Title: Darling, If You Love Me Author: Nicole Carter Category: Fluff. R [Harm/Mac] Rating: G-PG. Somewhere around there. Spoilers: None what so ever. Unless you consider Bud and Harriet being married a spoiler. Disclaimer: I don’t own them, but, Donald, can I buy Harm off you? Summary: A JAG party. The game ‘Darling If You Love Me.’ Need I say more? Author’s notes: This story came as an idea from a conversation with a friend about what it would take to make AJ smile. It evolved from there. “He never smiles!” “He smirked, once.” “That’s different. I’m talking a real, all out grin.” “Does he even know how?” “He’s a SEAL. Remember? I think they wipe your brain of the knowledge of how to smile.” The three women giggled. The blonde suddenly got an idea. “Mac, Carolyn, I’ve just attained the rank of brilliant.” Mac raised an eyebrow and Harriet grinned and shrugged. “You know the game ‘Darling if You Love Me’?” A slow smile worked its way across Carolyn’s face. Mac just stared blankly and Harriet filled her in. “Let me get this straight, Lieutenant. You want to organize group games that everyone as to participate in?” Harriet shifted nervously on her feet. “Yes, Sir. We thought that–” “We?” Harriet blushed. “Yes, Sir. Colonel MacKenzie, Commander Imes and myself. We thought that it would… inspire… teamwork! Sir.” Harriet saw a hint of a smile on the Admiral’s face and let the moment burn into her memory. Moments like these were so rare. “And just why are you in here and not the Colonel or the Commander?” “Well, Sir, it was essentially my idea. I’m the junior officer.” Harriet sighed. “And I was out voted.” “Out voted?” “Yes, Sir. I didn’t really want to be the one to come in here, Sir. But the Colonel and the Commander insisted.” “Why didn’t you want to come, Lieutenant?” “Well, because, Sir, if you were angry about the idea, you would chew me out.” “Am I really so old that everyone thinks that I would chew them out for wanting to have fun?” “Well, Sir—” “Don’t answer that!” AJ exclaimed sharply. “Yes, Sir.” AJ sighed. “All right. You can organize groups games that everyone is required to participate in.” Harriet grinned. “Thank you, Sir!” A week later… “Harriet, get on to the next game!” Harm exclaimed good-naturedly. Harriet grinned, and, if anyone had been looking, they would have seen the mischievous sparkle in Mac and Carolyn’s eyes. “Well, we need all the chairs in a circle.” This was quickly done. “The game is called ‘Darling if You Love Me.’ There is one person in the middle, me, and that person has to go to a person of the opposite sex, sit on their lap, and say, ‘Darling, if you love me, won’t you please, please smile?’ The person they are sitting on has to answer, ‘Darling, you know I love you, but I just can’t smile.’ Without smiling, of course. The person in the middle can do anything to the person they are sitting on, within reason, of course, to get them to smile. However, if the person did smile, they can’t automatically go back to the last person. For example, if I got Bud to smile, he would have to go to Loren, Carolyn or Mac. Not me. Everyone understand?” Harriet watched to see that everyone nodded and took a seat, before immediately zeroing in on her husband. Harriet gracefully sat on Bud’s lap and put her arms around his neck, running her fingernails along the back of it. “Darling,” she started in a breathy voice, much to the surprise of everyone there, “if you love me… won’t you please, please smile?” Bud gulped, flushing red as he recognized the voice Harriet used while trying to seduce him. “Darling,” he croaked, “you know I love you. But I just…” Bud’s lips started to twitch. “can’t…” But now Bud was half grinning. “smile?” Harriet looked around the circle, her eyes asking for their input. “Nope, sorry, Bud, you were smiling!” echoed around the room. Harriet stood up, let Bud up, then sat back in the chair. She giggled as she saw the mournful look her husband cast at her. Bud took a deep breath and looked around the circle. ‘Singer? I don’t think so. Mac? Uh-uh. No way. Carolyn. Well, it could be worse.’ Bud walked over to Carolyn and sat on her lap stiffly. “Darling-if-you-love-me-won’t-you-please-please-smile.” He mumbled quickly. Carolyn couldn’t help it. She burst out laughing. Carolyn sat on Harm’s lap and traced her finger along his jaw for a moment before beginning. “Darling? If you love me? Won’t you please… please?… smile?” Harm kept a straight face. “Darling, you know I love you…” Harm paused and Carolyn looked at him hopefully. “But I just can’t smile.” Carolyn pouted and slid off Harm’s lap. Carolyn slid onto Gunny’s lap. She lightly traced his features with the pad of one finger. “Darling, if you love me… won’t you please smile?” Gunny sat straighter, almost at attention. “Darling, you know I love you, but I just can’t smile.” He said, almost as if he was answering a question from a superior officer. Carolyn sighed. “Darling.” Carolyn whispered as she traced Jason Tiner’s lower lip. “If you love me, you won’t please smile?” Jason turned beet red, but couldn’t help the smile that spread to his lips. “Darling, if you love me, won’t you please, please smile?” Loren rolled her eyes and recited in a monotone. “Darling, you know I love you, but I just can’t smile.” “Darling,” Jason squeaked before clearing his throat and continuing, “if you love me, won’t you please, please smile?” Mac tried desperately to keep the smile off her lips, but failed before even opening her mouth to reply. Mac sat lightly on Harm’s lap, taking a moment to wiggle around to get comfortable. She raise her hand to Harm’s hair and started to tangle her fingers in it. Raising her other hand, Mac drew abstract patterns on Harm’s throat with her fingernail. “Darling,” Mac said huskily, her eyes meeting Harm’s, “if you love me… won’t you please smile?” The intensity in Harm’s eyes as he said the next words almost made Mac back off right there. “Darling, you know I love you.” Harm lowered his voice. “And so I have to smile” with that, Harm gave one of his flyboy grins. “Harm…” Mac whispered. Harm placed his finger over Mac’s lips. “We’ll talk later.” Mac nodded and got up so that Harm could take his turn in the middle. Half an hour later… “Sir, you’ve got to smile some time!” Harriet exclaimed. “What does it take?!” AJ smirked, but didn’t smile as the young lieutenant got up off his lap. Another half hour later… Mac looked around the circle, meeting eyes with Harriet and Carolyn. The two other women got up and the three of them zeroed in on AJ. AJ’s eyes widened, but he didn’t say anything as Mac and Harriet sat each on a leg and Carolyn draped herself over his shoulder. He heard the protests of the other men, but the three women were determined and didn’t stop. Harriet leaned into AJ’s chest, her arm around him so that her right breast pressed into the ribbons on his uniform. Carolyn’s fingers ran over AJ’s neck and shoulders, creating a pleasant tingle within. And Mac… Mac was also leaning into AJ, her right hand on his chest, discretely massaging, her left hand behind his neck, urging his head closer to her. “Darling,” Mac whispered in a sexy voice. A “bedroom” voice. “if you love me…” Mac moaned softly for AJ’s benefit. “would you smile?” ‘Oh, good god.’ AJ thought. AJ stood in the middle of the circle, glaring at the three women who tricked him. “I’m gonna remember this when handing out cases.” Harriet grinned, Carolyn smiled and Mac flashed a mischievous smirk and a wink. The End. To Be Continued if I get lots of good feedback.