TITLE:   "We Should Do This More Often"
   AUTHORS:  Anne R. and Pat Steiner 
   SUMMARY:  Missing Moments #11-this one from the
episode "Embassy".  
The 
eleventh in a summer long series of 'in lieu of a new
JAG' stories 
wherein 
older episodes will be revisited and we'll explore
what happened that 
we did 
not get to see, or in some cases what should or could
have happened.
   DISCLAIMER:  JAG of course belongs to Paramount and
DB productions 
et al.  
No copyright infringement is intended.
   FEEDBACK:  If you would like, but never expected or
demanded.  
Feedback 
addy is ssbpmn@aol.com
   
                      *******************
"We Should Do This More Often"  Part 1---
   
 "Hey are you OK?"  Harm anxiously grabbed Mac before
her stumble could 
send 
her tumbling down the long staircase.
 
 "Yeah.  I had a good time tonight."
 
 "I did too.  We should do this more often."
 
 They both laughed and he renewed his hold of her,
leading her out a 
side 
door away from the still raging pandemonium out front.
 
 "I'm going to take you home and make sure you're OK,"
he announced 
when they 
reached the parking area.
 
 "Oh Harm that's not necessary," she protested. 
"You're tired too.  
Just 
drop me off.  I'll be fine."
 
 "I know you will be, but I'll feel better if I don't
just dump you.  
I'm 
much too wired to just go back to the place and go to
bed anyway.  
Surely you 
can spare a cup of coffee."
 
 "Commander would you like to take me home and come up
for coffee?" she 
laughed.
 
 "Yes I would thank you," he laughed as well, guiding
her to the car 
and 
aiding her inside.
 
 He circled the block and paused for a moment to
survey the scene, the 
red 
and blue lights still flashing eerily.  "This could
have been a whole 
lot 
worse," he said quietly.  "I lived and died a thousand
deaths when I 
heard 
that bastard hit you.  Scared me to death."
 
 "And I was scared not knowing where you were," she
admitted, her hand 
absently rubbing her shoulder, an action immediately
picked up on by 
him.
 
 "That needs to be checked."
 
 "No it's just a bruise, but it could use some ice,"
she said quietly.  
"It 
was a lucky shot.  I should have decked him."
 
 "I should have killed him," he said through gritted
teeth.
 
 "Hey relax.  I'm fine and it's over.  Right now some
ice, some 
Tylenol, some 
quiet, and the company of my favorite partner will go
a long way to 
making me 
feel better."
 
 "Your favorite partner?  Anyone I know?"
 
 "You wouldn't like him," she giggled.  "Arrogant
bastard--thinks he's 
God's 
gift to JAG and to an F14 as well."
 
 "Oh yeah I know the type," he grinned.  "No I
wouldn't like him."  He 
gave 
her a sidelong glance and returned his attention to
the traffic before 
continuing.  "But what's important is how you feel
about him--since 
he's your 
partner and you have to work with him."
 
 "I bless the day I was assigned here," she said
quietly, likewise 
keeping 
her eyes straight ahead.
 
 He took a long breath.  "I do too," he whispered.
 ==============
 MAC's APARTMENT
 
 "Sit tight I'm coming for you," he ordered when they
parked.
 
 "Harm I'm OK."
 
 "I know you are, but I'd rather help you out than
scrape you up off 
the 
pavement."
 
 "I'm fine," she repeated and to prove it opened her
door and stepped 
out, 
only to have her leg belie her words as it crumpled
beneath her.
 
 "God save me from stubborn jarheads," he muttered as
his long arm 
managed to 
catch her.
 
   "Okay maybe I'm not fine" she sighed as she
gratefully leaned 
against him.
  
  "I should take your stubborn Marine six to the ER"
he fretted as he 
led her 
  to the door of the apartment building. "I know that
lousy bastard 
hurt you."
  
  "He didn't hurt me enough that I need the ER" she
countered. "Ice and 
  Tylenol is all I need remember."
  
  "Yeah but you're getting a certain sailor for the
night too. And I 
don't 
  want to hear any arguments."
  
  "Harm" she started.
  
  "What did I just say" he said as he gave her a long
look. "Would you 
let me 
  take care of you for a change?"
  
  "Harm you don't have to pay me back for Russia" she
said softly as 
she 
  stopped and looked at him closely. "You know that
don't you?"
  
  "I know that you were there for me when I needed
someone and now I'd 
like 
to 
  return the favor" he said quietly. "If you'll let me
do that."
  
  "You can do that" she sighed.
  
  "Good I get to see you in that nightgown again" he
teased.
  
