Murphy's Law, JAG Style: Harm Takes a Trip damngunnyshot Part of a series written with Layla: thanks for the idea to do this :o) Disclaimer: If I could own any one of them, it would be a toss up between Harm and Gunny...but unfortunately, I don't. So please don't sue me. A.N. Uh, nope, not based on real life events at all. Really. Honestly. Would I lie to you? OK, OK, the only thing I didn't do was take out a judge or anyone else, but the trip was actually taken in front of our glass-walled boardroom. And yes, there was some sort of (large) meeting going on...*sigh* And as for the landing on someone, my partner in crime might have taken out a certain French- Canadian-Indy-500-winner-turned-F1-driver at a race some years ago... not embarrassing at all, nope....? A.N. 2 Yeah, I know the link included with the story leads to a completely different explanation, but the picture simply called out to be included in a Harm/Mac story :o) ******* Ugh, it was going to be one of those days. He just knew it; it was cursed from the start. He must have turned his alarm clock off instead of hitting the snooze button, and then he got caught in two traffic jams. OK, so one was a legitimate jam on the Beltway, and the other was a traffic jam at his favourite drive through coffee stop. Finally, running just under an hour late, Harm got to work only to find a visitor parked in his space. Finding the absolute last spot under a tree in the furthest reaches of the parking lot, Harm got out of the car, precariously balancing his briefcases, his lunch and his keys. Slamming the door closed, Harm looked up at a noise coming from the tree above and saw a bird fly from the branches. Not giving in a second thought, he went to turn and walk into the building -- but before he could even take a step, snow came crashing down from the branches to cover him with a huge pile of light, fluffy snow. Small piles a few inches tall sat on each shoulder, and he didn't even want to think about his cover. Feeling a bit like Charlie Brown, Harm muttered to himself that it couldn't possibly get any worse so it only had to get better, right? Fumbling his way into the bullpen, Harm was relieved when he saw his partner/best friend/hopefully someday wife, hoping to get some sympathy and some help. "Careful Frosty. Stick around here and you might melt away. Mac quipped as she grabbed Harm's lunch bag and his briefcase. "Very funny, Mac" grumbled Harm. "Feeling a bit grumpy there, Frosty?" she replied, laughter in her voice and in her eyes. "I hope Happy Frosty makes his appearance before Court today. Judge Helfman is liable to kick your snowy six out of her Courtroom if your personal snowstorm doesn't melt away." Snickering as she watched Harm put his coat and cover away, Mac thought aloud. "Hmm, or maybe I don't want Happy Frosty to show up. I might actually win this one. Oh, and better not let the cover get too far away, Harm. Isn't it the magic hat that brings you to life?" Balling a piece of paper which he intended to use as artillery against Mac, Harm raised an eyebrow and said, "Oh, the fun never ends when you're around, does it Mac? Besides, I'm going to kick your six in Court today anyway. My client is definitely not guilty." "Riiight. So, when the census takers come around, do you include your ego as a roommate? Your client landed his plane on a military police vehicle, Harm. (A.N. to see the Government's primary evidence, click here: http://community.webshots.com/photo/5750710/5751375ErfrQTJe yz) How much more guilty can you get?" Mac asked incredulously. "We'll just see, Mac, we'll see." He replied smugly as he looked down at her with that infuriating look that he had. "See you in Court, counsellor". ***** Once he was defrosted, Harm noticed that that he needed to get moving if he wanted to make Court on time. He gathered the voluminous files and wondered yet again what it was about the legal world that created so much paperwork. As he was leaving his office and turning into the busy hallway that passed the elevators, the top file began to slide off its perch. Fortunately, Harm did some fancy manoeuvring and caught it just in time. Unfortunately, a guy who is as tall as Harm usually has some larger than normal feet. In his effort to catch the falling file, Harm tripped over his own feet. "NNNNOOOOOOOOO" In slow motion, all four volumes of the file flew from his grasp. Papers, documents, photographs, file covers. No, they couldn't simply fall to the ground in some semblance of order, they had to mix together in a flurry of papers. At the same time that Harm watched his files mingling like a room full of drunken shmoozers, he realized that the hallway floor was coming closer and closer to his face. From the corner of his eye, he could also see the dark blue chest that he fell into on the way down. He made a highly undignified and rather awkward landed atop one Commander Amy Helfman, his legs intertwined with hers, arms on either side, his face in the judge's chest. "Ma'am, sorry ma'am" Harm stuttered as he scrambled off Judge Helfman. Grabbing the papers surrounding them, his face flaming like a Tomcat's afterburners, he quickly stood and offered a hand to the fallen judge. "Well, Commander, I had no idea you wanted to get so close. What would Colonel Mackenzie have to say?" In his rush to find the hole in the ground he was wishing for, Harm grabbed the papers from the hand extended towards him, stuffed them into the first file cover he could find and slunk off towards the courtroom. His indignity (and embarrassment) only increased as her heard his CO's voice behind him. "With landings like that, no wonder they keep him on the ground," the Admiral commented with a hearty laugh. A more delicate giggle made its way into Harm's consciousness and finally he looked up at the person who was still handing him papers. While Mac's mouth struggled to remain neutral, her eyes gave her away and finally she could not hold in the laughter any longer. "Oh, Harm, I know you're willing to do anything to win a case but I didn't think that included copping a feel on the presiding judge. Good thing it's not Admiral Morris, huh?" He just glared at her. "Just wait, Jarhead. Your day will come," he growled before stalking into the courtroom, leaving a mirthful Marine in his wake.