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Date Posted: 16:45:59 03/25/09 Wed
Author: .
Subject: Imperfect Gentleman

Title: Imperfect Gentleman

Prompt: From Miss Congeniality, submitted by Staz

Victor Melling: "What, no armored car?"
Gracie Hart: "That would be in my other dress."


Word count: 3288

Category: Romance/Action/Comedy

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: No infringement intended.

Author’s note: Set somewhere in season 7, totally AU so no spoilers.

Summary: Harm and Mac attend a charity dinner. As usual, excitement follows.


-=-=-


It felt just like a fairytale. A big hall, dimmed chandeliers, candles alight all around, soft music flowing in the background and a scent of mixed flowery perfumes in the air.

Mac looked around in awe, and tried not to let show exactly how she felt, lest her date for the evening mistook it for elated bliss that it really was. She’s let him in on it later... if he behaved. One look at him though, almost had her caving and showing him and the rest of the world just how much this evening was already turning her knees wobbly, and it was only the beginning.

Though she preferred the dress whites, Harm was still heart-stoppingly handsome in a black suit. When she opened her door to find him standing there, it took all her strength not to run her hands over his lapels, then grab him by them and pull him in for a kiss. She’d have to call his mother and thank her for asking Harm to represent her at this charity dinner... and practically ordering him to take Mac with him.

-=A month earlier=-

“Mac, Commander Vargo is innocent and you know it!” Arms crossed, Harm assumed his I-am-right-and-you-can’t-convince-me-otherwise posture and leaned back in his chair.

Across from him, comfortably seated in one of his guest chairs, Mac crossed her arms as well and gave him an indulgent look. “We’ve been through this already, Harm. Yes, I know it as well as you do, but the giant pile of evidence, circumstantial as it may be, is pointing right at our client and we haven’t a shred of any evidence whatsoever that says differently!” Her hands gesticulating in the air helped her make the point. “So unless you have a crazy stunt to pull out of your sleeve, I still think we should go for Sturgis’s deal.”

Harm was ready with a come-back, but as he opened his mouth to speak, the phone on his desk started ringing. With a finger in the air, indicating she should hold the thought, he picked up the phone. Mac sat back with a smirk and re-crossed her arms. “Saved by the phone...” she muttered under her breath.

“Oh, hi mom.” Harm once again gestured for her patience. Mac just shrugged and took the file from his desk to go over it once more.

“Sure, whatever you need, mom...” Harm was smiling at the air, but as he continued listening, the expression on his face changed from relaxed to uneasy. Mac, peering at him above the file, hid another smirk; she just loved seeing him squirm.

“Uh.. are you sure..? Is there no one else... yeah... yeah... oh, okay. Alright, I’ll go, no problem... what?” The conversation was really starting to intrigue Mac, and she abandoned the file altogether. She gave the fact that she was listening into a private conversation a moment’s thought, and then discarded it.

“Mom...” Harm suddenly looked up at Mac and to her surprise, turned around in his chair so she couldn’t see his face and spoke quietly into the phone. “You can ask me but you can’t just order her... yes she is... mom... look, I’ll work things out okay? When is this thing again? Alright. Okay, mom. Me too. Bye.”

Taking a moment to bury his face in his hands, Harm turned back around to his desk, hung up the phone and lifted his head to find a highly amused Mac staring at him. “What?”

“Oh, nothing. That sounded like an interesting call.” Mac was grinning at him, and making him more uneasy by the minute.

“It was my mom.” He said by way of explanation. She nodded and looked at him expectantly. He deflated. “She wants me to represent her at some charity dinner here in DC that she can’t make it to.”

“Really? What charity?”

“Oh... I didn’t even ask. She’s sending me the invitation.” He scrubbed his head. “I hate these things.”

“Come on, Harm, it can’t be that bad. You help a good cause and enjoy a nice evening out.”

