Title: Twenty-Six Weekends
Author: Tsarina Smith
Rating: PG-13 (for now)
Disclaimer: JAG isn't mine. If it was, nothing after season 8 would have happened.
Spoilers: Mostly everything after Lifeline and Measure of Men, But the show ended years ago, so the whole series is fair game. Seasons 2-10 anyways.
Summary: When Mac returns from the Guadalcanal, Harm decides to convince her to give them a chance. Mac, who is fed up with men is reluctant. So Harm talks her into spending the next 26 weeks with him, doing different activities for each letter of the alphabet. For example, Harm will pick an activity for 'A' and Mac for 'B', etc.
The idea for this comes from Elizabeth Noble's novel Alphabet Weekends. If you like chick lit, I highly recommend it.
Authors Notes: This is it! First of all, I'd like to thank you guys for standing by this story since last May. Your reviews and comments have been amazing.
Secondly, you guys HAVE to check out this website. It's integral to really understand what Harm has planned for Mac: orfos-villas(dot)gr/envilla-yria(dot)php (Villa Contessina).
And last, I AM working on KIND of a sequel. It's only a sequel because it involves some of the same characters and relationships that I've established here, but it will able to be read on it's on. So, I hope you guys will keep an eye out for that. And without further ado, here we go!
Z is for Zakynthos
Monday
Mac looked over at Harm and placed her hand on his arm, stilling his movements. They were in a staff meeting and he had been incessantly tapping his pen against the wooden table for the past two minutes and seventeen seconds. He flashed her an apologetic smile and sat the pen on the table. They sat there quietly for a few more minutes until the Admiral dismissed them.
Mac stood and walked over to the Admiral. "Sir, a word please."
He nodded, "Of course, Mac."
"Is there a reason why I didn't get any new cases?" She watched as AJ and Harm exchanged looks. "Am I missing something here?"
"Why don't I leave you alone for a few minutes." AJ smiled at them both, gathered his things and left them alone in the conference room.
"What's going on, Harm?"
He sat down in the closest chair and glanced at the seat next to him. He waited till she was seated, and facing him before he started. "Well, we're leaving for a special trip on Friday night and we won't be back until the Sunday after that."
Her eyes widened. "Where are we going?"
Harm laughed softly. "I'm not telling you that. I will tell you that it's a tropical climate, so pack accordingly." Mac smiled and nodded. She stood up and then gasped lightly as he grabbed her hand and tugged her to him. "I need you to promise me you won't try to figure out where we're going. As brilliant as you are, you'll be able to guess and I want it to stay a surprise until we're boarding that plane Friday night."
She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss. "I promise."
Wednesday
Mac looked out the door to her office and frowned as she saw Harm hurrying out of the bullpen. She stood and walked outside her door and nudged Sturgis. "Where is he going?"
Sturgis' went rigid and turned to face her. "He had an errand he had to run."
"He never mentioned anything to me."
He shrugged. "Maybe it was a last minute kind of thing." Sturgis looked at the file in his hands, trying his damnedest to avoid her gaze. She bit her lip and tried to force back a smile.
"You know what he has planned, don't you?" If at all possible, he tensed even more. "Don't worry. I'm not going to ask you for any of the details. I promised him I wouldn't try to find out where we're going."
Sturgis visibly relaxed and smiled at her. "You'll love it, Mac. I can tell you that."
"I know I will." She glanced at the door and then back at her office. "Don't tell him I asked about him."
"I won't."
Mac disappeared back into her office and watched anxiously for Harm to return. He finally returned a little over half an hour later. He seemed a lot more relaxed and popped his head into her office. "Sorry, I know we had plans for lunch today, but something important came up."
She nodded. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah." He flashed her his infamous grin. "It is now."
Thursday
Empty suitcases lay open on the bed as Mac pawed through her closet. Packing was incredibly difficult with no clue where you were going or what you'd even be doing. She threw some swimsuits into one suitcase. She smiled as she imagined Harm's reaction when he saw it. It made her infamous blue bikini from Australia look modest. She rifled through the drawer until she found a few colorful sarongs and then tossed those in as well. Piles of lingerie and socks followed before she sighed and moved back to the closet.
