Title: Poetic Justice
Author: usmgrad
Disclaimer: JAG and its characters are the property of Donald P. Bellisario and Paramount Studios, the rest belong to me.

A/N – I have changed the pronoun in the challenge lines from ‘you’re’ to ‘I am’


Do you believe in fate?

Well, it put us together, sort of.

Fate can keep us together forever.


There was a confession of love, a proposal, a coin toss, and a Marine General with other ideas. Two military careers transferred overseas each with its own professional challenges. Personally there were romantic evenings, and weekend getaways. But then there were disappointments, tears, doctors, pills, shots, and finally an unwanted but necessary surgery. Was fate trying to tell them something? If so they weren’t listening. An unexpected transfer back to the states, new commands, new challenges, and a five year old named Emily.

It was simple to Emily, they were in the park the day she and the others were told they would meet couples interested in being parents. Emily chose them. It didn’t matter to her they were at the park to jog, not as perspective adoptive parents. She could have cared less that they hadn’t filled out an application; there hadn’t been investigations or interviews. The waiting list was irrelevant to Emily. As soon as she saw them she knew they were her mom and dad. Later, when Harm thought about it, he knew she was destined to be their daughter. She was how he imagined their little girl would look, curly brown hair and big brown eyes, just like her mom. Of course Harm didn’t know it but Mac believed the same thing, only for Mac it was Emily’s smile. It was just as Mac had dreamed, their child would have a big smile like her daddy. And so after 6 months of moving heaven and earth, Harm and Mac had temporary custody. Well temporary as far as the courts were concerned, permanent as far as Emily was concerned.

He had been gone for 3 days; the first time he had been away from home since Emily came into their lives. He missed her and he missed his wife, he was very glad to be home. Leaving his bags, jacket, cover and gifts in the entry Harm entered the family room only to find it empty. However there was evidence of them being there. Shaking his head Harm wondered why it was when Mac and Emily watched TV the pillows always ended up on the floor instead of on the sofa. As he bent over to pick one up and place it back on the sofa he felt a push from behind, then his leg was pulled out from under him and the next thing he knew he fell flat on his face, hitting his head on the way down.

“I did it, I did it” exclaimed an excited youthful voice from behind him. “Did you see me Mommy, it worked just like Uncle Matt and Grandpa AJ said it would.” The excitement turned to full blown pride, “I am a marine and can fight like one.”

“Ooh-rah!” The older, experienced voice answered and then instructed “Private, never leave your target of opportunity unattended.”

Coming to attention to answer, “Oh, he’s not ma’am, my partner has him” pointing to the spot of the take down where the victim was being guarded by the other team member.

Harm had been set up and brought down by what appeared to be a marine in training with the apparent assistance of a Marine Colonel and retired Navy Seal.

“Dammit, get off me.” Harm was struggling to get up but there was a dog holding him down. “Colonel, can I get some help over here?”

“Over here girl, let Harm up.” The dog obeyed and moved off the captive.

“No, he can’t get up yet; I still have to interrogate him.” Marching toward her detainee, “OK, you can sit up, slowly.” Shaking her figure at him, Emily was all business, “No funny business and keep your hands where I can see them.”

As Harm sat up, he looked over at his adversaries, the smaller one, in full camo gear was definitely in command, and the larger one was ready to bust out in laughter but held it so as not to disrupt the action before her.

Standing before her prisoner Emily began her interrogation, “Ok prisoner, I want to know why you left without telling me.” Did Harm hear a bit of lawyer in her voice? Oh no, a marine and a lawyer, he was in trouble now.

“You promised you would never leave without telling me where you were going and when you would be back.” Emily was very firm with her delivery, but Harm knew she was hurting inside. He had made a promise and she thought he had broken it.

Taking her hand and pulling her into his lap Harm began to explain, “Em, I was ordered to Washington.” He could see the tears about to fall so he hurried with his explanation. “But before I left I came into your room, even though you were asleep and explained to you I had to leave, just like I promised I would do.”

Emily turned to her mother for confirmation and Mac shook her head yes. Even though Mac had explained this to Emily several times already, Emily had to hear it from her daddy.

Harm continued, “I told you I was going to Washington for important meetings, I would only be gone for 2 nights, and that I would be back in plenty of time to take my favorite co-pilot flying in Sarah this weekend like we planned. I also told you I would call every night, which I did.”

“You did not.” Harm wasn’t out of the dog house yet.

“The first night when I called you were at Sally’s eating dinner, and last night when I called you were already in bed asleep, but I did call.” Emily waited for him to continue, “Before I left I kissed you goodnight on each cheek, once for each night I would be gone and told you I loved you”

Placing her arms around her daddy’s neck Emily transformed from the youngest jarhead back to his little girl, “I missed you Daddy.”

Giving his daughter a hug, “I missed you too Em, I love you.” Pointing to her new outfit, “So where did you get these fancy duds anyhow?”

Jumping up to show her daddy the new clothes, Emily twirled around, “Uncle Matt got them for me, aren’t they cool. He showed me how to paint my face and everything. Then Grandpa AJ showed me how to …”

Rubbing where he hit his head, “Yes, I figured Grandpa AJ had something to do with this,” and looked at Mac for confirmation, but all he got was a shoulder shrug and a ‘don’t ask me’ expression from the likely co-conspirator.

Crawling back into her dad’s lap Emily snuggled up close to him, “Daddy, did you bring me something?” His princess was definitely back.

“In the hall, the green bag”, pointing toward the dog sitting at Mac’s feet, “there’s something in there for your accomplice too.”

With another hug for good measure and a kiss, Emily slipped out of her dad’s embrace and raced to the front hall, with Dammit following close behind.

“Then go wash up and get changed, I’m taking my two Marines out to dinner.”

“Ooh-rah! Beltway burgers for dinner!”

Shaking his head and looking up at his wife Harm laughed, “What did we do to deserve her?” Laughing Mac sat next to her husband and replied, “A little you, a little me, I think Fate would call it poetic justice.”