Harm snorted and looked away. “I have to wear a stupid expensive suit, talk to people who are usually more interested in themselves and appearances than anything else... including my date for the evening, more often than not...” Suddenly hearing the words coming out of his mouth, Harm looked back at Mac, slightly embarrassed.

Mac just laughed. “Why do I have the feeling you’d rather be in a half-functioning plane, being chased by crazed fanatics than go to this function?” At Harm’s face, she laughed harder.

“Would you come with me?” Harm asked quietly. Mac stopped mid laugh, caught off-guard, and tried to assess the sudden change in atmosphere. Harm put on his best convincing face. “You said yourself it couldn’t be that bad.” He used her earlier words.

Mac tilted her head and thought a moment, which sent Harm into overcompensating. “I promise, if it’s not a fun evening I’ll make it up to you, I’ll take you wherever you want.” Mac smiled, but still said nothing, she didn’t have to; he was doing so well by himself. “Come on, Marine, I’ll owe you one, besides my mom will be-“ He stopped himself suddenly and she could see his ears reddening. Mac raised a brow.

“Your mom will be...?” She’d never seen Harm this flustered before.

“She’ll... she’ll owe you one too.” Mac’s face was a question mark. “Since she won’t have to hear from me about what a dull night it was.” He threw her a diverting smile, “if it’s the two of us things are bound to get interesting.” He waggled his brows and Mac shook her head in amusement.

“Not convincing, Navy, come up with a better one.” She had every intention of saying yes eventually, but teasing Harm was so much fun. Harm just smiled at her. A smiling staring contest ensued for a minute, then Harm said, “so you’ve got three weeks to find yourself a stunning dress. Now, back to Commander Vargo and his innocence...”

-=Present time=-

That evening, Harm had arrived with flowers and his first words were “My mom was very happy to hear you are coming with me tonight... not as happy as I am, though.”

They moved further into the room and she noticed a small band and a dancing area and her spirits lifted even higher. A night with Harm that involved her dancing in his arms was as close to perfection as it got. She never managed to mention this to Harm as an older man approached them, welcomed them and drew them into a long and detailed conversation about the situation in Iraq, elaborating just what he thought should be done in a very detailed manner. When a woman came to ask the man to help her with something, Harm turned to Mac.

“I thought that would never end... now do you see why I hate these things?” His exasperation was thoroughly evident and she just wanted to hug him.

“Come on, let’s go dance; they can’t drag you into conversation there.” She found the needed excuse to pull him towards the band.

Settling in his arms, Mac managed not to sigh contentedly and just smiled up at Harm, who smiled back down at her. “So you did manage to find a stunning dress after all, huh?”

She was wearing an ankle length black dress with a halter-top that exposed much of her back. The thought of Harm’s hand touching her skin had won the dress valuable points, despite its cost. “I’m glad you like it.”

Harm was just about to say more when they heard crashing sounds coming from a far corner of the room, followed by a scream, someone yelling “Gun!”, and the general chaos that usually ensued when a group of people was met with an unexpected development.

Mac shot Harm a withering look. “Problems really do follow you wherever you go, don’t they?” Harm’s eyes widened. “Me?”
Mac shook her head and unhappily disengaged herself from him. “Let’s go.”

They had to fight the mob of people going the other way and towards the exit, and Mac remembered a saying she heard: ‘If everything’s going your way – you’re in the wrong lane, going the wrong way.’

Finally reaching the scene of the action, they found some of the people in charge of the catering huddled in a group, along with the man that had engaged them in conversation at the beginning of the evening. As they approached, he noticed them and hurriedly tried to convince them to exit the place with the rest of the guests.

Harm took charge. “It’s alright, we’re Navy, why don’t you tell us what’s going on?” He seemed to ignore the way Mac’s brows reached her hairline at his words.

The man seemed to sigh with relief. “There’s a crazy man in the kitchen, he used to work for this catering company... now he’s got 8 people in there at gun-point, demanding his old job back.”