"Whoa."
She turned and glanced at him briefly before returning her gaze back to the sundresses she was holding. "Which one should I take?"
Harm shrugged. "Why not both. I'm sure both look amazing on you." He bit back a grin and sat on the bed as she threw both dresses at the suitcase. He picked up the white one and folded it neatly before placing in next to the pile of swimsuits. "Dinner's almost ready."
"Ok." She tossed a pair of seersucker bermuda shorts at the bed followed by a white top, then a nearly identical green one.
He stood up and walked over to her. "Come eat. Packing can wait."
"Not if we're leaving directly from work tomorrow."
"Mac, you could spend the entire week naked and it would be fine. Now come eat. I made one of your favorites."
"The grilled chicken with the pineapple salsa?" He nodded and she smiled. "I guess I can take a short break."
"Take a long break and then I'll come help you pack." Mac nodded and they both left the bedroom and moved towards the kitchen. She sat while he began fixing them both plates. She moaned her approval after the first bite.
"This is so good, Harm."
"Thanks." He shoveled in some of his own dinner. "Are you excited about the trip?"
"Of course. I think I'd be even more excited if I knew where we were going." She said with a grin.
"You'll figure that out soon enough."
Friday
Work was torture. The entire day, all Mac could think about was their trip. And now they were finally on their way to the airport and she couldn't remember ever being so nervous (or excited) about anything in her life.
At the airport, Harm loaded their luggage on a cart and they made their way to the check in desk. The attendant smiled brightly at them and asked them for their tickets. Harm reached into his coat pocket and pulled them out, and handed them to her.
"Greece is beautiful this time of year." She pulled off printed bands for their luggage and helped them get it onto the conveyor belt. "Have a wonderful trip."
Mac stood there, unmoving, for a moment until Harm looped his arm through her and lead her to the gates. "We're going to Greece?"
He grinned and handed her a boarding pass. "We're flying into Athens and then we're taking a small commuter flight to Zakynthos." He pulled a brochure for their final destination out of his coat pocket.
She absorbed all the information the glossy brochure had to offer before looking up at him with wide eyes. "Harm, this is way too much."
Harm shook his head and leaned in to kiss her gently. "No such thing. I wanted to do this. I want this to be a trip we'll remember for the rest of our lives."
"I have a feeling you've succeeded."
He smiled and took her empty hand in his. "Come on. Let's get some coffee or something while we wait to board.
The flight was almost torturous. When something is highly anticipated, the wait seems an eternity anyways. But, when you're on a plane for 13 hours, it's about ten times worse.
They finally landed in Zakynthos on Saturday afternoon and the second their rental car left the airport, the surroundings almost took both of their breath away. Their hotel wasn't far from the airport and about twenty minutes later, they were pulling up at their accommodations. The first view of them wasn't as impressive as what the inside and back promised to be, but it was charming all the same. Harm parked in front of the rental office and picked up their keys to the villa they were staying in. He parked the car, climbed out and went around to meet Mac. They joined hands and walked to the front door of the Villa Contessina. Once he unlocked the door and they stepped inside, Mac visibly gasped, dropped his hand and walked further inside taking in her surroundings.
"Harm…" She began but quickly trailed off. The villa was beyond beautiful. The stone walls outside were the only thing that stayed the same inside. The walls gave it a rustic charm, but the beautiful, delicate, bright & airy décor made it look as part of a different structure all together. The living room had pale blue sofas, a gorgeous fireplace and one of the prettiest chandeliers she had ever seen. Inspecting further, they found the immaculate kitchen and an awe inspiring bathroom with a hydro-massage Jacuzzi.
"Want to see the rest of the place, or do you want to go see the view?" Harm asked coming up behind her.
She turned and gave him a quick kiss. "I want to see the upstairs." They climbed the wooden staircase and she opened the first door they came too and was greeted by the most beautiful room she had ever seen. "Oh, Harm…" The bedroom was incredibly romantic anyways, but a large bouquet of roses sat in the nightstand, rose petals covered the sheets of the four poster bed and unlit candles adorned the various surfaces.
