Reunion

Chapter 1/1

Disclaimers: I don’t own any of the JAG characters; I don’t own any product or label mentioned for the purposes of telling this story. Any similarities to situations or persons living or dead are purely coincidental.

Spoilers: This takes place in season 10 before ‘The Sixth Juror’ and after ‘Automatic for The People’

A/N: This story is in answer to Cece’ HBX challenge. The dialogue is from the episode: ‘The Mission’ it is written in bold italics.


1910

Jan 8, 2005

Yuma High School Memorial Gym

Yuma Arizona


Harm stood leaning against a bricked wall, listening to the sound of Sting’s ‘Fortress Around Your Heart’ being played on the sound system, not quite made for a building this size. He was wearing his best suit and tie, nervous as a school boy, waiting for Mac to appear through the main doors of the old and cavernous gym. The building seemed to be in good shape, and inside, its maple floors were gleaming from years of special care. It would have been a great place to watch a basketball game, 50 years ago.

As Harm waited, his mind returned to the conversation he’d had with Mac, just the evening before.

Mac had called him just as he was leaving Megan Ransford’s home, near China Lake, in California. He was still a bit off balance from the thank you kiss he’s just received; when he’d told her about the settlement she’d been awarded. He had answered his cell phone and though he had been totally surprised to hear from Mac, it was her request that had him momentarily dumbfounded. She asked him to meet her this weekend in Yuma…. for her 20th high school reunion.

Harm hadn’t answered her at first, still trying to process her question. At the sound of dejection in her voice, Harm came to himself, she‘d said if he had other plans, not to worry about it. She’d apologized about the short notice and told him she’d just decided to go at the last minute. He quickly told her he’d be happy to and that he’d see her in Yuma. He was a bit uncomfortable under the scrutinizing gaze of Lieutenant Graves. She’d heard the sound of the feminine voice in the quiet vehicle. Harm was sure the Lieutenant must think he was some kind of operator. He smirked thinking, ‘not lately.’

He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of a conversation between two men who weren’t aware of his presence. They had his complete attention when they mentioned a name that was very familiar to him. They stood just 10 feet away, and he could hear everything they said, plainly.

Rick Mason and Tommy Carter stood near the back of the gym; Tommy was thinking that this would be the best vantage point to get a view of the ‘what ever happened to’ people.

“Hey… did you hear? Sarah Mackenzie’s coming this year.” Tommy gave Rick a sidelong glance.

“Where did you hear that?” Rick had hoped she might show up this time. She’d never attended any of the other reunions, so far.

“Eddie’s sister. She told my wife, they go to the same beauty shop.” Tommy spoke in his ‘I know everything’ tone which didn’t impress Rick at all.

“You up on all the gossip…are you?”

“No, I just…”

Rick began to laugh at him.

“I was just telling you how I knew.” Tommy self consciously dug his hands into his pockets.

“I wonder how things turned out for her. I always felt kind of felt sorry for her.” Rick spoke as much to himself, as to his not so close acquaintance, Tommy.

“She’s a Marine; at least that’s what I heard.”

“No kidding. That’s great; she didn’t have a hell of a lot to keep her here.”

Rick remembered the talk around school, after her mother had left the family. He also remembered that her father had shown up, drunk, at her graduation. He would never forget the look on her face that day, she wouldn’t look at directly at anyone after; she hadn’t even attended the post graduation fling that was sponsored by the school, she and Eddie just disappeared somewhere.

“She was nothing but a drunk is what I remember….and I heard….she got around.”

“You’re full of shit Tommy, I never heard that, ever, and I’d know.”
Rick remembered now why he’d never liked Tommy Carter, he was always trying to be the big man on campus. The only reason he knew anything was because he’d dated and then married the biggest gossip in school.

“How would you know?” Tommy’s eyes were gleaming with curiosity.

“I just would, so what… she drank… alot…but I know no one got near her, Eddie would have killed them.”

Rick Mason couldn’t say he was close to Eddie Saunders, Sarah Mackenzie’s closest and really, only friend, but they’d grown up in the same neighborhood. He was a tough kid and he drank too much, but a lot of kids did, back then. He was just one of those kids that never fit in, at least not until he met Sarah Mackenzie.