  "You are so pathetic Commander" she laughed as they
reached her 
apartment.
  
  "Okay straight to the shower" he ordered.
  
  "Bath" she corrected. "So I can soak this aching
body."
  
  "Whichever" he said as he led her down the hallway
to the bathroom. 
"Do you 
  need any help?"
  
  "No. But you can make yourself useful and get the
ice pack ready and 
find 
  the Tylenol bottle for me."
  
  "Yes ma'am. I'll be in the living room if you need
anything." He 
turned and 
  started toward the living room.
  
  "Hey why don't you order us a pizza" she called.
  
  "You're hungry?" he asked as he turned back around
to look at her.
  
  "Of course" she smiled. "We never did get dinner
tonight."
  
  "Pizza it is then" he smiled as well.  "Go soak.
It'll be a while 
before it 
  gets here."
  
  She'd just emerged from the bathroom when the
doorbell rang and 
moments 
  later they sat in the kitchen enjoying the pizza.
  
  "Did the soak help?" he asked.
  
  "Everything except the shoulder" she admitted. "And
before you open 
your 
  mouth to say ER don't."
  
 "How about if I write it on a call back message form
while I'm 
carrying you 
out the door," he groused.
 
 "Or we could try a night's sleep," she smiled,
putting a gentle hand 
on his 
arm. "I do like it that you care though.  You know
what, when you told 
Moshak 
earlier he was a dead man for hurting me he sent me
this look like a 
lightbulb went off.  In other words he got the
impression that I meant 
something to you."
 
 "Well he would have been right."  His voice was
barely audible and he 
averted his eyes.
 
 "Commander a rare emotional utterance from you. 
What's the occasion?"
 
 "I was scared for you tonight," he admitted, allowing
her to turn his 
face 
back to hers.  "Like in Russia.  I get chills now when
I think back on 
how I 
was."
 
 "OK now you've lost me."
 
 "You were so right," he said in that same soft voice.
 "So very right 
about 
how I had no plan and that was going to get us both
killed.  I had no 
right 
to risk you like that, and to think that I might have
been the cause of 
you 
getting hurt--or worse--chills me to the quick.  We
were just real 
lucky."
 
 "You didn't feel that way though," she reminded him. 
"Your journey 
ended."
 
 "Yes it did, and twenty-eight years of wondering and
hoping and 
praying and 
believing all ended on that hill.  Thing is. . .thing
is my best friend 
was 
there with me and that made it bearable.  You risked
your life to stay 
with 
me, and then you stuck to the finish.  Like I told you
then, you'd come 
farther than anyone would have.  I've known hundreds
of guys since the 
Academy, and no one like you Mac."
 
 "And that's a good thing?" She blushed and giggled
slightly.
 
 "Oh yeah it's a very good thing."  He took up the
next slice of pizza 
and 
plucked off a mushroom slice.  "Here, something
healthy for you.  For 
me.  It 
will counteract that artery clogging meat stuff
whatever it is."
 
 "You don't know?  You ordered it?"
 
 "I just told them to throw some road kill on your
half," he teased.  
"Now 
open up."
 
 "Make me."
 
 "Now I heard that as a challenge," he retorted,
tickling her side only 
to 
have her gasp involuntarily.
 
 "God Mac I'm sorry," he whispered, horrified that he
had hurt her.
 
 "Easy Sailor, I'm OK," she smiled letting out the
breath she was 
holding and 
snapped the mushroom out of his fingers at the same
time.
 
 "Still I'm sorry.  I didn't think.  Boy you never
think my mom was 
always 
saying."  


  
  "It's okay. Honest. Chill sailor."
  
  "I'm still trying to chill from what happened
earlier" he sighed. "If 
we 
get 
  involved in any more of Webb's pea brained ideas
that go sour, I'm 
going to 
  wring his scrawny little neck myself."
  
  "Well it all worked out as usual so there's nothing
for you to fret 
about 
  now."
  
  "And because of that Webb will live another day"
Harm said with a 
small 
  smile. "Course it's my fault that you got hurt
anyway."
  
  "Excuse me? How do you figure that?"
  
  "Well first off I should never have allowed you to
come along with me 
on 
  Webb's crazy scheme. Second, I should have stayed
with you instead of 
  letting you go off alone and unarmed."
  
  "Harm it wasn't your fault. We both agreed to split
up."
  
  "Only because you didn't give me time to disagree"
he countered. "We 
should 
  have stuck together."
  