"There's another bedroom on the ground floor, but based on the description I asked them to set this one up for us. Look at the view." He walked over to the French doors and pulled them open. He reached for her hand and she grasped it and they walked out to the private veranda. Stepping out onto the veranda and taking in the view was like being transported to another world. A few wooden chaises with royal blue cushions were positioned around the pool. And the pool extended to the edge of a cliff, which overlooked hills and the beautiful ocean. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck gently as she took in the view. "Want to hear the best part about this place?"
She turned in his arms and smiled brightly. "What's that?"
As beautiful as the scenery was, he was taken aback by the smile on her face. He wanted to spend the rest of his life keeping that smile there. "The pool is private. There's one pool for each villa. And this Villa ours and ours alone for the next week."
Mac ran her fingers through his hair and tugged his face down to hers. "Good. Then you can make love to me right now and I won't even worry with shutting the door." Their lips met in a hungry kiss as she pushed them backward towards the bed. "I love you so much, Harm." She said in between kisses.
He ran his fingers underneath her much too warm blue sweater and pulled the garment over her head. "I love you too, Sarah. So much."
Harm always slept after a long flight. It didn't help that their lovemaking took an animalistic turn. Mac smiled as she watched him sleeping like a baby. She slipped out of bed and pulled on a hotel robe and went out on the balcony. She couldn't get over how beautiful it was here. They had left behind 30 and 40 degree days in Washington and here it was at least 75 or 80. It was perfect. Never in her life had anyone gone to such lengths to surprise her. Or to give her a trip she'd never forget. And she knew she'd never forget this place as long as she lived. She sat there for a few more minutes before getting up and headed to take a shower. The bedroom had a small bathroom with a shower attached, but the Jacuzzi tub downstairs sounded simply wonderful. Hopefully this place provided basic toiletries because all of their things were still in the car and she was way too relaxed right now to worry with that.
He waited until he heard a door shut downstairs until he hopped out of bed. He was genuinely tired, but he napped for about five minutes and then couldn't fall back asleep. The anxiety was overwhelming. Quickly slipping into his jeans he quietly went downstairs and out to the car to get some of their things. Once their luggage was upstairs in the bedroom, he changed into a pair of swim trunks and went back downstairs. He called the concierge and ordered dinner for them both, figuring their first night there, they could just relax and take it easy. Dinner arrived quickly and smelled heavenly. Mac was still in her bath which made him smile. That woman would live in the bathtub if the water would always stay hot. He tapped lightly on the door. "Mac?"
"Yeah?"
"I've ordered us some dinner if you're hungry."
"Great, I'll be right out." True to her word, she emerged from the bathroom a minute later. She had on her robe and her skin was pink and smelled sweet from her bath. She kissed him gently before sitting down to dinner. "I thought you were asleep."
"I was, but I guess I was too excited to stay asleep." He poured them both some sparkling water and then sat down. "I figured we could stay in tonight and take it easy."
"Sounds great to me." She took a bite of her salmon and moaned. "This is delicious." They ate a couple more bites in silence before she looked up and smiled. "I'm guessing from the swim trunks you want to go in the pool after dinner?"
Harm nodded enthusiastically, hoping she wouldn't notice how hard his heart was pounding. "Its so nice outside, I think we should definitely take advantage of our private pool."
Mac nodded. "Sounds great. Since the pool is private, should I even bother putting on a suit?"
Harm smiled. "Oh yeah. Peeling a wet bikini off of you has always been a fantasy of mine."
After dinner she went upstairs to change into a bikini and Harm went out by the pool to light some of the candles. He made sure that two huge, fluffy beach towels were within reach on one of the chaises and then climbed into the warm water. He did a couple of laps waiting for her to come outside and about went completely breathless when she did. Her bright red bikini left almost nothing to his overactive imagination.
"You're gorgeous."
