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Date Posted: 23:43:17 05/29/07 Tue
Author: .
Subject: Gift of Fate

Title: Gift of Fate
Author: ???

Rating: PG-13
Classification: H/M - Romance
Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters nor am I profiting from my use of them for entertainment and enjoyment.

Prompt: What if: During “The Mission” when Harm was talking about best RIO being a woman, and Mac mentioned Skates, Harm turned to her and said, “I wasn’t talking about Skates.” As we remember, Mac was his RIO during “To Russia With Love”.

Summary: An AU tag for the episode. I think it meets the spirit of the prompt if not the timing details.


**********


“You can celebrate, gifts are never late,
You just learn to wait for sudden gifts of fate.

And so this has to be, a sudden gift of fate,
You’re nothing less to me, than a sudden gift of fate.” *


**********


On the Seahawk observation deck, Mac finds Harm watching the planes.

“How did you know where I was?”

“Where else would you be on a carrier during ops?”

Harm turns and grins at her, “In the front seat of an F-14.”

Mac returns his smile. “Only one ride per customer. Don’t be greedy, Flyboy.”

He shakes his head, “I guess that’s the end of our déjà vu moment.”

“Probably for the best.” Her tone turns slightly somber and she looks away. “Our track record with those isn’t the greatest.”

“I’m still glad you’re here.”

Mac thinks she hears a depth to his words and she turns to look at him. Even though doubt quickly surfaces, she answers with depth of her own, tinged with humor. “I think that should be my line this time.”

His teasing response is automatic. “I thought you said you weren’t worried.”

She smiles back. “I said I wasn’t worried for a minute. And I wasn’t.” She pauses for a moment and he waits for the punch line but instead she offers this bombshell. “I was worried during the entire flight.”

“Oh.” That isn’t the flippant reply he had been expecting, but then her next comment is even more of a surprise.

She turns away from him and looks out to sea and seems to be talking quietly to herself, “Just like I am every time I know you’re in the air.”

Harm is studying her profile and trying to process this information, “I didn’t know.”

“I didn’t want you to know.”

“Why not?”

“Worry is a sign of weakness and you know how I feel about that.” An incipient smile forms on Mac’s face, but she continues to avoid looking at Harm.

“I suppose I do. So why tell me now?”

“Because I … because I’m glad you’re here.”

He is certain that’s not the whole reason and he also thinks he hears a slight catch in her voice. The wheels in his brain try to turn, but he’s not sure if he’s reading correctly between Mac’s lines or just engaging in wishful thinking. Instead of pressing her, Harm decides to offer a confession of his own in return. “I sort of lied too.”

Her back stiffens and Mac turns to face him. “I didn’t lie.”

“Okay. What would you call it?” His smile at her defensiveness only aggravates her further.

“Obfuscating the truth for the greater good.” Her tone is full of courtroom conviction.

“So that’s what we’re calling it these days?” His eyebrows rise in challenge.

“Yes.” And with that Mac dismisses the topic. Tired of being the focus of attention, she shifts back to his admission. “What was your lie?”

His teasing grin returns. “Maybe it was just an obfuscation.”

“Try to be a little more original with your rationalizations.”

“I know a good line when I hear one.”

“Harm …” Her tone warns him that she’s done with the banter.

“I wasn’t talking about Skates.”

Mac looks at him blankly for several moments before she can begin to follow the leap of his thoughts.

He saves her the trouble and continues, “Before my flight, when we were talking about the best RIO I ever had. I wasn’t talking about Skates, though she is pretty terrific.”

“She has to be, to put up with both you and Tom Boone.” A small smile returns.

“Funny, Marine.” He scowls a bit for effect.

“I call them as I see them, but I didn’t realize that you had had another female RIO besides Skates. I guess there’s still a lot we don’t know about each other, even after six years.”

“Well I never had another naval female RIO, but there was this kickass jarhead who rode in my backseat …”

“You must be joking.”

“I’ve never been more serious.” He tries to hold her eyes with his, to convince her.

“Harm, I could barely hold my lunch up there. How could you possibly consider me your best RIO?”

“To hell and back, that’s what a good RIO says and does. I’ve never had another RIO, even Skates, who has personified that philosophy better than you have, Mac.”

“That’s pretty high praise for a marine from a squid. What would your fellow naval aviators say if they heard?”

“I’m trying to be serious and you’re making jokes.”

“Since when are serious about this sort of thing?”

“Since never. Since now. Don’t you think it’s time we started?”

“We’re not talking about RIOs anymore, are we?”

“No.”

“I’ve thought it was way past time, but I couldn’t trust that you felt the same way.” Mac looks away again.

“Past time?” Harm’s brow starts to furrow. “Does that mean it’s too late?”

“Too late for what?” She turns back.

“I was afraid I’d chased you away.”

“You’ve tried, almost as much as I’ve tried to chase you away, but we’re like bad pennies to each other. I’m really glad you came back.”

Without thinking or obsessing, Harm decides to press his luck and hopes she’ll follow his lead, and his heart. “The hard part’s over, Mac. We’re already good friends.”

She pauses for a beat, but then picks up his reference. “Does that mean I don’t get to see you in a dress?”

In for a penny, in for a pound. “Only dress whites or mess dress, but since those don’t seem to have the desired effect on you, perhaps you’ll prefer me undressed.”

