"Sarah? Are you okay?"

Mac sniffed, rubbed her cheeks, sure there were tears falling down her cheeks, but they were dry. She turned to the man she was supposed to marry the next day, trying to put on a smile, but failing miserably.

He walked over to where she was sitting, went to hold her, only to have her turn back to face the desk as his arms went around her, sitting still, her arms not raising to encircle him as they should.

He pulled away, not wanting to, but hurt by the obvious message in her body language: Don't. I'm hurting. I don't want to be comforted by you. I just want Harm to be okay. That's all that matters right now.

"Sarah. . ."

Mic trailed off, a concerned look of questioning on his face.

"Mic. . ."

She started strong, but then she looked up to see him and hesitated, a pained look on her red eyed face. But she wasn't crying. She had to try as hard as anything she'd ever worked at not to, but she wasn't crying. Maybe sometimes she thought it was a losing battle, and maybe, sometimes, she thought "Maybe it would be easier if I did, if I just let myself fall apart, not be so tough all the time." But she was unfortunately a creature of habit, and through sheer will power, she kept her tears from falling.

Mic laughed, but it was a sad sound.

"Nice pair we are. Both with so much to say, and not a word to say it."

Mac just glanced down at her hands on her lap.

"Mic. . .", she tried again, this time not looking up, but Mic interrupted.

"Listen, love, I have something to say to you."

She looked up.

"I love you, Sarah. You know that. And whatever's between me and Harm, it's between me and Harm, I know he's your best friend, and. . .and I think he may have been a bit more than that to you in the past. But that's in the past, and tomorrow, you're going to marry me, so I get put it behind me if you can. So I just want to let you know, I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you. Today"

Here he knelt down beside her, and tilted up her chin to look into her eyes.

"and for the rest of our lives."

This time Mac's arms went around him, and she leaned into his shoulder.

She lost her battle with the tears.

And she didn't know whether it was because Mic was there, or because Harm wasn't.