liked public effusions of love. She knows it." Was her reply to his previous question.

"Not even once?" he was openly teasing her.

"No." she cut him off, or at least she thought she did.

"Well I am." Those words hit her like an atomic bomb.

She raised in a rush.

"All right, I knew it was a bad idea. I must go now. Thanks for your help"

She didn't even realize he followed her 'til she felt one strong arm grabbing her shirt on her back.

"Where are you going?"

"Home."

"No you are not. I was kidding, Mac. Provoking you." his warm breath tickled her ear.

That caused goose bumps to spread all over her.

"Are you going to put an end to it, or do you want to stab me to death?" she said her face toward the door.

"I'll stop." He took his palms from her back, and she mentally thanked him as she could send her stomach back to its natural place, which was not in her throat.

She felt controlled enough to turn around and sit down again.

"I stated I like human touch, but I guess we can set a middle ground."

<Yes, you on the Moon and me on Pluto will be fine>

"We should define a common line."

"This is easy we work together, Mac. It's better to be as close to the truth as possible."

She nodded feeling a little tension leaving her.

"Yes, but... We must explain to her why we didn't…. I mean why it's a recent…romance."

"Is she so curious? "

She thought over it

"No, I'm a little too nervous and I see the worst side of the situation."

"Do you want a slice of pizza?" Harm changed the subject.

"No, thanks I think I should go home now. We can get through this easily," Then she added "If you stop acting like a child and don't play any stupid games."

"I promise"

Skeptically she accepted his words. When she reached the door without any other damage, she sighed and opened it. Harm was still in the middle of the room with an indefinable expression in his face.

"Enjoy your dinner, sailor" and she was gone

TWO DAYS LATER.

7 p.m.

Mac did not have many occasions to wear civilian clothes and so she had to buy a new dress.

The owner of the shop convinced her that the evening gown she bought seemed to have been made with her in mind.

It was really expensive, but now it was spread on her bed, ready to be used.

When she looked at herself in the long mirror of the small room, she protested, as the color was not her favorite. She said it was perfect for a car color, being bright silver, but she stopped complaining when she saw the horrified look of the assistant at her comparison.

"I can't wear any bra under it, I don't think it would be the right dress."

"You have one of those bodies, Madam that don't need any support. You fill it wonderfully. Your partner's eyes will pop out"

She moaned, but she didn't explain the groan she emitted, as it was not the assistant's fault that during the previous two days she had broke four pens, tore into pieces a file the Admiral gave her to supervise by mistake-forcing her to work 'til midnight to reconstruct it, spilled a hot cup of coffee in Brumby's lap and lost half of her dishes that kept slipping from her sweating palms.

"I believe I should try something less adherent."

The shop assistant refused to listen to her and she gave in.

At home she just jumped out of the bathtub, since a sudden impulse to put her head under the water forever scared her. Besides her skin began to resemble to the "Visitors" one.

She picked up the shampoo bottle and read the label, since she had risked pouring the liquid powder she always kept in the bathroom instead of the bath foam in the hot water.

Sure that it was the right product she washed her hair and dried it

The dress fit her perfectly and she scrutinized herself to verify if it showed the lines of her underwear, consisting in silk pink panties, silk hose and a garter belt.

Then she used a little make up, careful not to exaggerate as she was convinced the dress itself was enough to attract too much attention.

Mac obviously was aware it was amazing on her.

She hadn't time to put on her high heel shoes before the bell rang.

She headed for the door with a shoe on and the other dangling from her hand.

"Why aren't you late as usual?" she attacked Harm.

His eyes went to the shoe and then traced up her from toe to head, slowly.

"So???" she said taking his jacket sleeve to drag him in.

<Jacket, is he wearing a jacket?>

She didn't dare to look at him. So she turned back and went to her bedroom again, leaving the door half open.

"I'll be ready in a minute," she shouted.

The mirror let Harm watch her raising her gown up to her garter to smooth some invisible crease, by then lowering it and checking the result craning her neck.

Then she cupped her butt and lifted it, like she was unsure it would support its same weight.

It was at that moment that, for the first time since she asked him, he realized what he had to do.

If he had been punched hard, the impact would have been softer.

He was reacting strangely considering that he was helping a friend in trouble.

But the above mentioned friend covered her impressive legs with something that was too dangerously similar to silk, and that friend touched them in such a sensual way, his reaction had been too strange to make him feel safe. Not to mention the fact that her hands had underlined a perfectly shaped and firm bottom.

The subject of his restlessness appeared. Harm's brain started to work again, but the previous vision didn't leave his mind.

"Nice suit, sailor. You took the matter seriously, I see"

The effect of the tuxedo on a 6'4'' muscular body was really amazing, evidencing his wide shoulders and slim waist.

So Mac opted to stare at his white starched shirt.

He swallowed before answering

"Are you sure your dress won't drop somewhere during the dinner?"

"Well, if it happens it will be my problem, not yours."