“Well I wouldn’t say that… Eddie never bothered me.” He grinned evilly.

With that comment, Rick looked quickly around at Tommy.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“It was a long time ago….what is that old saying? I don’t kiss and tell.”

“You’re damn right you don’t, because you never got anywhere near her.” Rick wanted to wipe that smarmy smile off of Tommy’s face.

“What are you so pissed off about? You act like you were in love with her.” He didn’t think Rick Mason even knew Sarah Mackenzie.

“You know Tommy, you were an asshole in high school and you’re still an asshole.”

Rick was cursing himself for giving this little twit the time of day. What the hell had he been thinking, coming up here and wasting his time? He was going to find his wife and get out of there. He strode away from him and as he did he ran into Harm. It seemed that they’d both heard enough, at the same time.

“Hey, I’m sorry.” Harm said quickly, straightening he jacket.

The guy had nearly knocked the wind out of him. “I’m fine.”

Rick gave the man in front of him scrutinizing look. “Were you in our class?”

“No, I’m waiting for someone.”

“Who are you looking for? Maybe I can help you find her.”

“She hasn’t arrived yet, I’m supposed to meet her here…Sarah Mackenzie.”

Rick blanched, wondering if the man in front of him had overheard his conversation. He offered his hand, “Rick Mason, Sarah and I were in the same home room for four years.”


“Harmon Rabb, I work with Mac…Sarah. She’s a Marine, in the JAG corps.”

“I heard, I’m glad to hear it.”

“Tommy?’ Harm asked, smirking a bit as he and Rick both looked in the direction where Tommy Carter stood, nervously shifting from one foot to the other.

“Yeah…you overheard?”

Harm nodded.

“I didn’t go out with Sarah or anything, I just knew her….you know?”

“She should be here anytime.” Harm kept looking at the main entrance and just as he said the words, Mac appeared in the double doors of the gymnasium.

Rick recognized her right away, under his breath he said, “Oh God….there she is.”

Harm glanced at his new acquaintance, wondering for a moment if Mac might have had a secret admirer and not have known it. Mac had never really realized just how beautiful she was and tonight, it was especially true.

She looked long and lithe, in a little black dress. It was a halter dress, fitted just right around the bodice, a wrap around her shoulders topping it all off. She was breathtaking.

Harm cleared his throat. “Yeah, that’s her.”

Mac saw Harm right away. She smiled at him warmly and walked toward him. Harm returned her smile and felt his heart beat accelerate. He had momentarily forgotten about Rick as he stood, nearly gaping at her. When she approached them, Mac hadn’t even noticed her old classmate; Harm stepped up to her and kissed her cheek, as though he’d been doing it every day of his life. “You look great.” He placed his arm possessively around her shoulder and caressing her bare arm, turned to Rick. Harm was making it clear, in a subtle and unspoken way that she was with him tonight.

Mac was still trying to figure out what was happening when Rick spoke to her. “You don’t even remember me, do you Sarah?”

“I’m sorry...” then as she looked at the man, she noticed then that he was tall, but not quite as tall as Harm, he was handsome and powerfully built. There was something familiar about him, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

“Rick Mason…from Eddie’s old neighborhood.”

“Oh Rick, I do remember.” She reached out and he took her hand. “Home room, right?”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

Mac’s expression became solemn, as memories of Eddie and the accident that took him away, passed through her mind. Rick seemed to know what she was thinking about. “I’m sorry about Eddie, Sarah, we all were.”

Mac nodded and said quietly, “He was a good friend.”

Rick changed the subject, “Hey, I heard you were in the Marines.”

“Yes, I am.” Mac’s expression immediately brightened and then remembered Harm, who was standing behind them. “Oh, this is Harmon Rabb; we work together at JAG, the Judge Advocate Generals Corps. We’re attorneys.”

“We just met and hey, a Marine and an officer, good for you Sarah.”

“Thanks” Mac was unable to keep from blushing.

Harm stepped closer to her and, once again, placed his hand on her shoulder. Mac looked up at him as if to ask.. “What are you up to?”