“And I’m guessing negotiations failed?” Mac asked.

“You could say that. Now he doesn’t really seem to know what to do, he said if we call the police he’ll kill everyone in the kitchen. I don’t know what to do!”

Harm put a hand on the older man’s shoulder. “Why don’t you take these people outside and see how the rest of the guests are doing? We’ll figure something out.”

The man seemed eager to relinquish responsibilities now and turned to the small group of people still standing nearby. Harm turned to Mac, options already rolling in his head, then stopped short at the look on her face.

“We’re Navy?” She arched a brow.

“It seemed like the shortest explanation at the time, you saw the way that man could go on, Mac.” She didn’t look convinced. “Look, next time we’re in this position, you can say we’re Marines, alright?”

She allowed her amusement to show. “Considering the odds are high that we actually will be in this position again – alright.” She took a breath. “Alright, so taking into account that one of the guests already called the police, we don’t have much time to do this... are you sure you even want to get into this?”

“I think we can diffuse the situation in a much calmer manner and get this over with. What do you say?” He hitched a brow. Mac sighed. “Alright, but let me call a contact of mine at the PD, let them know the situation.”

She quickly pulled out her cell-phone and made a quiet call, explaining and asking for the backup to come quietly. Throwing the phone back into her purse, she half expected Harm to tease her about her PD contact, but he had a faraway look and she could see he was already in combat mode.

“The one day I don’t bring my side-arm...” Harm muttered to himself.

Mac smirked. “Guess it’s once again up to me, then.” Before Harm could articulate anything, Mac placed her purse in his hands and started hitching up her skirt. He could do nothing but stare.

“Mac... what are you doing...?” He was too shocked to even look away. Mac produced a gun and thrust it into his hand. “Getting us some fire power.” She smiled triumphantly and once again reached under her hem. Commando knife in hand, Mac was ready to go.

Harm, managing to control the shock, finally found his tongue. “What, no armored car?”

“That would be in my other dress.” Mac quipped and moved closer to the kitchen door, leaving Harm in her wake.

They decided Harm would try to negotiate with the gun-man, while Mac went out and around to the kitchen’s back entrance so she could create a diversion and allow them to take control of the situation, should talking fail.

“Good luck.” They said at the same time, then smiled. Mac turned and started walking away, but suddenly turned back.
“Did you forget-“ his question was cut off by her lips on his. It was a short, soft kiss and then she turned away and walked off without looking back. It took Harm a few dazed seconds to get his head back in the game.

Standing against the wall next to the kitchen door, he wondered how best to break the ice with the gun-man. He decided to try the polite approach. He reached out and knocked on the door. “Excuse me?”

“Don’t come in here!” Came a yell from the other side. “I told you, no one comes in and no police!”

“Hey, I’m not police, I just want to talk to you. What’s your name?”

The man was no idiot. “That’s what they all say! I’m no idiot!”

“Listen, let’s just stay calm. Maybe if you tell me what you want we can work things out...” Harm risked pushing the door open a crack, trying to get a look of the inside. He was rewarded with a shot that went through the upper part of the door, inches away from his head. He flattened back against the wall.

Then things started happening very fast. He heard crashes from inside the kitchen, a few high pitched screams and a very familiar voice yelling, “Drop your weapon!”

Gun in hand, Harm barged through the door and was welcomed by two more high pitched screams and the view of a pretty Marine holding a skinny man with a knife to his throat.
“Glad you decided to join us.” Mac grinned at him and kicked the weapon over across the kitchen floor. He picked it up and moved to her side, where she was pushing the man against the wall with his hand behind his back.

“Do me a favor, call the last number I dialed from my phone and tell the guys they can come with their sirens now?”

True to form, the sirens came minutes later.

It was only when they handcuffed the instigator of the situation that he noticed she was a tad disheveled. “Mac, you’re bleeding!”

