Author: Nancy
Disclaimer: JAG and characters do not belong to me. This is just for
fun.
Classification: PG Harm and Mac Romance
Category: Humor
Summary: Harm and Mac meet up at a late nightspot. Just a little
fluff.
Special thanks to Marianne for helping to archive this!
2300
It was late, and he was tired, to tired to just go home and relax. The lights of the only place still open at this hour blinked brightly like a beacon in a storm. Acting on impulse, he pulled into the parking lot next to several pick-up trucks. A couple of eighteen- wheelers rumbled quietly keeping their cargo cool in the refrigeration trailers. He looked around to see if anyone was loitering in the parking lot. This place looked like a good place to be relieved of your wallet or any other valuables.
He pushed open the glass door and was covered with a haze of cigarette smoke from the customers who sat propped up along the long bar that ran from one end of the place to the other. The familiar face of Helen, who stood behind the bar and called out, immediately greeted him "Long time no see sailor."
Helen was a woman in her mid fifties who had long forgotten the natural color of her hair. Years of hard living showed on her face. She patted her hand to an empty spot at the bar, "The usual?"
"Yea." He slid on the barstool and leaned on his elbows waiting to be served.
"Hard day?" Helen poured and looked sympathetically at Harm who reciprocated with a halfhearted smile.
He took a slow long sip and closed his eyes briefly as the liquid worked its magic.
Helen leaned forward and met Harm's gaze as soon as he opened his eyes. "What?"
"You still haven't told her how you feel have you." Her voice sounded husky from years of smoking.
"How's Ernie?" Harm redirected the conversation not ready to deal with the unresolved issues of his life.
"Can't leave the house without his oxygen tank. His lungs are shot, but he still likes to go to the casinos." Helen chuckled. "I'll tell him you asked about him. Ernie was Chief Earnest Miller of the US Naval Carrier Seahawk where Harm had his ramp strike. Ernie was over plane maintenance and testified in Harm's behalf as the hearing. Harm had managed to keep a check on him mostly now through Helen.
"Is this supper?" Helen 's voice took on that of more of a concerned aunt or grandmother.
"Not really hungry, I'm fine." Harm grinned.
A couple of older gentlemen walked in and plopped down on the vacant stools next to Harm. This place was the great equalizer of society. There were no designated smoking areas so smokers and nonsmokers shared the same cloudy air if they wanted to come here. Blue collar, white collar, military, old and young ended up here late at night because it was one of the few places still serving at this late hour and was close to the main highway.
The two gentlemen wore dirty t-shirts that indicated a long hard day of physical labor. Although they both were graying and losing hair, they had arms that could bend a two-inch steel bar. Both looked like they hardly missed stopping by this place by the size of their bellies that hung so that one would have to guess if a belt was holding up their britches.
Harm glanced and noticed one of the men's muscled arms displayed a tattoo saying 'Simper Fi." "What is it with Marines and tattoos?" Harm realized he said that out loud when the man gave him a sharp look.
"You gotta a problem with Marines, Squid?" The man frowned and stared at Harm as if ready to discuss the issue with his fists.
"Just one." Harm held up his hands defensively.
"Cut it out Stanley. Here, this one's on the house." She poured, and Stanley's feathers slowly smoothed. She refilled Harm's while she was at it and gave him a warning look to watch what he said. This place could get rough.
No one noticed that another customer entered the establishment and headed to the opposite end of the bar. She eased up on the stool preoccupied with her own thoughts and placed her elbows on the bar and sunk her chin onto her hands.
Someone placed some quarters in the jukebox and music began to fill the room like the smoke that continued to curl above the bar. Harm groaned as the lyrics of "What becomes of the Broken Hearted" added to his depressed mood. Helen patted his arm and walked to the opposite end of the bar to wait on the new customer.
"The usual?"
"Yea, I really need it tonight." The woman's soft voice answered. Helen looked at her sad brown eyes.
"Rough day?"
"Roughest."
"Have you told him how you feel?"
"Let's not go there tonight Helen. Okay."
Helen shook her head in frustration. "I oughta go get a degree in psychiatry." She mumbled as she served the woman.
Harm looked up and his mouth dropped open, 'what is she doing here? Helen knows her. How long has this been going on?' He stared sadly feeling disappointed as he saw Mac take a long slow sip.
He debated whether to intrude upon her privacy. She is a big girl. If she wanted to talk with him, she could have said so before they left the office. Instead, they left separately as usual. Mic and Renee were no longer part of their lives, but nothing seemed to have changed in their relationship. He sighed.
"Why don't you go talk to her?" Helen drew his attention back to the present.
"She doesn't want me...to talk to her." Harm looked down at his hands that cradled the dark beverage.
The old Marine looked down towards the opposite end of the bar and saw the attractive Marine Colonel.
"Hey if you don't go talk to her. I will." He chuckled. "Marines sure didn't look like that when I was in the corp."
"Maybe I better." Harm watched her as she sipped and then leaned her head down as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. He was her friend still right? Maybe. He owed it to her. Right? He had confronted her before. He took a deep breath and walked toward the other end of the bar and slid onto the empty barstool by her. "Hey." He said softly interrupting her reverie.
"Harm!" She looked startled. "What are you doing here?" She stammered.
"I come here from time to time." He looked down at the beverage in her hand. "I guess you've been coming here regular yourself. I'm surprised we haven't run into each other."
"I wouldn't say I come here that often, but yea I have been here before. I'm surprised to find you here too. I thought this place wasn't up to Harmon Rabb Jr.'s standards." She added with a bit of sarcasm.
"Never mind. I just thought you may like some company, but I guess you don't." Harm stood and threw some bills on the bar.
"Wait. I'm sorry. I didn't mean that you should go. I guess that did sound sort of nasty." She smiled.
"Yea, you've been a little nasty a lot lately." Harm met her smile with a serious look.
"I guess I deserve that. I've been pretty confused since Mic and I broke up." She responded hesitantly.
"Mac, look...I wanted to apologize. I know that I ruined your wedding, but I didn't mean to hurt you. Believe it or not, I really want you to be happy." Harm said almost pleadingly.
"You do don't you." Mac looked into his eyes seeing the hurt. "But to be honest with you Harm. I do blame you." She added softly.
Harm saw pain in her eyes and looked away as feelings of guilt encompassed him. "I'm sorry Sarah." He whispered.
She took another long sip and wiped her lips. Tears came into her eyes. "In a way it was your fault. Mic said he couldn't handle it anymore because he would worry that I would always love you more."
Harm looked back up into her eyes and saw the fatigue. He started to respond only to have Sarah touch his lips to quiet him. "I'm not finished. You know something. Mic was right." She whispered.
"Mic was right? " Harm looked confused at first and then a small smile of understanding formed on his face.
"Order's up!" The cook called up from the serving window behind the bar. Helen picked up the plates and pushed them towards Mac. "One super special, a waffle, two eggs messed up, bacon, and an order of hash browns scattered, smothered and covered. Do you and Harm want refills on that coffee?" Helen smiled as she observed Harm and Mac holding hands.
The End
I just love Waffle House.