Mac slid into the pool and moved over to him. She ran her fingers over his broad chest and smiled. "You're pretty gorgeous yourself, flyboy." She moved even closer to him and brushed his arousal with her thigh. His hands moved to her ass, and he easily hoisted her up, her legs wrapping around his waist. "This place is a pretty powerful aphrodisiac." She said, as his lips fused to places on her neck."
"Are you complaining?" He asked.
"Not even close." Her hands moved down to his waist and began to toy with the waistband of his trunks. When he could feel one hand begin to lower them, he hurried them over to the edge of the pool. He deposited her on the ledge, looking more confused then ever. "Is something wrong?"
Harm sighed, knowing this was the moment he needed to do this. "No. Everything is absolutely perfect. Which is why I want to do this now." He reached into a zippered pocket of his trunks and pulled out a black velvet drawstring bag. With clumsy fingers, he opened the bag and pulled out the most perfect diamond ring she had ever seen.
"Harm."
He brought a finger up to her lips and softly stopped her from talking. "Mac- Sarah. You're it for me. I've known that for a while. And these past six months have been the happiest of my entire life. And I want to spend the rest of my life trying to make you as happy as you make me. Will you marry me?"
With wide eyes and a heaving chest, she nodded. "Yes. Yes. Of course I will." She tried to steady her breathing as he lit up and slid the huge, gorgeous diamond onto her finger. She stared at her finger with awe for a moment before throwing herself into his arms. After a kiss that made her glad she was still sitting, she looked at the view and then looked back at him. He was studying her with an unreadable expression. "What?"
"Sarah, I want to get married here."
Her eyes widened and she opened and shut her mouth several times before words managed. "Harm, a wedding requires paperwork and signatures. We'd have to get special permission…" She trailed off when she noticed the sparkle in his eye. "You've taken care of everything already, haven't you?"
He nodded. "I actually had to call in a few favors with Webb, but yeah. If you agree, we can get married here. Tomorrow even."
"Tomorrow." He nodded. "What about your family? Our friends?"
"They'll understand, Mac, but it's up to you. We can have any kind of wedding you want. And once we get home we can always have a big party. Maybe even at the Admiral's house." He smiled at her wide eyes. "His front porch will always be special to me."
She looked at her fiancé and smiled. "Me too. And yes. I want to marry you as soon as possible."
The next morning, Harm woke early and began calling people who would help him with the wedding. Mac went into town for a few things and he wanted everything ready by the time she got back. A minister was going to arrive at 6:00 and a local bakery was bringing over a very small cake for the two of them to share. Mac had mentioned something about flowers and the husband and wife who worked in the main office were going to be their witnesses.
She returned around 3:00, her arms loaded with shopping bags. With a giddy smile, she shielded her bags from him and hurried into the downstairs bathroom to start getting ready. After an hour long bubble bath and then a quick rinse underneath the showerhead, she finally started getting ready. She smoothed pineapple scented lotion over her limbs and then slipped into her new lingerie. Harm was different then most men she had been with in that aspect. Mic and Dalton, especially, had hated lingerie. They both complained that even simple things such as bras and panties took away from the main event, but not Harm. He loved slowly peeling her clothes off. She pulled a strapless, white, lace bra from the bag and matching lace panties. Both looked incredible one and accentuated some of her best physical features. Then she slid into her dress. It was a favorite of hers, the white sundress she had brought from home. The J. Crew dress fell just below her knees, and the skirt was full enough that it flowed when she walked. The top was halter style, with two tiny straps that tied behind her neck. Satisfied with her dress, she slipped on her shoes and began work on her hair and make-up.
Upstairs, Harm was beginning to get ready himself. He looked around the bedroom and smiled. While they were on the patio getting married, a member of housekeeping was going to stop by and set up the room for their wedding night. The anticipation for this evening was nearly overwhelming. Shaking his head, he went about getting dressed. He wore simple stone colored chinos and a crisp, white button down shirt. He couldn't wait to see Mac. Nothing took his breath away like she did.