Mac can’t believe the turn this conversation is taking. She’s not sure if he’s serious, but she takes what he offers and ups the ante. “Maybe you’re not such a prude after all. I also hope you’re not thinking what I’m thinking right now.”

“Why’s that?”

She shivers a bit at his husky tone. “Because I’m not sure there’s enough cold water on this boat to last us both until we get off.” The grin on Harm’s face makes Mac realize her unintended double entendre, or maybe it was a Freudian slip. “Off the boat, I mean.”

“Of course.” He nods solemnly. “That’s what I thought you meant. So do we have a date?”

“A date?” Suddenly, she’s lost her way in this maze of banter.

“Yes, after we get back to D.C. Wasn’t that what we were discussing? Dressing, undressing, hot showers, not cold. Ring any bells?”

“Are you serious?”

“As serious as I was about the identity of my best RIO.”

“Okay.”

It couldn’t be this easy, could it? They both turn to the rail and face the sea, at a loss as to how to continue this whiplash inducing conversation, still not sure if they have merely been flirting or if they have been settling their future plans.

Then Mac whispers to herself, “to the altar and beyond.”

“To the altar and beyond?” Harm turns to look at her.

She also turns, to face him. “Did I say that out loud?”

“Is that a proposal?”

“Are we on some game show, where we can only speak in questions?”

“Don’t change the subject.” His mouth smiles, but he eyes are serious and questioning.

She pauses and then nods, “Yes, I guess it was a proposal, but it wasn’t an easy decision.”

“I know, but it was right, I promise you.”

“Is that a yes?” Her tone morphs from tense to teasing.

His follows suit. “What happened to the romantic setting, getting down on one knee, the ring?”

Mac takes a quick look to make sure they aren’t being closely observed. “What could be more romantic for you than the sight of planes taking off and the smell of jet fuel?” she offers as she kneels down and pulls off her OCS ring. “Harmon Rabb, Jr., will you marry me?” She partially succeeds in sliding the ring onto his pinky.

“Yes.” He takes her hands and lifts her up. They stand too close to each other for too many heartbeats. They strain not to move into the embrace they crave before they each pull away slightly. “But the celebration will have to wait.”

“But not for eternity.”

“No, that’s how long it will last.”

They smile and nod and turn to look at the ocean once again. They both lean forward, hands grasping the rail, and slowly her right hand and his left hand slide together, so that they are just barely touching, and sunlight reflects from a most unusual engagement ring.

Finis.


* Mary-Chapin Carpenter
Also a line from the movie, Tootsie.

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Replies:

[> LOL Cute! Great dialogue! -- JAG Junkie (Ronda), 23:52:35 05/29/07 Tue [1]


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[> That was beautiful. I loved it. I could almost see it. -- shanabear, 00:30:12 05/30/07 Wed [1]


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[> Very well written and nice thinking!! :) My guess.... -- Acer, 01:40:05 05/30/07 Wed [1]


Pixie? :)


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[> This story REALLY needs a sequel!!! Here's hoping for one, please??? -- harmsgirl, 01:50:58 05/30/07 Wed [1]


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[> YES! Go Mac! I think Carrie wrote this. -- Just guessing, 02:20:58 05/30/07 Wed [1]


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[> What a surprise to see my prompt being used. I don't know who wrote it, but it was great. Thanks -- Sophie, 06:18:36 05/30/07 Wed [1]


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[> Well, that would've gotten us there a lot quicker & more satisfied. My guess... -- doc, 07:04:33 05/30/07 Wed [1]


TK. The use of former challenge lines is similar to another piece she wrote.


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[> Nice story...I'd love to see what's next. -- BlueJay, 07:38:52 05/30/07 Wed [1]


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[> This was so Harm and Mac - answering questions with questions, banter back and forth, but a much better outcome. -- usmgrad, 07:48:41 05/30/07 Wed [1]


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[> The banter without the bicker and a uniquely original proposal - it even includes challenge lines .....what more could we want! This one's a keeper! -- Sally, 10:57:02 05/30/07 Wed [1]


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[> Great just what I needed!!! -- Angela -- Mommy of 2 JAGLettes, 11:19:12 05/30/07 Wed [1]


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[> Re: FF: The gift of fate -- Marianne, 16:49:07 05/30/07 Wed [1]

"Mac takes a quick look to make sure they aren’t being closely observed. “What could be more romantic for you than the sight of planes taking off and the smell of jet fuel?” she offers as she kneels down and pulls off her OCS ring. “Harmon Rabb, Jr., will you marry me?” She partially succeeds in sliding the ring onto his pinky." - This must be the cutest JAG FF proposal I have yet read!


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[> Truly Harm and Mac fashion. I enjoy it so much. -- GRa, 03:17:41 05/31/07 Thu [1]


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[> Probably the best JAG proposal yet...except for the real one. Love this story, and it needs more... -- kathy, 18:41:01 05/31/07 Thu [1]


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[> Several of you have commented on the proposal, but the funny thing is, the proposal wasn't in this story at all until very late in the writing process. I never envisioned the story turning out that way, but there it was suddenly. Go figure. -- The Anonymous Author, 11:31:33 06/01/07 Fri [1]


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[> *grin* I loved that! The banter was so them, and that was an awesome proposal, hehe -- Jasmine, 03:34:43 06/03/07 Sun [1]


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[> hilarious banter! too cute! -- Jill, 16:28:32 06/06/07 Wed [1]


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