  "Will you listen to yourself" she smiled. "Harm we
were on a mission. 
We 
  both knew the risks going in. Well most of them
anyway. And we did 
the 
right 
  thing by splitting up. You found Professor Dubatu
and in the end it 
all 
  worked out."
  
  "Not before you got hurt," he said softly.
  
  "Yeah but you're taking care of me now aren't you?"
she whispered. 
"And I 
do 
  believe it was you that came after me and Moshak."
  
  "There was no way he was going to get out of the
Embassy with you. 
Not 
  without going through me first."
  
  "Careful Harm" she smiled softly. "You're getting
close to that 
feeling 
  thing again."
  
  "Okay you want the truth. I was scared to death he
was really going 
to hurt 
you. 
  We'd barely gotten out of Russia with our lives as
it was. And then 
suddenly 
  we're in the middle of this mess."
  
  "I wasn't worried."
  
  "Well then I guess you're braver than me" Harm
laughed.
  
  "No. I just have a lot of faith in my partner" she
said softly.
  
  "Said partner who nearly got you killed in Russia?"
he sighed.
  
  "I went along willingly. And as I remember it, you
didn't have much 
choice 
  in the matter."
  
  "No. You are the most stubborn jarhead I know."
  
  "I've learned that from a very stubborn squid that
I've been 
partnered with 
  the last few years" she teased before letting out a
long yawn.
  
  "Okay, enough talk. It's been a hell of an evening
and you need to 
rest."
  
  "You know you don't have to stay," she said as he
led her to the 
bedroom. 
  "I'm sure you'd sleep much better in your own bed
than on my sofa."
  
  "No I wouldn't because I'd be worrying about you" he
smiled as he 
helped 
her 
  into bed. "This way at least I can keep an eye on
you and if you're 
still 
  hurting in the morning haul your six to the ER."
  
  "Well you know I appreciate your concern but I'm
telling you it's 
just a 
bad bruise," she maintained, unable to take her eyes
from his hands as 
they 
guided her to lie down.  
 
 "Good night Mac," he said softly and turned to go,
only to have her 
catch 
his wrist.
 
 "Were you scared tonight?"
 
 There was none of his usual pilot bravado in his
simple answer.  "Yes.  
Very."
 
 "Me too.  The Marine was scared silly," she smiled
and yawned at the 
same 
time.  "And you should feel honored because I would
have denied that to 
anyone else."
 
 "I like that we can let our guard down with each
other.  But you're 
stalling.  Sleep.  I'm taking you out for breakfast in
the 
morning--assuming 
you're not in the ER--and I want you awake."
 
 "Whoa OK hey that sounded almost like asking me out."
 
 "If you can consider eggs and bacon at the diner
asking you out then 
so be 
it."  He finished laying the cover over her and rested
the back of his 
hand 
briefly against her cheek.  "Good night Sarah."
 
 He was nearly through the door when she called his
name.
 
 "Yeah?"
 
 "Thanks.  For everything."
 
 "And thank you," he grinned.  "Night again."
 =============
 315AM
 
 Enroute to Beloyka.  The water felt good.  Cold.  It
made her body 
tingle.  
Noise in the brush.  The soldiers.  The soldiers had
found her again.  
She 
wanted to fight, but she knew they would hurt her. 
Worse than what 
they were 
already planning.  
 
 No.  Please don't let him come.  Please no.  Don't
make me watch him 
die.  
NO.  "NOooooo"  The scream echoed through the small
apartment, wakening 
Harm 
at once and sending him sprinting to her bedside.

Part 2 follows 

Part 2----

 She was sitting up, dripping wet and shivering.  Her
eyes open but not 
seeing, and her hand to her mouth in abject horror.
   
  "Mac it's okay" he said quickly as he gathered her
into his arms. 
"It's 
just 
  a nightmare."
  
  His voice finally broke through her nightmare and
with a loud sob she 
buried 
  her head against him.
  
  "Easy" he soothed. "What ever it is its over now.
You're okay. No 
one's 
  going to hurt you."
  
  It was several minutes before her crying finally
ceased and she 
looked up 
at 
  him.
  
  "I'm sorry" she whispered. "I can't believe I'm
carrying on like this 
  again."
  
  "Again?" he frowned. "This wasn't a nightmare about
Moshak and 
tonight?"
  
  She looked down away and at once he gently lifted
her chin to look 
back up 
  at him. "Something you want to tell me about
Marine."
  
  "Not really" she shrugged. "It's nothing. Just a
nightmare I keep 
having."
  
  "What's the nightmare?" Harm asked. "Come on Mac.
Obviously whatever 
it is 
  upsets you a lot. Talk to me."
  
