Travelling Soldier, a jag fanfic

On a recent road trip, I rediscovered this Dixie Chicks song and thought, even if it is army based, the sentiments reflect so much of the HM shipper-sphere. When I got home I sat down and wrote this. I have tried to used page breaks to show shifts in time and perspective so hopefully it makes sense. See end for more ANs.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters or JAG. The song is "Travelin' Soldier" owned by the Dixie Chicks.

SUMMARY: Set 10 days after baby AJ was born, Harm struggles with his decision to return to flying. What would happen if he'd confessed his feelings for Mac before he left? Will he return? For the purposes of this story, Jordan is well and truly out of the picture by this point.

She groaned as she stretched her arms and neck. Being hunched over paperwork all afternoon was not a good move. Her body ached and she was desperately in need of a caffeine hit if she was to finish everything by 1700. She picked up her coffee cup and began making her way around her desk to the break room. Before she made it to the door, she noticed her partner standing there, a sad smile on his face.

"Going somewhere, Marine?"

"Need coffee. Too much paperwork. But it can wait. What's wrong?" Mac deposited her coffee cup back on her desk and perched on the visitors side edge. Harm quietly shut the door and closed her blinds. Mac's heartrate increased. This was serious. He never shut her blinds anymore. He sat in one of the guest chairs and gently ran his hand over her leg.

"Sarah, I…" he trailed off. No matter how many times he rehearsed the conversation in his head, he couldn't make his mouth say the words.

"Oh God, this is serious, isn't it?" He nodded slowly. He gently reached out and pulled her onto his lap. He needed her to comfort him at the moment. She willingly obliged, nuzzling her head into his neck, wrapping her arms as tightly around him as she could.

"I kept my flight status current. I wanted to go back to the air. But now the opportunity's here, I don't want to go." His words sunk in. He was going back to flying. "I can't turn it down. I need to close this chapter. Tell me everything will be ok, Sarah."

"You know I can't make you any promises, but you've made me promises and you never go back on them."

"How much work have you got left to finish? Can we get out of here? I need my best friend right now."

"I've got to get this finished. Go home, get yourself packed up and ready to leave. Meet me at the wall at 1800. We can talk more then."

"Flying's never scared me before, Sarah. Today? I'm terrified and I don't know why. I need to go back and finish off this thing."

"Meet me at the wall tonight. Now go home. Call if you need to, but go home!" Harm smiled as she unfolded herself from his lap and pulled him to his feet. She held him tightly to her. She felt his arms wrap even tighter around her, as if he was holding on for dear life. She knew he needed the strength of her Marine façade to get on that boat. She stretched up and kissed him gently on the cheek, before moving to open the blinds and then the door. He crushed her against the door, melding his body against hers and he held her tightly.

"1800?"

"1800, Flyboy. Now go!" Mac smiled sadly as she pushed him towards the elevators. Across the bullpen, Harriet and Bud watched as Harm squeezed her hand and left the office. Whilst Harm had been in with Mac, the Admiral had informed the rest of the staff about the Commander's change in designators. Mic Brumby smiled to himself. Now that Harm was leaving, perhaps he'd have a chance with the beautiful Colonel.

Mac was just finishing up her last report for the day. She had made a good chunk of the piles on her desk disappear and was ahead of schedule. At 1645, she hoped to be out of the office within the next five minutes. She saved the document she was working on, printed it and began the shut down process on her computer. A knock on the door stilled her progress.

"Mic?"

"What are you doing tonight, Sarah? Can I take you out for dinner? A lovely lady like you should never be alone."

"Sorry Mic, I have plans."

"Aw, come on, Sarah, I can make it a special evening?"

"No Mic. I already have plans. And can you please stop asking me out. I have no interest in dating you. You're a nice enough guy, but I'm just not interested." Mic sighed heavily.

"I'm not giving up, Sarah."

Two days past eighteen
He was waiting for the bus in his army green
Sat down in a booth in a cafe there
Gave his order to a girl with a bow in her hair
He's a little shy so she gives him a smile
And he said, "Would you mind sittin' down for a while
And talking to me?
I'm feeling a little low."
She said, "I'm off in an hour and I know where we can go."

Mac gently traced the name engraved in the granite wall. She'd never known the man, but felt that through the legacy of his son, she had been able to see who he had been.

