Author: Gibson
Subject: The Cup of a Carpenter (an HBX May Challenge)

A/N: Just another silly little ‘quick fix’ that wouldn’t leave me alone. Takes place a few weeks after the beach scene in H&FII. I originally wrote this story a year or so ago but it sat unfinished in the bowels of my laptop. I decided to finish it off b/c I thought I could work this months HBX challenge lines into it easily. Then I got a little carried away when Pixie’s latest ficathon was looking for TV lines, I thought of a good movie line that could go into this - I’m sure those who know me will know the line I’m referring to LOL. But to make matters worse, I finally had to top it all off with another movie reference which pertains to not only the title, but kinda the whole theme of the story - bonus points to anyone that figures that one out ;0)


The Cup of a Carpenter

JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

“Your client isn’t in a position to say no to this Harm, be reasonable for once.” Sturgis leaned against the filing cabinet in tired exasperation. It was one of those days where he felt he’d gotten out of bed on the wrong side, and thanks to the pompous Navy Commander sitting in front of him, it was getting more annoying by the minute.

Harm only raised his eyes briefly before turning them back to the file perched on his lap. “My reasoning lies with my client’s wishes Sturgis. What else do you want me to do?”

“Nothing, as usual” he muttered under his breath.

Harm sat up straight, his irritation suddenly dissolving into angry curiosity. “What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing!” Sturgis straightened defensively.

“You looked over at Mac’s office when you said that - what did you mean?”

Sturgis rolled his eyes in frustration “Oh for the love of all things sacred... not this again!”

“What?”

“This you and Mac thing! It’s never going to end is it?!”

Harm tossed the file onto his desk dejectedly “Sturgis, how many times do I have to tell you that there’s nothing going on with Mac and me?”

“Yeah, and why exactly is that? I mean it’s painfully obviously that you’re smitten with her - why the heck is there nothing going on? You guys are driving me crazy!”

Harm refused to make eye contact, or even bother denying the accusation. He was just so tired of this. Too tired to even try and play that game anymore. “You’ll have to ask Mac that question, I’ve never been able to figure it out.” He sighed and flipped a pencil across his desk. “Apparently, she’s just not interested.”

Sturgis snickered sarcastically “Yeah, right.”

“What?”

“Harm,” Sturgis warned, “give me a break. Is that really what you think?”

Harm stared at his old acquaintance - he wasn’t sure ‘friend’ was quite the term for him anymore. “Yes” he said bluntly.

Sturgis shook his head “Then you are a blind, self-absorbed, ego-maniac.”

“What the hell is it with all the name-calling from you these days Sturgis? It’s really getting on my nerves!”

“Well, you guys are insane!” Turner was close to the breaking point. Tensions had been running high between he and Rabb for a very long time and to be honest, he’d just about had enough of the man. “You’re crazy about each other and are too stupid to let the other one know!”

Harm was glad his office door was closed. He stood and slammed the file down on his desk “Don’t you dare presume to know anything about Mac and me!”

“Yeah, well I know a hell of a lot more than you think!” Somewhere in the back of Sturgis’s mind, he knew he was coming dangerously close to divulging Mac’s little secret but he couldn’t help thinking, although he’d promised to never tell Harm outright, perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to just hint at it. Anything that could possible nudge these two towards each other - he was so sick of seeing the both of them so inanely blind and stupid.

Harm’s eyes narrowed and he slowly edged around his desk. “What exactly do you know, Sturgis?”

“Well... uhhh...” Turner backtracked suddenly, “I’ve seen the way she’s looked at you over the years. It just... it certainly doesn’t look like someone who is disinterested.”

Harm turned away and sighed. He’d been hoping for some real insight for a moment there - not more vague conjecture. “Yeah, well I’ve thought I’ve seen a lot of things in Mac over the years that apparently were never there.”

“Harm...”

“Sturgis - unless she came up to you and outright told you she was in love with me, whatever it is you think you saw isn’t going to hold water.”

Sturgis bit his lip. He couldn’t have talked himself into a corner any better if he’d actually planned it. He knew if Harm called him out on this now he’d be sunk. He was a preacher’s son - there was no way he could outright lie.

It took a moment, but the sudden heavy silence finally hit Harm right between the eyes. He turned carefully, scrutinizing his colleague’s face. Turner said nothing - only quickly averted his gaze to the window. As Harm approached him in utter disbelief, he felt his heart rise into his throat. “She...? She told you...?”

Sturgis’s shoulders deflated. “Harm... are you really so surprised?”

‘Surprised?’ He didn’t believe he’d ever been so shocked in his entire life. “She told you? When? What did she say? Why didn’t you tell me before!”

“Harm - she made me promise not to tell ... it was a long time ago...”

“A long time ago! When?” he was adamant - there was no way Sturgis was leaving his office without spilling the whole thing.

“I don’t know... a couple of years ago - shortly after I got here.”

“What! And she just blurted it out? She hardly knew you then! I’d known her for 7 years and she couldn’t tell me but she just blurts it out to you?”

“Harm, keep your voice down - these walls aren’t exactly concrete.”

“What did she say - how did she phrase it?”

Sturgis was getting more uncomfortable by the minute. “I don’t know, she just said ‘I’m in love with him’”

Harm honestly didn’t know whether to cry or tear his hair out. “What? Why? What were you talking about for her to say that!”

“Well, everything was a little weird with you guys when I first got here. I was questioning her on it one time and she said you guys had never slept together, and I suggested that maybe you guys should and just get it over with so you could move on.”

Harm snickered “Yeah, like that would have worked.”

Sturgis smiled slightly. “That’s exactly what she said.”

