Poor Little Sick Marine
Author: Donna Lynn
Status: Complete
Word Count: 1,537
Rating: G
Content Warning: None
Summary: Mac is sick and Harm is there to take care of her, and they get into a deep conversation.
Pairing: Harm/Mac
Author's Note: This was one of my first writings and I like to think I've evolved since.

Mac's Apartment
2100 Hours ZULU

Mac was lying on her couch snuggled up in a huge heavy blanket when she heard someone knock on her door. She knew it was Harm, so she just yelled from the couch to come in.

Harm walked in and put whatever was in the bag on her kitchen table, and walked over to his partner. "You know you shouldn't just tell someone to come in when you don't know who it is," he said with a smile on his face.

"I knew it was you fly-boy," she said snuggling deeper into her blanket.

Harm sat next to her feet on the couch and said, "Are you feeling any better?" She looked at him with a face of what-do-you-think. Then she said, "Harm I really appreciate all this, but I don't want you to get sick too so you don't have to stay and keep me company if you don't want to."

Harm laughed and said, "No way am I going to leave you all sick and by yourself. You know you would be bored out of your mind if I weren't here."

She managed a smile and said, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," he said getting up to go to the kitchen to get whatever was in the bag out.

She sat up and asked, "What's in the bag, Harm?"

"Best medicine in the world, for when your sick…chicken noodle soup," he said putting on the can opener. He opened it and put it in a pot and set it on the stove and put some heat on it and let it simmer. "In about five minutes and however many seconds it will be done," he said coming to sit back down next to her.

"I really do appreciate all this Harm it's really sweet," she said sitting up.

"Do you think you have enough blankets on you there?" he asked pointing to her.

She looked down at herself and laughed and said, "I've been cold all day."

Harm got his fly-boy grin and said, "Oh, is Mac a poor little sick marine?"

"Don't go there fly-boy," she said sternly.

He laughed and said, "See I knew you weren't totally sick."

"I even got into the scolding hot water and all I did was burn myself…see," she said showing him her arm.

"Mac that looks bad," Harm said getting up to get the first aid kit.

She rolled her eyes and said, "I should've known not to show you. Harm it's not bad and I got out as soon as it happened."

He came back with the kit and said, "Here let me see it, Mac." She gave him her arm and he took a tube of stuff out of the kit and opened it and put some on his finger. He then commonest to smoothing it over the burn.

Mac felt her skin come alive instantly to his touch. She let out a quivering sigh while he rubbed in the medication. "How does that feel?" he asked softly while still rubbing it in.

"It feels good," she said as strait as possible. When he finished with it he put a big band aid on it and got up to put the kit back in the bathroom.

While he was in the bathroom putting her kit up she calmed herself down as much as she could. She heard him come out of the bathroom and head for the kitchen and put the warmed soup in a bowl. He came out of the kitchen with soup and juice.

"Here you go, Mac. Good old fashion chicken noodle soup," Harm said putting it on the table. "You know your going to have to unravel yourself from those blankets to eat."

She laughed and began to unravel herself to get to the soup. As soon as she was unraveled she got cold. She quickly covered herself back up and said sweetly, "Can you hand it to me Harm I'm cold if I get out from under my barricade." He handed her the bowl of soup and sat down on the couch next to all the blankets she had on her.

"So how was work today? Did I miss anything interesting?" she asked while blowing on her hot soup.

"Harriet and Bud had a small spat in the lounge in front of me, but other than that it was a pretty dull day. The admiral didn't even call me into his office. I thought maybe he might be sick," he said. And almost as an after thought he said, "But, Jordan called me today at work and wanted to have lunch."

"Really, how is she?" Mac asked trying to sound like she cared. She just wanted to hear Harm talk about it or anything.

"I don't know how she is. I told her I couldn't which is the truth, because I told Bud that I would help him with a file that the admiral had him briefing," he said but then looked at Mac while she ate the soup and said, "Since when do you care how Jordan is?"

Mac panicked. "I was just curious."

"What is your opinion of Jordan, Mac?" Harm asked curiously.

Mac stopped eating her soup and said, "What does it matter what my opinion is of Jordan?"

"It matters to me. I want to know your opinion of her," Harm said calmly.

Mac just sat there for a moment. Then she came out of her revere and said, "It's none of my business, Harm."

"Why can't you just answer the question, Mac. What is your opinion of Jordan Parker?" Harm spat out at her.

"Professionally or personally?" Mac asked without knowing what came out of her mouth. What am I doing?

"Personally," Harm said plainly.

"Um…I really don't…I really don't know her that well so…I don't think I can really make an opinion…" she was interrupted by his laughter. She stared at him blankly.

He looked at her and said, "You can't even give your true opinion of her. Mac it's an opinion that's all it is I don't know why you're so reluctant…" it was her turn to interrupt him.

"…I don't like her!" Mac plainly.

Harm stared at her for a moment and said, "Now see…that wasn't that hard. Now how about a reason why?"

She looked at him with a look of I don't believe this. "You truly want me to be honest about this?" she asked him. He nodded and she began, "I think she's stuck up, and she tries to control you. She tries to analyze everybody she comes in contact with especially me, and I don't like that one bit."

Harm cracked up laughing again and she began to laugh with him. They were laughing so hard they were crying. When they started to calm down Harm look up at her and said, "I think so to." Mac was a bit stunned at his reaction. She thought he would storm out and not talk to her for a week. Which is why she was reluctant to tell Harm her opinion. "It just took me a little while longer to realize it more than anyone else. At first I thought it would be great to have someone like, Jordan. They would know how to help you when you are feeling down and help your friends. But, after awhile they begin to analyze every time you talked. Slowly but surely I began to hate it. Our last fight was pretty heated," Harm said softly.

"We all eventually say things we don't mean," Mac said softly.

"You know what are last argument was about?" Harm asked her.

"No," she said.

"You," he said simply.

"ME!" she said surprised.

Harm got up and went to her window and started his speech, "Jordan was jealous of you, Mac. When we first started dating, Jordan didn't mind that I spent so much time with you. But, as time went on she started to say that we were more than friends, and that I wanted to spend more time with you than her." He paused for a moment and then continued, "She accused me of being in love with you."

Mac fell silent at his last sentence. Harm didn't look away from the window. The room was silent for five minutes or so. Then Mac broke the silence, "I'm sorry, Harm."

He brought his gaze from the window to her and said, "Sorry for what, Mac? You didn't break me and Jordan up." He walked back to the couch and sat down next to her and took her hands and said, "Mac, you're my best friend in the whole world. Jordan just couldn't see that. I sort of surprised her when she said I was in love with you. I yelled back at that yes I do love, but I'm not in love with you. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Mac smiled and nodded, "Yes." Mac didn't want to burst his bubble by saying she was in love with him. She could live with the fact that he loves her as his best friend. Even though they didn't have the physical relationship, the rest of their relationship could take on anything.