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A Flip of the Coin 3: Christmas Wrapping By: slick1969 Summary: What happened after the coin landed? We join our favorite military pair at Christmastime. Just like the first two chapters, no real JAG story, just Harm and Mac, being, well, Harm and Mac, and Fate is busy doing her own thing. Rating: IM15 - Inappropriate for children under the age of 15 - Some references to drugs, sex, bad language, and violence, but not in an overly descriptive manner. Disclaimer: I own these characters ... yeah right, I wish I did. I promise to play nicely with them, though. Well, maybe I'll play nicely with them... The song that inspired the title of the story is sung by The Waitresses. Spoilers: Up through the series finale (Season 10). Anything beyond that, I've made up.
1300 Christmas Eve San Diego JAG HQ "Merry Christmas, ma'am," Petty Officer Coates called from the doorway, her jacket over her arm as she got ready to leave. "Shouldn't you be heading home too, ma'am?" Mac looked from the file she was perusing. "I will, Petty Officer, but I just have a few more things I want to take care of. You shouldn't have come in on a Saturday, and Christmas Eve to boot, just to get caught up." "I don't mind. My plans don't start until later tonight." Coates had started seeing a young Petty Officer from the nearby Naval Air Station, and they planned to spend Christmas Eve night meeting his parents. "Please, ma'am, don't stay too late." "I won't. Good night and Merry Christmas." Mac looked back at the file, but her mind was elsewhere. Thinking about the past year and all that had happened.
********FLASHBACK******** McMurphy's Bar April 2005 "And it's ... oh my God." Bud stared at the floor. "So what is it?" Harriet asked excitedly. "Heads or tails?" "Neither." Everyone stared down at the coin standing perfectly still on its edge. "What are the odds that would happen?" Sturgis was incredulous. Mac chuckled bitterly, "With us, better than most." "So what are we going to do?" Harm asked. "I think fate is telling us something, Harm." "And what is it telling us?" Harm's smile faded from his face. "That we should take our new assignments." The rest of the party faded away to another part of the bar when they realized the serious turn of the conversation. "What do you mean? We just throw this, us, away, because the coin didn't land the right way?" "I'm saying let's just give it some time." "Time? We've taken almost nine years to get to this point, isn't that long enough?" Harm exploded. ********END FLASHBACK******** And that was that. Harm went to London, and she went to San Diego. They emailed each other often and talked on the phone weekly. Each time, Harm stated his love for her and his willingness to give up his promotion and move out to San Diego. And each time, Mac told him she didn't want to be the cause of his Naval career ending. The coin landing on its side had scared her a little, to be honest, and given all of their other starts and stops in the past, she wondered if fate wasn't telling them it wasn't right.
Harm had made a few trips back to the US in the ensuing months. First, it was to make arrangements for Mattie's therapy. The rehab center they had decided on was in northern California, near to where Mattie was planning to start college in the fall. Unfortunately, Mac was tied up as defense counsel in a capital murder case and couldn't make the drive up the coast. Then he was helping Mattie settle in at college. This time, Mac had come down with a stomach virus that had been making its rounds at the JAG offices. "I'm happy to come down over the weekend and take care of you," Harm suggested in a phone call. "I'd love it, but I'm still contagious. And I don't want you passing this on to Mattie right as she starts school."
The emails and phone calls got less frequent, as her job (and she guessed Harm's too) got busier. She certainly hadn't met anyone. No one that compared to him in her eyes, at least. But she wondered if maybe someone over in London hadn't distracted Harm's attention. Out of sight, out of mind, she thought to herself. If only she could get Harm off her mind.
So now it was December, and she hadn't talked to Harm in weeks. The last email was over a week ago, and it seemed like he was slipping away, moving on without her. The problem was, why couldn't she? She was the one who had insisted they both move on with their assignments. She looked up and realized the clock stood at 1700 hours now. She better leave soon, or else Coates would call to check up on her.
Mac's Apartment Once she got home, Mac quickly changed into a T-shirt and jeans. One thing about being in San Diego. It certainly didn't feel like Christmas when one didn't have to wear a coat outside. A nice quiet night at home, she thought and decided to treat herself to Chinese takeout and a bubble bath. There were only two problems with her plan: no bubble bath in the house and none of the delivery people at her favorite Chinese restaurant had showed up. So much for relaxation, as she grabbed the car keys and headed on her errand to the store and the restaurant.
Bath and Body Works Mall in suburban San Diego "I have got to be the craziest woman alive," Mac muttered to herself as she searched for a parking place at the mall. "Going to the mall on Christmas Eve is definitely evidence of psychosis." She paused a moment. "So is talking to yourself." Finally she found a slot and went in to the store that had her favorite bubble bath. "Ooh, I'm in luck," as she saw a gift pack of Very Merry Cranberry bubble bath, body splash and lotion. Just as she picked it up, she heard a familiar voice.
"Mac?!" She dropped the basket, turned around, and there was Harm. "What are you doing here?" she asked him. "Last minute shopping for Mom. And you?" "A Christmas Eve treat for myself. So you're not in London for Christmas?" "I was able to get enough free time to visit my mom for Christmas. I haven't done that for a long time. God, it's good to see you!" He hugged her. "So is there anyone else at your mom's?" she surprised herself by asking, dreading the answer. "Just me and Mattie. Frank and Mom are thrilled to have someone else to spoil at Christmas this year. I wanted to call you and tell I was coming, but I was ... afraid."
"Afraid of what?" Mac was confused by the turn of the conversation. "Well, your last email seemed so distant, I figured you had found someone else and moved on." Mac burst into laughter. "Why is that funny?" he looked hurt. "Oh, I'm sorry, but it's so crazy. I thought you were the one moving on." Harm pulled her into another embrace. "Mac, I've missed you." He moved his lips to her ear. "A lot," he whispered huskily. "Let's forget this craziness of flipping the coin and get married." "Married?" Mac stared at Harm. "We'll figure out the living arrangements and career plans after the holidays. Fate brought both of us to this store at the same exact moment, I'm not letting her do anything to pull us apart."
"So, will you have me?" Harm asked, his mouth tugging up in that grin that she couldn't resist. "Hmmm ... do I have a choice?" she joked. "Of course I'll have you. The last eight months have been beyond miserable." Harm leaned over and kissed her. "Come home with me." "What are we going to tell your mom?" she protested weakly. "That you followed me home from the store and can I keep you?" he teased. Then he picked up the gift basket she had dropped. "Of course we could go to your house first and take care of that bubble bath, if you like." "Oh, I like, flyboy, I like!"
The End. Author's Note 1: I'm making the assumption that Harm's mother lives in the LaJolla, CA that is close to San Diego, not the one in Orange County, CA. It suits my story much better if that's where she lives. Author's Note 2: The Bath and Body Works is a real store and the Very Merry Cranberry is a real scent for bubble bath and lotion. |