“Huh?” She looked down at he dress and found a tear and through it a small bleeding gash in her right thigh. “Oh, damn. I really liked this dress...” With the adrenaline wearing off, she was also starting to feel a throbbing pain emanating from it. “The idiot tried to have a knife fight with me when I took his gun. Guess he was more successful than I thought.”

“Jeez, Mac! That guy could’ve killed you! Why’d you go all gung-ho on me?” Harm tried to get a better look at the injury, pushing her over and down into a nearby chair.

“What, stay outside and let you have all the fun?” If she ignored the pain, the attention was nice.

“Yes!” Harm wasn’t joking. “At least then you wouldn’t have gotten hurt!”

Mac tried not to take offense and launch into her I’m-a-Marine speech. Instead she went for levity. “Well, you know me, I’ll do anything to come out limping in your arms at the end of things...”

Sufficiently shaken out of his worry, Harm raised a brow and she could see the change in him before he spoke. “How about I give you one better?” Giving her a hand to stand up, he didn’t answer the question in her eyes, and without further ado, lifted her up and into his arms. “How about that?”

Mac laughed. “That would be overdoing it, flyboy.” But as embarrassing as it would be for her to be seen carried out by him after doing all the work, she made no move to unwrap her arms from around his neck.

After the medic patched her up and they gave the story to the police, Mac was ready to call it a night. “Come on, Mac, let me take you home. I promise to be a perfect gentleman.” Harm extended a hand to her, and she took it, but not before giving him a doubtful look. “Okay, maybe not perfect, but definitely a gentleman.”

Mac just laughed. “That I can believe.”

The drive was a quiet one. Mac played with the tear in her dress, her thoughts far and away. Harm kept stealing glances in her direction.

Once parked, Harm used Mac’s distraction to quickly go around the car and open her door, helping her up. She smiled in gratitude, then gasped as he once again lifted her into his arms and closed the door with his hip. Fully prepared to launch into protest, Mac never got a word out, first because his lips were momentarily against hers, then because it took all the way to her door for her to de-shock her mind.

Harm let her down at the entrance. She opened the door and took a few steps in, throwing her purse and shawl on the couch. She turned back to find Harm leaning against the doorway. “Will you be okay?”

“Harm! I didn’t get my leg cut off, it’s just a flesh wound!” She was too confused, too many thoughts were spinning around in her head. She had to get a grip. Harm was smiling warmly at her but didn’t say anything.

“Well... thanks for an entertaining evening.” She smiled, unconsciously taking a step forward.

“Not exactly a fun evening, I know. I’ll make it up to you.”

She was about to say that she did have fun, but though better of it. If he wanted to make it up to her, she wouldn’t stop him. “Yeah?” She was somehow closer to him now.

“Are you free Friday night?” he pushed himself off the wall and stood before her. They were almost touching now. He noted the sharp change in her expression and prayed.

“Yes.” Was all she said. It was enough to bring out a shining smile from him.

“Well, on that note, I think I better leave before my luck runs out.” His hand brushed against hers.

“I thought that never happened to you, flyboy...” She reached out to straighten his lapel, cutting his laughter short, as her hand lingered on his chest. Now both serious, their eyes linked, time standing still around them, words and thoughts faded to the background.

His hand found her face and brought it close to his. He kissed her slowly, starting with a simple touch, and then coming back again for a deeper connection. She responded in kind, now with both hands at his chest, she pulled him with her into her apartment, noting the sound of the door closing somewhere in the back of her mind.

When they broke away long enough for her to take in the surroundings, she found they had made it to the couch, where she was lying on top of him. She smiled brilliantly. The evening had surpassed her expectations. She ducked in to kiss his throat and heard him sigh.

Raising her head to see his face, she found a deprecating expression on his face and a seed of worry was planted in her heart. He sighed again. “And I tried to pass off as a perfect gentleman...” He tried to sound disappointed but couldn’t keep the smile off his face for long enough. Mac dug the seed out and flung it out the window.