  "It's the dream Rusza had when we were in Russia"
Mac said softly. 
"Only 
  it's me that's bathing in the stream. And then the
soldiers come. And 
then 
I 
  see you coming. And I yell to stop you but its too
late." Her voice 
broke 
  and the tear slid down her face. "And I see you die.
It's horrible." 
She 
  choked back a sob and he gently pulled her against
him.
  
  "Shh it's okay" he said gently. "I'm right here with
you. No one is 
going 
to 
  hurt either of us."
  
  "I know" she sniffled. "It's just so real that when
I first wake up 
I'm not 
  sure where I am."
  
  "Why didn't you tell me you were having nightmares
about that?"
  
  "I didn't want to bother you with this. You've had
enough on your 
mind as 
it 
  is."
  
  "Well you wouldn't be having these nightmares if it
wasn't for me" he 
  sighed. "You should have told me."
  
  "You know now" she sniffled again. "And I'm sorry
for waking you up. 
See 
you 
  would have been better going home. At least you
would have gotten 
some 
  sleep."
  
  "I'm not worried about getting sleep. I'm worried
about you. You okay 
now?"
  
  "Yeah I'm okay. Thanks for being here. Normally it
takes a while 
before I 
  calm down again."
  
  "I can stay here if you'd like" he smiled.
  
  "I'm sure you would" she smiled as well. "Honest I'm
fine now. Go on 
and 
try 
  and get some more sleep."
  
  "All right. But if you need me, you know where to
find me" he said as 
he 
  stood up.
  
  "You're just ten feet away out there," she said
softly, giving his 
hand a 
quick squeeze.  "I'm fine.  And it never happens twice
in one night 
anyway."
 
 "Does it ever not happen?" he asked gently.
 
 "As a matter of fact, lately I've gone as much as
three nights 
without," she 
informed him.  "Now go.  Remember you're buying me
breakfast."
 
 "Yes I am," he nodded, lifting the cover over her
once more.  She 
turned on 
her side away from him and he briefly squiggled his
fingers through her 
hair 
before he left her.
 
 He fell asleep almost at once, but not before sending
a prayer 
skyward, a 
prayer of thankfulness that she had not been hurt this
night, with a 
short 
addendum.  "Thank you God for placing her in my life."
 ===============
 530AM
 
 "I'm afraid they don't make Marines like they used
to."
 
 "You're a dead man Moshak."
 
 The sounds of struggling and of someone in pain.  A
woman in pain.  
Not just 
any woman.  His partner.  His friend. His Marine.
"Mac.  Maaa-aaac."
 
 This time it was his scream that reverberated from
the walls and she 
that 
was woken from a sound sleep.  The cry came again and
through the fog 
of deep 
sleep she pushed her way from the tangle of bedcovers
to get to him, 
half 
stumbling, half tripping.
 
 Similar to her nightmare, he was sitting up, staring
unseeingly, his 
chest 
soaked with sweat.  Except that it was as if he was
gasping for air and 
not 
getting enough, his breathing efforts making a hoarse
rattle in his 
chest and 
throat.
 
 He opened his mouth to call for her and she swiftly
wrapped her arms 
around 
him, pulling his head down to her shoulder.
 
 "OK Sailor, relax now.  I'm right here," she
whispered, her mouth to 
his 
ear.  
 
 "He was hurting you.  He was hurting you and I
couldn't get to you and 
I 
hated that.  I couldn't help you.  I heard him hurting
you and I 
couldn't get 
to you.  And it was my fault.  I should never have
left you."  His 
words 
tumbled from his mouth and he clung tightly to her,
his fingertips 
digging 
into her back.
 
  Several minutes passed before his breathing finally
eased and she 
continued 
  to gently rub his back even after he'd calmed.
  
  "You okay now?" she asked finally.
  
  "I think so" he nodded as he looked up at her. "I'm
sorry."
  
  "Hey don't be sorry. I woke you with my nightmare
earlier. I'm 
guessing 
this 
  was about last night."
  
  "Yeah" he said quietly. "I swear Mac when I heard
him hurt you I 
thought I 
  was going to lose it. You were up there with him and
there wasn't 
anything 
I 
  could do to stop him."
  
  "You did stop him" she reminded him softly. "So stop
berating 
yourself 
about 
  what happened."
  
  "Next time I'll take better care of my partner" he
whispered. "I 
promise."
  
  "Harm you have taken good care of me. It wasn't your
fault. You have 
to let 
  it go."
  
  "I won't for a long time. I can assure you that."
  
  "Well your trusty partner is still in one piece with
you so there's 
nothing 
  for you to fret about anymore" she said firmly.
  
