Monday,
January 12, 2004
United Airlines Flight 420
En route to New Orleans, Louisiana
1630 ZULU
With the argument in the cab it seemed as if something had finally broken loose. And while things still weren’t completely back to normal between them, they were at least bearable now. Sitting here, pouring over case files and crime scene photos, he was almost able to relax around her.
Almost.
"So are you really okay with all of this, Harm?" Mac asked, gesturing to the files in front of them.
Except that he could have gone all day without discussing this topic. So much for relaxation.
"I’m fine," he responded quickly. Too quickly.
"Haaarm."
His name rolled off her tongue in warning, and Harm squeezed his eyes shut briefly before looking back down at the open file on the tray in front of him. "Mac, please don’t."
"Come on, Harm. I already know most of what happened between the two of you, don’t I?"
"Yes," he answered tersely.
"So I ask myself, what could you possibly have you so on edge that you didn’t even want to work this case with me?" While said in jest, Harm knew she was being anything but funny.
He couldn’t quite meet her eyes. "It’s not that I don’t want to work with you. Of anyone, I prefer working with you, even with all of the problems we’ve had lately."
She allowed him a shy smile. "Thanks."
"You’re welcome."
A smirk tilted the corner of her mouth. "But even flattery isn’t going to get you out of this conversation. Now talk."
He stared at her intently. "It wasn’t just flattery, Mac. I hope you know that."
She sobered immediately. "And I hope you know that I’m only asking more about your relationship with Krennick because I care about you, not just because I’m trying to be nosey."
Looking away, Harm fiddled with the edge of one of the papers on top of his traytable. "It’s not like I’m hiding anything earthshattering. I already told you we didn’t have a ‘relationship’ in the purest sense of the word. Not that she didn’t try, repeatedly. It’s just...this has always been embarrassing for me, Mac."
She nodded solemnly. "I know. We’re talking about more than just sexual harassment here, aren’t we?"
Harm studied her. There was really no question in her tone, even though she had asked one. He saw the confidence and total acceptance in her eyes, telling him that no matter what his answer may be, she would take his word as the truth. To say that it shocked him to still see those feelings from her would have been a huge understatement. After all that had happened it was almost more than he ever would have hoped for. "Well, her behavior toward me definitely could have qualified as sexual harassment by the Navy’s standards. But as I said, I never really pushed that issue."
"Why?"
"You know why. I’m a man," he stated flatly, as if that explained everything.
It didn’t though. Harm was one of the most upstanding men she knew. There had to more to this story than just Allison Krenneck’s bad attitude for Harm to bury it in the "off limits" category. However, if she was going to understand his thought process and behavior on this case she needed to know all of it. Reaching over she placed her hand over his on the tray, squeezing slightly. "You are definitely a man. I don’t think that could ever be in dispute." Mac thrilled at the flush that was climbing up his neck at her offhand, slightly suggestive compliment. "Tell me why you’re so reluctant, Harm."
"Mac, I know this isn’t the answer you want to hear, but I’m asking you to trust me on this. Yeah, I have issues with Krennick, but even though it will be tough, I’m going to try my best to be objective and get through this." Grasping her hand more tightly, Harm implored her, "and I promise, if things start getting to me...well, you’re with me no matter what, right?"
"You know I am," Mac pledged.
Harm picked up their joined hands, brushing his lips across her knuckles. At her indrawn breath, Harm’s lips quirked up in a sexy lopsided grin. It was nice to know he still affected her. "Then you have nothing to worry about. We’ll be fine, and this case will be a piece of cake."
Somehow, with all unexpected things that had happened so far, Mac wasn’t at all reassured.
***
The plane finally touched down and the pair disembarked content, for the moment, with each other and their knowledge of what lay ahead. Their resilience as partners had always surprised him. No matter what the current status of their personal relationship, somehow they always managed to end up working somewhat well together.
It was her intimate knowledge of him that now had him worried. Mac knew him, and while he’d hedged the discussion earlier, Harm knew Mac was only biding her time until she could pull the rest of the story out of him. Which he had no doubt she eventually would. That little distraction stunt he’d pulled on her, while pleasurable, had only delayed the inevitable. Until then, however, he’d much rather focus on this new awareness they now had of each other.
After securing a car, they made their way through the concourse side by side but silent. He definitely had a few questions of his own he wanted to ask her, and it took everything he had not to blurt them out right here in the middle of the airport. Some of the things she’d said to him in the taxi had taken root and now he couldn’t seem to let them go. She’d basically accused him of being obtuse where their relationship was concerned, and while Harm would admit to some nearsightedness where she was concerned, he was still convinced the majority of their current problems rested in Mac’s lap.
However, she’d also alluded that there might not be as much to her association with Webb as he’d originally thought, or led to believe. Whether right or wrong, they definitely had some talking to do. But after looking closer at this case, it didn’t look like there would be a whole lot of time for personal discussions. Damn Allison Krennick anyway. Even dead she was still a pain in his a...
"Hey, you okay? You’re awfully quiet over there."
Harm immediately snapped out of his somewhat malicious thoughts. "Yeah, I’m just...doing some thinking."
"First for everything I guess," she taunted, tongue in cheek.
He had to tramp down the urge to make a grab for her right there in the parking lot. He had no idea that just a simple blow up could bring their playful banter back, if he had he would have done it a hell of a lot sooner. "You are just full of spunk this trip, aren’t you? Just make sure you’re ready to get as much as you’re giving," he cautioned, pointing at her.
"Oh I’ve been ready for a long time, and I’m still waiting. You give it your best shot, Navy," she threw over her shoulder, her hips having just a little extra sway on her way to the passenger side of the car. She thought she had the upper hand with that parting remark.
Climbing in on the driver’s side, Harm clicked his seatbelt before starting the car. Staring straight ahead Harm issued his own challenge. "You haven’t seen my best shot yet, Mac. But before this case is over, you will have." The low, seductive timbre of his voice carried more sensual promise than Mac had ever experienced.
And, as Mac well knew, he always kept his promises.