Harm took a deep breath “What exactly did she say?”

“She said it would never work because she was in love with you.”

Harm could only just stare at him, his mouth stammering for a question he couldn’t quite form. Finally, he slammed the desk beside him “Dammit! Why wouldn’t she...? I was waiting... She was supposed to come to me when she was ready!” He covered his forehead with his hand and massaged at the dull ache that had formed there. “All these wasted... I don’t understand...”

Just when Sturgis was about to offer some arbitrary words of comfort, Harm spun on his heels and stormed out of the office. “Harm! Where are you going...?” He sank back against the filing cabinet when he confirmed that Harm was indeed making a beeline straight to Mac’s office. “Oh crap, I’m in so much trouble...”

MAC’S OFFICE
4.5 SECONDS LATER

Mac was in the middle of scribbling notes when Harm burst into her office without knocking.

“Harm? What the...?”

“Mac - we are...” he stopped short - floundering nervously for a conclusion to his sentence.

She waited until her curiosity got the better of her. “We are... what, Harm?”

He sucked up his resolve and pointed a long finger at her. “We are... going to the movies. Tonight. I’ll pick you up at 19:00...”

“But Harm...” Mac attempted to reply but was immediately cut off.

“... no excuses!” he shouted and stormed out.

Mac sat dumfounded behind her desk - pen still in hand and poised to write. “But it’s Monday” she said to absolutely no one. “Who goes to the movies on a Monday?”

GEORGETOWN MOVIE THEATER
1947 LOCAL

Harm had been quiet from the moment he’d picked Mac up at her apartment. She was beginning to think he was mad at her - he certainly seemed hostile. Her stomach churned - something was up with him. She nervously wracked her brain for something she could have possibly done to get him this mad. Or was there something he wanted to tell her - a deadly disease? - a new love? - a new billet? She forced the thoughts from her mind and tried to concentrate on the fact that at least they were out together for the moment. It felt nice - she couldn’t remember how long it had been since they’d gone to a movie together.

They entered the theater to find that there were only 4 other patrons in the entire place. Mac stopped short and looked around. “Wow - how will we find a seat?”

“Shut up and sit somewhere Mac.”

She glared at him - Harm wasn’t just mad tonight - he was downright disgruntled. “Oh, you are too kind, sir. Allowing a poor, humble girl to choose all on her own...”

“Mac!” Harm narrowed his eyes and turned towards her, “I swear to God...” He was having a hard enough time trying to figure out what the hell he was going to say to her tonight, he wished she would stop interrupting his thoughts with mindless dialogue.

She shook her head in irritated confusion and headed up the aisle “Fine, whatever.”

Harm’s grip on reality was starting to slip - he had spent all afternoon struggling with some way to approach Mac about what he’d learned today and he’d failed. Now the movie was going to start and he had no plan. He was terrified that another opportunity would again come and go without this whole issue being resolved.

They settled into their seats while the previews began. As Mac slipped her coat onto the seat back behind her, her knee accidentally brushed against his and that did it. Without warning, Harm was suddenly overcome to act. As she leaned back, he took his arm and placed it around her shoulders boldly - as if it belonged there - and pulled her snugly against him.

Mac tensed in his embrace but didn’t pull away. “Harm?” She asked hesitantly, “uh... what’s going on?”

“You’re mine now, Mac.” It was simple, direct, and all that he could possibly think of to say - in retrospect, it was probably all that needed to be said.

“What?” She was shocked and confused and seriously contemplating being offended as well.

Well, he’d certainly started it, now he had no choice but to finish. “I’m tired of waiting, Mac. I’m tired of standing by and watching you with other men, and trying to be happy for you - trying not to get involved because you should know what makes you happy. I’m sick of waiting for you to come to me and trying to be supportive when you choose someone else and then have to stand by and watch you fall to pieces each time they break your heart. And mostly, I’m sick of pretending I’m not completely torn up inside every time all of that happens, so I’ve come to the conclusion that you’re not capable of making the right decision about who can make you happy.” He fought valiantly against sucking in a gigantic breath after his long-winded speech.

Mac tried to pull away in order to look at him but Harm held his arm fast around her shoulders, all the while continuing to stare straight ahead - pretending to be involved in watching the opening commercials on the giant screen. She cleared her throat in astonishment. “So... what? You’re just going to make that decision for me?”

“Yup.”

“And you’ve chosen... yourself?”

Harm’s eyes darted to her briefly before flicking back to the screen. “I may not be perfect Mac, but I can’t do any worse than they did.”

There was a long moment of silence where both found it difficult to even breathe, but finally Mac relaxed against Harm’s shoulder, snuggling in to claim her niche. “Fine” she exhaled “but be prepared to talk at great lengths in the future about your flawed reasoning.”

“My reasoning is not flawed, I assure you.”

“Oh yes it is, for starters, I’ve only dated... like three or four guys since I’ve even known you.”

“Felt like a million.”

“Four at most.”

“Four too many.”

“Harm...”

“Shhhh Mac - the movie is starting.”

“A hotdog is singing, Harm. You need quiet when a hotdog is singing?”

Harm pulled her closer and kissed her on the crown of her head - still pretending to be absorbed in the giant gorilla playing a Phil Collins tune. “Why didn’t you tell me Mac?”

“Tell you what?”

“I had a little conversation with Sturgis today.”

Mac tensed only briefly, then, to her surprise, a small smile broke out. Suddenly this whole night just made a lot more sense. “Need to know?”

“Well, I guess I needed to know.”

She slipped her fingers through his and rested them in his lap. “I guess you did.”

“Mac?”

“Yes, Harm?”

“It's OK. I’m in love with you too.”