Harm gave her shoulder a squeeze and looked at her with a warm familiarity that she hadn’t seen in his eyes for a long time, “Ready to dance, hon?”

Mac was speechless for a second and then she said, “Uh, yeah...Yes, sure.”

She looked at Rick “It was great to see you again.”

“Good to see you…and you still owe me a dance, you know.”

As Harm turned her into his arms, he asked, “What was that about?”

“I’ll tell you, if you’ll tell me.” She arched a brow, knowing he knew exactly what she was talking about.

Harm looked down in feigned innocence. “What?”

“Hon?” Mac couldn’t keep the laughter from bubbling up inside her. “Am I your honey, Harm?” She waggled her eyebrows. “Am I your honey bucket of love?”

Harm laughed, in spite of himself. “Okay…you got me on that one…Just stop.” Laughing gave him an opportunity to pull her closer and it put them both even more at ease with each other. When he finally composed himself, he answered her. “I just didn’t want to fly all the way to Yuma to watch you dance with someone else all night.” Even though he was still laughing as he said it, he meant it.

Mac looked at him, “So you were staking your claim early.”

“Yeah…kind of….stating my intentions.”

She studied him as they danced for a moment, “You know I’m really surprised you agreed to come. There was a time when you would have hated it here.”

Harm looked down at her, his expression softened but it was still so full of mystery. “Nothing stays the same.”

She looked over Harm’s shoulder at Rick again “Tell me about it.” Rick had been this thin reedy guy in high school, and though he didn’t hold a candle to Harm, he’d become quite handsome. She returned her attention to Harm. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“I am too, but tell me, what’s with the dance you owe that guy?”

“Oh, we were kidding around once, he was teasing me about being skinny and I teased him about being short. He used to be short.” Mac smiled at him over Harm’s shoulder, as she watched a very attractive woman walk up beside Rick and kiss his cheek. The diamond on her left hand visible from across the room.

Harm followed her gaze, “And?”

“And I promised him I’d go to the senior prom with him if he got taller than me.”

“You forgot all about the promise, huh?’

“Yes, I’m ashamed to admit it, but I did. I barely knew what I was doing senior year. It was a miracle that I graduated.” Mac’s face burned with shame when she thought of her senior year. She spent most of it drunk.

Harm looked down into her eyes, “but you did graduate Mac, and you’ve got nothing to be ashamed of. You’ve accomplished a lot; more than a lot of people would have, given the same set of circumstances.”

“Thank you Harm.” She rested her forehead on the side of his chin. It felt so good to be with him, to hear him speak his belief in her, it seemed as though it had been so long since they’d been this close.

“So….does that mean, I get all the dances tonight…but one?”

Mac smiled, “I think that can be arranged.”

Harm pulled back from her so that he could see her face. “No unrequited love with an old flame?”

“Do you mean Rick? No.” She directed his attention to where Rick was now standing with his wife.

“Besides, he’s married, very happily, I hear.”

“That’s good, did Eddie’s sister tell you?”

“How did you know that?” Mac looked up at him incredulously.

He pulled Mac more closely into his arms and looked at the opposite side of the gym and caught a very nervous Tommy Carter’s eye. He narrowed his eyes and said, “I have my sources.”

He would never tell her what he’d overheard earlier that evening. As he looked at Tommy, he decided he was going to be sure no one else heard anything like that either.

Tommy was so sure that Sarah Mackenzie’s date was going to do him bodily harm that he decided that he’d seen enough of this reunion. So he quietly and without fanfare slipped out of the side doors of the old gym.

Harm and Mac enjoyed the rest of Mac’s high school reunion that evening, even more than either of them thought they would, and spent the rest of the weekend experiencing another kind of reunion, entirely.

FIN

A/N: I based Mac’s 20th reunion on the JAG timeline that used to be on the rose garden site. He has her graduating in 1985. The rest, I just made up. (grin)

A/N: I’ve always wanted to write a story with the phrase ‘honey bucket of love’ in it because when I read it, in Valerie Jones, ‘Sail Away,’ I laughed out loud. No matter how many times I read it, I still do.