Nearly two hours later, Harm stood underneath the pergola and waited for Mac to make her appearance. They had timed the ceremony so that the sun would be setting as they got married and the timing had worked out perfect. The sky was just beginning to change colors. He was admiring the setting when he heard someone clearing her throat behind him. He turned and lit up when he saw his beautiful wife to be, standing there in a simple white dress, carrying a bouquet of lovely blush roses. "You look beautiful."
She smiled and let him kiss her cheek. "You look incredibly handsome."
"Shall we?"
Mac nodded. "I've been waiting years for this." They joined hands and stood in front of the justice of the peace. He worked at the American Embassy and spoke English perfectly, but with a very thick Greek accent. She had to admit, she tuned this part out. She couldn't believe they were here. After over six years of dancing around one another, of broken hearts, broken relationships and broken engagements, they were finally here. Hearing Harm's name, she almost snapped to attention and her thoughts were brought back to the present.
"Harm, would you please read the vows you wrote for Sarah."
He nodded and squeezed her hands. "I, Harmon Rabb, Jr. take you Sarah Mackenzie to be my wife. I promise you my love and my friendship, my trust and my fidelity, my honor and protection for the rest of our lives. You are my one and only love and I am so grateful that we have finally reached this point on our amazing journey together."
She was taken aback at the emotion in his eyes and voice. Once he was done, she squeezed his hands gently and then said her own vows. "She took one of her hands out of his briefly to wipe a tear from her eye and then took her turn. "I, Sarah Mackenzie take you Harmon Rabb Jr. to be my husband. I promise to love and cherish you for all of our lives. I promise you my love and friendship, my trust as well as my respect. I promise to be faithful to you and to these vows for the rest of my life."
The officiant beamed at them both and asked for rings. They took turns sliding platinum bands over each others fingers. Both were perfectly simple and unadorned. Once the rings were on, instead of just grasping each others hands, they wove their fingers together and admired the gleam of the metal.
"… you may now kiss your lovely bride."
Not needing to be told twice, he pulled her to him and covered her lips with his. Once the kiss was finished, he tilted his forehead to rest against hers and sighed. "I love you so much, Sarah."
"I love you too, Harm."
Their guests stayed and had cake and non-alcoholic champagne with them, before leaving them to enjoy their wedding night. He looked around, the view now dark. Stars sparkled over the ocean and an occasional streetlight helped make the dark night visible. "Ready to go inside?" He asked.
She nodded. "Yes." Harm picked up the remainder of the cake and she picked up her roses to bring inside. Both found temporary homes on the kitchen counter as she took his hand and lead him upstairs. She stopped dead in her tracks at the appearance of their room. Candles here lit, and bathed the dark room in a soft glow. Music played very softly and the bed had been turned down and was once again covered in rose petals. "This is beautiful."
"You're beautiful." He placed a kiss on her bare shoulder and smiled softly at the sound of her contented sigh. She turned and faced him. He ran one finger down the curve of her jaw and placed a sweet kiss on her forehead. "Are you happy?"
"Then I've ever been in my life." She began working the buttons on his shirt and looked up at him, a sparkle in her brown eyes. "I had no idea that playing a game with you would change my whole world."
He shook his head. "I didn't know it would either, but this is what I hoped for." His lips captured hers in a hungry kiss and clothes pooled on the floor as they began celebrating the rest of their lives as husband and wife.
The End
Wow. It's done! I know some of you may not like where I ended it, but let me explain myself. I normally only write about their activities on the weekend and the events that help set up their weekends. I didn't want to write about their trip because for one, this thing would probably be longer then the rest of the story combined, and two, I know nothing about Greece, except I realllllly want to go stay at this hotel. Besides. They're on their honeymoon, and seeing as most of us fanfic writers portray H&M as sexaholics once we get them together AND its their honeymoon, I thought I'd give them some privacy. Anyways. I hope you guys liked this as much as I liked writing it. And keep your eyes out for the pseudo-sequel. I'm not even going to begin posting it till its complete, that way there wont be any month long waits for the next part, so who knows when I'll start posting, but watch out for that.
And once again, thanks to everyone who reviewed. It meant a lot to me and it made this even more enjoyable to write. You guys are the best.