<You bet> was his silent reply

"Let's go out. It's hot in here." He suggested grabbing her elbow and guiding her out.

Outside the Restaurant where they were to meet, Kim and her husband Don were waiting.

When Mac stepped out of Harm's car, not without any difficulty, due to the dress hindering her movement, Kim ran toward her and smothered her in a happy hug.

The two men smiled and greeted each other, introducing. They let the two friends talk sweetly for a while. Kim was the first to remember they were waiting and turned around with a bright smile.

"Don this is Mac"

"Pleased to meet you Mac. Are all Marines like you? Why didn't you tell me she was so beautiful before?"

"Because I'm jealous." But the joking voice belied her words

"This is Harm."

Kim looked him up and down

"Your taste improved considerably. " she commented in a low voice too low for Harm to hear.

He raised his eyebrow.

"Well, shall we enter?" Mac suggested diverting his attention.

But she was not prepared for Harm's move. He took her arm and slid his hand from her almost bare shoulder to her hand, taking it.

She fought to be natural, as if he had done that gesture lots of times before.

She refused to look at him and left her hand where it was.

He waited for her to step inside the room first, and placed a hand on the small of her back.

A nerve tensed around her eye, but nothing leaked out. <Get used to it, Mac. It's just a hand> Harm’s gaze focused on Mac’s hips swinging seductively under the dress. He never realized she had such a sexy gait before.

Unaware of her partner's wonderings, Mac placed an arm around her ex-schoolmate's shoulders and leaned over to whisper something in her ear, chuckling like a little girl. Her face shone with joy, her voice had a low tone that was affecting Harm in a way he couldn’t explain. Her voice had always kept his attention, both when she was quarreling on a case with him and when she was comforting him or advising him, like she had done many times in the past.

But that particular feminine inflection, together with her smiling red lips, penetrated in his brain like a sharp needle, touching some chords inside him that should have had no reason to be stimulated by his best friend's presence.

The excitement he was feeling was the same a man feels in front of a woman whom he finds physically attractive, and Harm immediately recognized it. The matter was getting too dangerous, he had to cool himself down, to bring everything back to a safer level.

The two women stopped chatting and were waiting for their two partners to have a seat.

The table was round and Harm sat at Mac’s side, pretty close to give room for the other couple to settle down.

His leg got in contact with her, but none of them could move enough to avoid it. And above all they couldn’t jump up like they really wanted to do without raising any suspicions about their unusual behavior.

So Harm's head lowered to meet Mac’s eyes and he winked, just before brushing her forehead with a soft kiss that made her wince.

"Sarah, you've changed a lot. Your hair is shorter and I like it."

Harm took the occasion to run a hand on the back of her head, shifting it 'til poking at her earlobe.

"Was it longer when you were at Duke?" he asked Mac directly. She didn’t trust her voice as his impertinent fingers were slipping under the thin laces of her evening gown.

"My, yes. It was rebellion time for us. The rules of the Law school were so strict that when we were out of the classes we gave vent to our vivaciousness. All right, let’s be honest. Sarah was weightier than me" and she smirked to her husband caressing his forearm "but we had a lot of fun, hadn’t we darling?"

Mac nodded but her mind was concentrated on Harm’s hands playing with some lock that escaped form her hair grip. Besides his cologne was intoxicating her senses, messing up her thoughts.

Her friend’s voice gave her the occasion to move a little away from Harm’s body heat and smell.

But she hadn’t expected him to grab her by her waist to stick their upper bodies together, side by side. His hand didn’t leave its position on her left hip, trapping her, her head almost nested on his neck.

Since she didn’t dare to look at him, sure she would see his best flyboy wolfish grin, she thought for a moment to pour the contents of her glass on his lap, by then dropped the idea and decided to act as normally as possible.

"Yes, we had a good time, hard but good."

"So you work together," Kim’s husband asked them after thanking the waiter who brought the menus to them.

"For almost five years now," Harm informed him, grateful for the temporary distraction, as he was barely avoiding kissing her velvet shoulders.

<What the hell, why not?> he then suggested to himself

A soft and warm mouth covered the pulsing nerve on Mac’s neck, before he continued.

"We were partners before, but not any longer. So we are free to explore other aspects of our lives. We are still in a period of adjustment, but the basis is rather encouraging. "

That sentence was spoken for her benefit. The other couple understood only they had been dating for a little period, but Mac’s eyes widened listening to him speaking like that. She refused to hope he really meant what he said, since for her safety she preferred to believe he was playing his role damn well.

So she wanted to pair him in his great performance.

"Yes, you know when you'd like to do something completely different than discussing cases or travelling together for working demands, and you can’t because of some rigid unwritten rules that keep you from getting what you really want. Well, we went on like that for a long time, secretly loving each other and aching to touch or to express our true feelings, but aware we had to bury our attraction under a professional friendly mask. We kept repeating to the others and to ourselves that we were only good friends to justify the urge we felt to be together as long as possible, the need we had for each other. "

Then she paused to collect her thoughts, rather surprised to have expressed how things really were for her, but sure enough she was protected by their pretended love story to eventually give voice to her secret feelings for the man that was with her that night.

