Author: Regency

Title: The Beginning of The End

Pairing: Harm/Mac

Rating: PG-13 maybe

Category: Romance/Freindship/Drama

Disclaimer: We've been through this@@@@@@@@@

I walk the streets alone, my hat covering my eyes. I can't believe how the world has changed around me and I've noticed none of it. The once tall Lincoln memorial no longer stands, but lies on its side. The white house is now a myriad of colors as a result of the graffiti by various militia groups. I can't believe this is the strong, yet naïve country I once served. Still serve. Secretly.

We were the strongest country in the world, or so we thought. We were so busy declaring our superiority that we didn't realize that we were only the strongest by less than a nautical mile. I can still remember the day that was the beginning of the end for the high and mighty Estas Unidos, United States. We're not so high and mighty anymore. We didn't even see it coming. By the time we could organize an attack so many lives had already been lost. We saved many secrets, but lost some that almost destroyed us. Thank god for the ones we put on the back burner for being too extreme. Nothing's too extreme now. We're just barely surviving, or so we make other countries believe. We took a chance with some technology I worked on and brought ourselves back to our old standing, if not a little higher. The beginning of the end it was or so it seemed. It was actually just the beginning period. The day my life changed is forever burned in my mind.

" Morning, Mac," I said warily.

" Morning, Harm. You all right? You don't look so good."

" Yeah, I'm fine, but I have the worst feeling about today."

" What do you mean," she asked, curious.

" Mac, you may not believe this and it may sound strange, but the world is going to change today. I don't know where and I don't know who's going to cause it, but the world is about to change in a 9/11 way. " She smiled. " You find something funny? I'm not laughing, Mac." She sobered.

" You mean like the way the world changed after the Pentagon and NYC Trade Center attacks?"

" That's exactly what I mean."

" That's kind of a coincidence."

" How," I asked her.

" Last night, I had dream about the United States, but the United States as an almost third world country. We were like the way we are in some movies. We weren't even close to poor, but we definitely weren't as we are now. " She got an alarmed look on her face.

" Mac, what is it?" She looked to me.

" The Washington Monument was gone. My apartment, your apartment, Bud and Harriet's. Just about everything we know, was gone." She shook her head." Maybe, it was just our imagination."

" Who are you trying to convince? Me or you. You're not doing too good on either front." Before she could respond there was a newsbreak on ZNN. We both turned to turned to the line of TVs hanging from the ceiling. The reporter said,

" This is a ZNN Newsbreak. We're live from the from the sight of the latest terror attack." The silence in the room was palpable. " We're live from what's left of the House of Congress. Just moments ago, an air to ground missile came from the direction of the White House and took out the Congress Building. The building sustained some major damage, but fortunately it hit an uninhabited wing of the House. There is an uproar occurring from well-known militia groups. Their message is, Mr. President, is this going to be a trend for you and your Homeland Security Agency. Not finding out about terrorist attack until it happens." We all just looked at each other. My first thought,

" Sturgis call Bobbi and make sure he got out all right." He just nodded. " Everyone call your friends in that area and make sure they're okay. Get your things ready to leave now. I'm not saying we're going anywhere at the moment, but be prepared to get out of this building as fast as possible." They all just stood there. " Move, people," I ordered. They all scuttled off to get ready. I turned to walk back to my own office and saw Mac watching me. " What," I asked.

" Why did you tell everyone to get ready to leave as fast as possible," she asked me.

" Because, I have a feeling that this is just the beginning and this won't be over anytime soon. Let's both get ready, too. No point in us being the last ones out, should we need to evacuate." We both separated and went to our respective offices. I gathered my pictures off my wall, my awards, everything of importance to me and put in a cardboard box. Mac walked in just as I was putting the lid on.

" What are you doing?"

" Getting everything that's important to me from my office and putting it in my car. Problem?"

" No. Just wondering why."

" Because, something may happen to JAG Headquarters and I don't want these things to be destroyed."

" What makes you think that they'll attack JAG HQ?"

"I don't, at least I don't think I think so. Whatever. I'm just making contingencies, just in case. I pray whoever did this leaves headquarters alone. But just in case, Mac." She nodded and got up." Where you going?"

" Following your example." I just watched her.

She came back with a box of her own.

" Got everything?" She nodded. " I'm gonna go ahead and take everything downstairs now, so I don't have to do it later. You coming?"

