AUTHOR: AD
PAIRING: Webb/Mac Missing Scene
RATING: PG for being mildly suggestive
SPOILERS: Season 9's "Shifting Sands"
DISCALIMERS: Paramount owns the copyrights to JAG; Belisaurius Productions creates JAG; and I merely watch JAG. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so think of this as a complement to what has already been written.
AN: Someone posted a challenge, but I can't remember who it was. Nevertheless, this is in answer to the challenge of how the whispered conversation between Webb and Mac might have gone.
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0125 ZULU
KRESGE MEDICAL CENTER
PIMMIT HILLS, VIRGINIA
Hardly believing he'd heard correctly, Clay looked over to Mac for confirmation. Damn, it was true: Harm really was a civilian now. At a loss for words, all Clay could think was `wow'.
So he said it, "Wow."
The atmosphere in the room quickly grew uncomfortable as all three realized that this was truly a problem with no simple solution. Hoping to break the awkward silence, Mac looked over at Clay,
focusing all of her considerable attention on him.
"Um, so, d'you need anything?"
Startled out of his silent contemplation of Harm's predicament,Clay realized Mac had just asked him a question. Seeing the earnest look on her face and cutting a quick glance in Harm's direction, Clay decided to take advantage of the moment.
He hadn't seen either of them since his abrupt departure from Ciudad del Estes two days ago. Right now, although he truly felt sorry for his old friend, he figured Harm could take care of himself. After all, when he'd been exiled---first to Suriname and then to Tierra del Fuego---no one had come to his rescue. Nor had he expected them to do so. Knowing that Harm shared the axiom of `every man for himself' when it came to winning the affections of a beautiful woman, Clay focused on the fact that Mac was finally within arms reach.
"Um…yeah." Fumbling for the bed controls with his weakened left hand, Clay managed to hit the right button. Allowing the bed to do the work for him, he slowly raised himself so that he was face to face with Sarah. Although he didn't mind Harm knowing how serious he was about courting this special woman, his goal was not to embarrass the man. Then again, if his flirting with Sarah made Harm uncomfortable, so what; he could always leave and give them some privacy.
Leaning into Sarah, Clay breathed in her essence and totally forgot Harm's presence. "What I need…is you, on this bed, by my side. You could thank me very properly that way."
Sarah giggled and looked down at their clasped hands. "In your dreams, Clay."
"I do. I do dream, Sarah." He could tell she was enjoying this little flirtation as much as he was. Anyway, he wasn't lying; he *had* dreamed about her.
Reveling in the way his warm hands clasped her own, Mac knew he was all talk right now. Maybe later, once they got even closer, they could act on some of their suggestions. "Oh, yeah? Well, that's all they are for right now, buster. Sweet dreams," she sang.
Grinning at her playful tone, Clay decided to go for broke. "Oh, they are, Sarah. If you only knew." Seeing her blush as she entwined her fingers with his, Clay turned cajoling. "Barring that, how about talking those doctors into letting me out of here a bit early."
Getting a fierce look on her face, Sarah leaned in closer to his ear and virtually breathed her response: "Too confining in here, Clay?"
"Damn straight it is," Clay brought her hands up to his mouth for a lingering caress of his lips.
"Too bad," she reminded him. "You're in here for the duration." Seeing his quick frown, Sarah smoothed the downward curve of his mouth with her thumbs. "You have a chance for a full recovery, Clay. Don't rush it."
"I just---I want to get started on this relationship of ours. I don't want to wait any longer." Clay looked deeply into her eyes, sincerity marking every aspect of his expression.
"Aww, Clay, how do you do this to me?" Sarah blinked back the sudden tears in her eyes. "Look, I'm not going anywhere. I'm with you in exploring this, but we've got to---we've got to, uh, pace ourselves; get used to being together---as a couple."
Clay looked a bit frustrated, but then he was grinning again. "Okay, okay. So, uh, how about those things I need?" He brushed a soft kiss along her cheek and winked when Sarah shivered from the sensation.
Two, Sarah thought, could play at this game. Rubbing his exposed forearms while instinctively avoiding the IV line, she pouted, "Aren't I meeting your needs? Bored with me already?"
Clay's lips connected with her neck as he assured her that she was a constant surprise. Reaching out to pull her closer, Sarah avoided his arms and hid a pleased smile as she rummaged through her purse.
Puzzled, Clay watched as she eventually found a small notepad and borrowed the ballpoint pen from the portable table he'd been using that afternoon. Sarah got a glimpse of his earlier attempts to write some simple phrases on the legal pad sitting there. It was shaky at best.
Realizing that their intimate moments were over for the time being, Clay glanced at the wall clock. It actually would be a good idea to postpone their flirting for another day; it took a lot of energy to
hold his emotions in check lately. Settling back against the raised bed, he stretched out and rested his right arm behind his head. He'd found that this elevated position lessened the trembling in his right arm.
Directing his attention back to Sarah, he realized she was studying his relaxed form with a bemused look on her face. "What?"
She put down the pen for a moment and tapped it on her knee. "I've just never seen you this relaxed before, Clay. You're usually a bit hyper, you know."
"Me? Hyper?" From the surprise in his voice, it was obvious he'd never heard himself labeled in such a way.
"Well, maybe not hyper. Intense?" Sarah looked hopeful at her revised description.
Clay thought about it a moment and lowered his arm. "Which do you like better?"
"I don't follow." Sarah had already started writing on her notepad.
"Intense or relaxed---which do you prefer?"
"I, uh, it depends on the situation, I guess." Sarah underlined the word she'd just written three times.
"What situation, Sarah?" A suggestive tone had entered Clay's voice and expression once again.
"Uh-uh, I'm not falling for that. You already know I'm susceptible, so just enjoy that victory for now, you flirt." Sarah stared him down and absently fiddled with a loose strand of her hair.
Grinning sweetly, Clay was quite happy with this admission of susceptibility from Sarah. He'd been a bit concerned that he was the only one whose emotions were on the line.
"Now, Mr. Webb, this list of needs…?" Mac prompted with her best command presence.
"Fair enough. Okay, you win. First of all, I need my laptop," he informed her. Rolling her eyes in exasperation, Mac continued the list until the nurse came in and reminded them that visitor hours
were ending.
At that point, both remembered that Mac had arrived with Harmon Rabb, but neither could recall when he had left them alone in the private hospital room.
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