"The burning desire to know how it would have been to be into the other’s arms like lovers, not like the friends we were forced to be. Luckily now we are regaining the wasted time, aren’t we Harm?" she ended breathless.

The passion she put on her monologue must have had impressed her friend Kim as she let out a "Wow", staring at them.

Harm’s reaction was completely another matter, and each word she uttered hit him like a powerful strike, like a forbidden blow given below his belt.

He slowly shifted his gaze to her, capturing her eyes. His were cloudy like a sky before a storm, his usually green color darkened to match the deep waters of a mountain lake, hers malicious in the beginning but loosing contact with the surroundings within seconds.

A private conversation started, apparently involving also the other couple, but really belonging only to them.

"Yes, better than expected, Sarah" Harm confirmed to her." I have many repressed desires to comply and as many fantasies to transform into reality. Actually I’m still deciding which one to give priority to"

They both realized it was no longer a game, something was springing, unexpectedly freed from their iron control.

No other words escaped from their mouths; eyes locked and heads unconsciously approaching.

They stopped at an arm’s length from each other’s lips, suddenly insecure as to how to act.

Kim cleared her throat.

"What a romantic thing and what a happy ending, Sarah. You know, the more you long to have a thing the better it is when you obtain it"

At this point Harm’s lips brushed hers, igniting a chain of feelings that left them both weak.

If not for the other people crowding the room, he would have kissed her like there wasn’t another day, but he knew he couldn’t.

Mac on the other hand was too overwhelmed to find her voice.

<What’s happening??> her mind was screaming

He nodded to her as if he had just read her mind.

"Let it happen, Mac. Whatever it is, it is out of our hands."

Shivers ran through her spine at his voice in her ear.

"Yes, romantic." She smiled, her internal turmoil tearing her apart.

Harm was no longer in the mood to joke, his heart and mind already had decided what to do. No turning back, no regrets and no doubts. The curses followed one after the other while the conversation went on with working matters and personal memories.

Harm’s hands and lips never left her skin, more and more determined, as if they found a place where they were at ease. Kim saw his moves and was pleased her friend had found such a man so obviously in love with her.

His lips trailed a line of soft kisses from her ear to the base of her neck, and up again restlessly, like it was the first time.

She didn’t know she was right, but Mac knew better.

He was driving her crazy. The warm mouth was wetting her earlobe, his tongue teasing it endlessly. But he carefully didn’t kiss her fully on her lips, so she chose a moment where he was brushing her cheeks again to turn her head and meet his mouth.

She covered it almost angrily, like she intended to punish him. It was not a gentle kiss, it was demanding, probing, even if short due to the circumstance of where they were. When they parted they tried to pretend it was one of the many kisses they had already exchanged, and they succeeded in giving this impression rather well.

But no one could see Harm’s fingers sliding on her legs, to search for the garters he knew he would find, to find them and to trace their outline.

And the customers of the Restaurant couldn’t imagine Mac’s nails had lowered to play with his belt, to underline the hard muscles of his tense leg under the fabric of his tuxedo.

The endless dinner was finally over and it was time to say goodbye.

"We didn't have much time to talk, but I felt like I was in the way. You are so clearly in love with one another that I guess you still haven't passed the "one body one soul" phase, the one where you want nothing but to be left alone to enjoy your mutual company"

Mac blushed because, even if it was not exactly so, her friend caught their need to touch, to feel each other physically, to bare their hearts.

"Well, Harm has no middle grounds, he acts instinctively and so…."

"Don’t apologize, just don’t underestimate what you’ve got , because such an involvement is rare."

In the meantime Harm was taking his leave with Kim’s husband.

"She is visibly fond of you, my friend. You are a lucky man. Kim told me Mac’s real essence is difficult to find, since she hides it to the whole world, but if you can get inside it you’ll have a place forever. I saw you filled it all." They shook hands and he went to kiss Mac too.

Their car disappeared, leaving Harm and Mac alone.

"Come here" Harm invited her opening his arms. They started a long number of kisses that cut them off from the world outside their embrace.

"We have to move or we’ll be arrested" Mac moaned and went on touching him, like she was afraid he would blow away like a balloon.

"Mac…"

"Yes sailor?"

"Can we go home to talk about this?"

"Why might we talk when there are so many more interesting things to do?"

"Because I want to tell you how much I love you "

"I already know, sailor, did I never tell you what they say about gold wings and dress whites?"

"Tell me then"

"Well, that’s nothing compared to what they say about Navy pilots wearing a tuxedo."

"Oh, I see. And what about Marines going around without any bra and with silk tights and garter belts?"

She made a surprised face

"How do you…."

"I’m a magician, didn’t you know?"

"Then take me home and show me, flyboy"

"My pleasure, Madam"

The end

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