Author: manette
Subject: It's all in the Game(June HBX challenge)

Title: It's all in the Game
June HBX challenge
Author: manette
Rating:PG-13
Disclaimer: JAG and Harm and Mac belong to DPB and Paramount, not me.

AN:This is a really short, really silly scene that came to me from the challenge lines. It takes place in season 7 during Exculpatory Evidence. Thanks for doing these, Cece!

It’s all in the Game

She’d had better nights. Sitting at the bar, nursing a soda water with a twist of lime, Mac tried to forget the entire disastrous evening. Sturgis and Bobbie’s attempt to set up the admiral on a blind date had blown up in their faces when the lady architect meant for the admiral honed in on Harm instead. AJ hadn’t bothered to hide his annoyance at their efforts and left in short order. After that the party seemed to fall apart. Sturgis took Bobbie home and Harm seemed to disappear about the same time. Watching that woman fawn all over Harm hadn’t done her mood a bit of good, but she didn’t feel like going home to her empty apartment, either. She'd thought that things with Harm were moving in the right direction again. Slow, but sure--but now, after tonight, she wasn't so sure after all.

“Hey.” Harm appeared from nowhere and sat down beside her.

“I thought you’d gone home,” she said.

“Nah, I need to unwind a bit first.”

She hadn’t meant to ask, but the words just fell out of her mouth. “So, are you going to call her?”

“Who?” He got the bartender’s attention and ordered a fresh beer.

Mac swiveled around to look at him. “Wow, it hasn’t been ten minutes since you stuck her card in your pocket, and you’ve already forgotten all about her.”

“You mean Caroline? I just took her card to be polite.” He took it out of his pocket and laid it on the bar.

“An officer and a gentleman.”

“Mac, Sturgis gets all the blame for this fiasco. I had nothing to do with it. I just showed up to have a few drinks and relax with my friends after a long day.”

She picked up the card and examined it. “Well, drink up, friend. It looks like it’s just you and me for tonight.”

“I can think of worse ways to spend an evening.” He nodded toward the business card in her hand. “I’m afraid I’m a little rusty at romancing women anyway.”

“You looked like you were holding your own. And it’s like playing baseball, isn’t it? Once you start swinging a bat it all comes back to you.”

“I think that’s riding a bicycle, and love isn’t baseball, Mac.”

“How would you know?”

“Hey, I’ve been in love.”

“Being in love with an airplane doesn’t count.”

“Sure it does, but I’m talking about Gina Lee Baker.”

“Gina Lee Baker?”

“Second grade. She beat me up everyday after school.”

“You got beat up by a girl?”

“I couldn’t hit her back. In those days you couldn’t hit a girl, but boy, she was something.”

“So, you think love is like boxing?”

“Or wrestling. Something with a little more one-on-one contact.” He reached over and ran his fingers across the back of her hand.

“Maybe baseball wasn’t the best choice,” she conceded while trying not to react to his touch. “After all when two people fall in love they should be on the same team.”

“Don’t go getting all mushy on me.”

“I’m not getting mushy, but love isn’t about winning or losing.”

He looked at her like she was deluded. “Everything’s about winning or losing.”

“I can’t wait to hear this.”

“It’s simple, Mac. It’s about picking a winner.”

“So when you ask someone out it’s like betting on a horse?”

“Well, sure. I mean, every date can’t be the Kentucky Derby. Sometimes you settle for placing a bet on a nice little filly at the local track.”

“A nice little filly?”

“You know what I mean.”

“I’m afraid I do.”

“And if you’re lucky you find a horse that can go the distance.”

“How romantic, and how did we get back to sports?”

“You started it.”

“I was just pointing out, that rusty or not, within five seconds you had Caroline offering to fix your pipes.”

He seemed embarrassed. “That’s because she could tell I wasn’t available, and women like her enjoy a challenge. They want what they can’t have.”

“And why can’t she have you? She seemed just your type.”

“What’s my type?”

“Female, pretty, blonde, female, smart, sexy, female.” Mac let the list hang in the air.

“You sound like her pimp.”

“Well, you have to admit she fits the profile of most of the women you’ve dated.”

“Yeah, but none of them went the distance, did they? Maybe I’m ready for a change of pace.”

“So, you’re trying redheads next?”

“I was thinking brunettes.” He gave her a subtle once over.

“Brunettes, huh? That’s a whole new ballgame.”

“Way out of my league, but maybe I could do a little practicing on you. What do you say?”

“Hmm. This practicing—does it include dinner?”

“Now you’re playing hard ball.”

“And do we have to keep talking in baseball clichés all night?”

“No, but I can’t promise I won’t try to get to first base.”

“Do these lines really work on the blondes?”

“Like a charm. Why don’t we get out of here?” He stood up, towering over her, tall and male and smiling that smile that always made her want to rip off all his clothes.

She grabbed her purse and stood up to find him standing much too close. She held her ground and let her breasts brush against his arm. “Well, I should warn you, I’m made of sterner stuff.”

With his mouth close to her ear, he whispered, “You wanna bet?”

She turned her head so that her lips barely brushed his neck. “I can go the distance if you can, Slugger.” Then she winked and pulled him out the door.

Ladies and gentlemen, let the games begin...