  "Thank god for that" he murmured. "God only knows
what I'd do without 
you."
  
  "Don't worry you won't have to find out."
  
  "Is that a promise?" Harm asked.
  
  "Promise" she smiled as she leaned forward and
gently kissed his 
lips. To 
  her surprise he suddenly reached around and pulled
her closer, their 
lips 
  meeting again in a long kiss.
  
  "Sorry" he whispered when they parted. "I've been
wanting to do that 
for a 
  while now."
  
  "Since when?"
  
  "Since Russia. Since yesterday when you walked into
the Admiral's 
office in 
  that dress. Since the moment I laid eyes on you in
the Rose Garden."
  
  "And here I thought Webb was the only one who liked
my dress 
yesterday" she 
  teased.
  
  "Good God no" he gasped. "I didn't tell you how
incredible you 
looked? I 
  must say for all his faults, Webb sure knows how to
dress a lady."
  
  "Yes he does. So you've wanted to kiss me for a
while?"
  
  "I hope that's okay" he said with a small smile.
"You have permission 
to 
  deck me if that was out of line."
  
  "Never sailor" she assured him as she leaned forward
and pressed her 
lips 
to 
  his again. "I like that too much. Now what do you
say since neither 
of us 
  can sleep we go get that breakfast you promised?"
  
  "Only after you tell me how the shoulder is."
  
  "A little sore and bruised but with a little TLC
from a certain 
person I'll 
  be fine" she smiled.
 
 "Let me look," he said and without thinking further
or waiting for her 
permission tugged the tee shirt away from her shoulder
at the neckline.
 
 "Uh I'm not sure a couple kisses entitles you to
inspection 
privileges," she 
laughed after she got over her initial shock.
 
 "You're right," he gasped, his fingers freezing in
place.  "I'm so. . 
.my 
God Mac this looks awful." 
 
 "Let me see that," she muttered, pushing his hands
away and straining 
to see 
what he had spotted.  "It's a bruise.  I'm a Marine. 
I've had dozens 
of them 
from the Confidence Course alone."
 
 "Mac this is black and purple and blue and . . ."
 
 "And it's fine," she told him.  "You're got trying to
weasel out of 
breakfast are you?"
 
 "No ma'am," he sighed, shuddering slightly.
 
 "Harm?"
 
 "I'm just not liking seeing evidence of how hurt you
were," he 
admitted.  
"OK if you're OK then I am too.  And it's a beautiful
day.  You ever 
done the 
paddle boats at the Tidal Basin?"
 
 "No of course I haven't," she replied, slightly in
awe of this new 
side of 
her partner she was seeing.  "You want to do something
even after 
breakfast?"
 
 "Unless you've got other plans.  Some handsome Air
Force guy maybe?"
 
 "No he's out of town this weekend so I'm free," she
responded and with 
such 
seriousness that he did a double-take before he
realized she was 
teasing.
 
 "OK.  Then consider this a formal invitation for you
to spend the day 
with 
me Major."
 =================
 PADDLE BOAT DOCK
 TIDAL BASIN, JEFFERSON MEMORIAL
 
 "You have got to be kidding," Mac gasped, looking
down into the small 
boat.  
"OK Sailor, promise me this isn't going to turn out
like the time you 
took me 
flying."
 
 He laughed and stepped into the boat, holding his
hands out for hers.  
"No I 
don't think we'll meet anyone who could be remotely
threatening.  You 
need a 
life jacket?"
 
 "I do swim thank you," she retorted.
 
 Thirty minutes of hard work later they had maneuvered
themselves into 
one of 
the alcoves under the bridge and he took his feet off
the paddles.  
"Take ten 
Marine."
 
 They welcomed the shade and for a few moments there
was silence save 
the 
lapping of the water and the rush of cars passing over
head.
 
 "Embassies and rebels and men with guns seem a long
way away," he said 
finally, "even though it was actually just a few miles
from here."  He 
took a 
deep breath and lifted his arm over her shoulders
tentatively at first, 
awaiting her reaction.  It was not long in coming for
she simply slid a 
bit 
closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder.
 
 "Sarah," he whispered and tilted her face up to meet
his kiss.
 
 In the weeks to come there would be a man from the
past return to 
haunt her, 
followed by a danger filled trip to the Iranian
desert.  A new man 
would come 
into her life, a cocky Australian who would try to
make her his own.  
But for 
now, for this day, there was only the two of them in a
small boat, 
making a 
seagull screech as they interrupted his quest for a
meal of dead fish.
 
 THE END