" Yeah." We walked out of my office and into the bullpen. The place was considerably cleaner than it had been. There was trash bags stacked in the middle of the bullpen to be thrown out and there were cardboard boxes like the ones they wielded stacked a few feet high outside each office.

"Seems like everyone took my warning to heart."

" Looks like it." We walked across the bullpen and were on our way to the elevator when the Admiral emerged from his office in confusion.

"Why the hell can't I reach anybody in the office and why are people Spring cleaning in the Fall? Commander, Colonel, what's going on? Are we going to a new office building or is everyone resigning their commission and haven't got around to giving their resignations to me yet?"

"No, sir," began Mac. "There's been a terrorist attack on the Congress Building and the Commander has asked everyone to prepare for the eventuality that we may need to leave the building, quickly, like in the next few hours."

"And why did you do that, Commander?"

"Because, sir. I had a feeling about what happened with Congress before it happened and I have another that this isn't over yet, by a long shot. I plan to be ready to leave if I have to and I want my colleagues to be as well. I only made it an order for those who never follow suggestions like they should. Everyone just took to cleaning out their offices when they saw that I wasn't kidding with that order. And with all due respect, sir, I think you should follow the example. Sir, you're one of the only CO's I've served under and wanted to continue to serve under after a day working with you. I don't want to see your name on the news if God forbid someone did something to Headquarters. Sir, if nothing happens you can chew me out and demote me to Lt. Commander, but at least your office'll be clean. I just don't want anything happen to my friends and family, Singer included."

"Noble intentions, Commander. I hadn't found out about the attack, yet. I'd been wondering what all the calls I'd been getting were about, I mean they were all talking about something and I was totally out of the loop. Thank you for your thoughts and to be on the safe side I'll go along with rest of the office. Now, where are you two going?"

"Take it away, Mac."

"Well, sir, the Commander had the idea to put things of importance to him in his car ahead of time to be sorted out later. I'm just going along, because Harm had one of those rare good ideas."

"You just can't help yourself, can you, Jarhead?"

"Naww, Squid, I don't think I can." He rolled his eyes.

"Marines." "Watch it, Stickboy."

" Believe me, Marine, I am watching it." Yeah, I was watching her six as we walked.

"Eyes to North Pole, Commander." My eyes snapped up to hers.

"Aye, ma'am." My eyes drifted down again. They snapped up again when he felt her eyes boring into head. "Sorry, drifting."

"I saw that, flyboy." I had the good grace to blush. She shook her head, amusedly.

Chapter 2/?

And Again It Happens

I can't shake this feeling in my chest. Harm had a dream last night and so did I. And today we had another terrorist attack. It happened three hours ago. They didn't close the military installations this time. They didn't close anything. No one was killed and no one was injured. Everything's really kosher. Yeah, kosher my ass. It's not over yet.

We put our things in our cars. Everyone seemed to instinctively follow Harm's lead, myself included. He immediately sets to getting all his briefs and reports completed and making sure that is was on a main hard drive somewhere. I haven't seen him for a while. But I'm busy getting my own things done. One more signature and I'm going to help Harm out. And…there. All done. I slap the last folder closed before gathering my cover. briefcase, and coat. I walk out into the more organized bullpen. Most of the trash bags have been taken out, but some still remain. No one's as frantic as before, but there's still an air of tension as everyone quickens their normal gaits. When I come to stand in front of Harm's, I lift up my hand to knock. Before I can, "Come in, Mac." I stand stunned for a moment. I open the door and enter.

"Hey, you." He looks up from his hands. A glimmer of a smile graces his lips.

"Hey, Cutie." His eyes are glittering. I won't admit it out loud, but I'm flattered. "You finished?" I nod.

"You?" He sighs and leans back in his chair.

"Um huh." He covers his face with his arms. "This isn't over yet, is it?"

"I don't think so, Harm. I wish it was, but I don't think so." I walk over to his side and stand next to him. I'm immediately overwhelmed by the scent that clings to his very presence. I tip my head as I look down to him. His neck is right there, just aching to be touched. I ache to touch it. To just brush it lightly. I extend my hand and just make contact with his unbelievably warm skin. A gentle gasp passes my lips. I slowly trace the gentle curves of his long, graceful neck. I start just beneath his chin and down over his Adam's Apple. I play there for a moment before resuming my downward descent. I'm where I really want to be now. The hollow of his throat. His scent seemed to pool itself there. Harm moans his approval of my activities. I kiss the squareness of his jaw.

"What are you up to?"

"Having a Mac Snack."