She kissed him thoroughly and hugged him close. “You’re an imperfect gentleman and that’s just how I like you.” She felt the laughter rumble in his chest.

“That’s how you like me, huh?” He ran his hands slowly down her back, coming to rest on her six, and squeezed for good measure. Mac just giggled and swatted his shoulder.

“Watch it, squid. Let’s not forget what I have under this dress.” She had yet to remove her knife and gun.

“Oh, believe me, I could never...”

“Harm!”

His laughter echoed between the walls of her heart.
Perfect or not, he was hers now, and she planned on keeping it that way.

-=End=-

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Replies:

[> Another great story keep them coming please -- Bev uk, 17:17:53 03/25/09 Wed [1]

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[> Well done. -- . . . - - - . . ., 17:41:44 03/25/09 Wed [1]

Think this may have been Nettie.

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[> I'm glad I wasn't drinking coffee when I read this. I would have spewed it all over the screen! This was great--funny and dramatic and romantic all at once. I loved it! -- SammiSue, 18:11:46 03/25/09 Wed [1]

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[> Action-packed and romance -- what more do we want?! This was great! -- mj, 18:12:38 03/25/09 Wed [1]

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[> [> humor, action, romance, perfection -- rosie, 20:47:41 03/25/09 Wed [1]

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[> They could never keep out of trouble.At least this one ended well. Great storytelling. -- Nettie, 18:33:50 03/25/09 Wed [1]

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[> Another great piece. Keep 'em comin' -- Christa, 19:12:09 03/25/09 Wed [1]

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[> Another excellent story! This is great! -- BlueJay, 19:16:39 03/25/09 Wed [1]

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[> Now that's entertainment -- CAZ, 19:42:04 03/25/09 Wed [1]

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[> When I saw these lines suggested as a prompt I thought there is no way these lines would work in a Harm & Mac story. Boy was I wrong! You did a great job. Love the action, both at the event and later at Mac's. -- wishing I had an imagination like yours, 22:25:20 03/25/09 Wed [1]

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[> Action! The Marine saves the ..night? Romance! The only thing missing is the camera! -- enjoyed it a great lot!, 23:17:01 03/25/09 Wed [1]

Theresa? She likes to write action-Mac!

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[> That was fun! Like Mr. & Mrs. Smith, only Mr. & Mrs. Rabb... or would that be Mr. & Mrs. MacKenzie? LOL -- someotherauthor, 00:53:23 03/26/09 Thu [1]

Hmmmm.... maybe Colie?

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[> Brilliant use of the lines. Loved it!! -- JagfanNat, 02:34:10 03/26/09 Thu [1]

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[> I love this back and for banter and you story paint the best of Jag and Harm and Mac relationship. Thank you -- GRa waving from Argentina, 08:01:33 03/26/09 Thu [1]

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[> Another great one! -- Angela -- Mommy of 2 JAGlettes, 12:47:04 03/26/09 Thu [1]

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[> WOW!! Those two can't stay out of trouble. -- jbk, 13:20:35 03/26/09 Thu [1]

Great use of challenge lines. Thanks for making my morning. Not just any story can make me laugh. Good story, imagery, and lovely ending.

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[> How nice to see a little action in a story! This was such a fun ride! And those lines fit perfectly! -- JAG Junkie (Ronda), 22:44:03 03/26/09 Thu [1]

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[> These two alway could find trouble, even in the most innocent situations, LOL. Thanks! -- SP, 09:53:51 03/29/09 Sun [1]

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[> Awesome!! Fun, action, humor, and romance - what could be better?! And the lines fit in perfectly! I thoroughly enjoyed this! -- ***, 07:33:26 03/30/09 Mon [1]

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[> oh, this was perfect on so many levels from dialog to how it unfolded. -- Jill, 23:01:49 04/02/09 Thu [1]

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