"Look after him, Sir. Make sure he comes back to me," she whispered. She closed her eyes and held her hand over the name, memorising the feel of his name as her fingers traced the letters, almost as if she was holding his memory, his legacy in her hand. She was so engrossed in her task, that she didn't hear Harm come up behind her. He wrapped one arm around her waist and covered her hand with his other. He silently pushed her hand gently to allow him to trace his father's name with her.

"Dad. This is Sarah. Please, look after her while I'm flying. If I can't be here to watch her, I know you will," he whispered, deliberately allowing Mac to hear his words. She turned in his embrace and looked up at his face. When she saw the pain in his eyes, her 'I'm a Marine' speech died on her lips.

"I'm not the one who needs looking after, Harm. Come on, let's go for a walk and talk this out." The two of them wandered around to the river and sat on the banks, mindlessly staring into its watery depths. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and pulled her against the wall of his chest.

"I have wanted to go back to flying since about an hour after my ramp strike. It was an avenue that was closed to me. Once I found I could get my eyes fixed, that was it. It was time to go back to being a pilot, to close that chapter of my life under my own steam. When Chegwidden told me I was going out to the Henry, I was excited for about a minute, then I realised what I was giving up to do that. I was giving up you. I've never even told you, but I was giving up." Her hand was absentmindedly creating patterns on his thigh.

"We've got tonight. Tell me before you go. Show me." With that, she turned in his embrace and kissed him before pulling him to his feet. He stood slowly and followed her back to their cars.

"My place?" he asked quietly.

"I'll see you there."

Silently, they rode the elevator to his floor together, their fingers laced, holding on tightly to any lifeline they could. Harm wrapped an arm around her waist as he unlocked the door and let her into his apartment. He guided her to the sofa where she sat.

"If I write to you, will you write back?"

"Every day, if that's what you want."

"I have never told any woman other than my mother and grandmother that I loved them and meant it. At least, not until now. I love you, Sarah MacKenzie." Mac blushed, but cupped his face with her hand, bringing his lips down to meet hers.

"I love you so much, Harm." With all the pent up tension of three years of wanting, the pair of them struggled out of their clothing, before falling onto his bed, arms and legs entwined, lips fussing their bodies together.

So they went down and they sat on the pier
He said I bet you got a boyfriend but I don't care
I got no one to send a letter to
Would you mind if I sent one back here to you

Harm's alarm sounded, causing the sleeping couple to stir, groaning at the intrusion. Harm slapped the snooze button before pulling his Marine closer to him. His hands gently ran over her naked body, sparking all of the feelings she'd been trying not to think about. She shivered at the sensations he was causing.

"What time do you need to report to Norfolk?"

"1200." She did a quick calculation after consulting her internal clock.

"Two hours until we have to leave. Can we stay here a while longer? I want to stay in your arms as long as possible."

"Can't," Harm muttered against her neck, as he kissed his way down her collarbone. "Got to wash the sheets, empty the fridge, make sure the place is clean." Mac moaned at the sensation.

"Leave it. I'll do it once you're gone. Right now I need to know you're here." Harm rolled over the top of her and pushed her body into the mattress, before making love to her slowly and passionately.

After rushing through their morning ablutions, Harm and Mac were finally in the car on their way to Norfolk, Harm's fingers laced with Mac's resting on the gearstick as she drove. He smiled sadly at her as she drove them closer to their eventual separation. It had been decided as they lay in bed that morning, that she should avoid wearing her uniform. They could give in to their true feelings more easily if they weren't both constrained by military decorum. The closer they came to their destination, the tighter the grip on their hands became.

"Sarah?" She smiled at the use of her given name. She'd always hated it, but the way it rolled off his tongue made her feel like the princess her name signified.

"Yeah?"

"No matter what happens, promise me, that you'll be happy." This was it. The discussion that no military spouse wanted to have.

"No. You're coming home. You're coming home to me and we're going to make good on all the promises we've made each other. You made me a promise last week, and I fully intend on cashing in on it." Harm laughed, thinking of the day just 10 days ago when his little godson was born.

"I intend on cashing in on that one too, Sarah. But just in case…"

"No. I will not have this discussion with you, Harm. Not now. I will only be happy when you come home to me."

"We don't have much more time to talk through this." Almost to punctuate his point, Mac pulled into the carpark at Norfolk Naval Base. They both got out of the car and Harm reached into the back of the car to retrieve his bag. He pulled her into his arms, and together they leant against her car.

"I wish you didn't have to go. Not when all of this is so new."

"I know." Harm reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. "Will you look after something for me?"

"Anything." Harm opened the box to reveal a simple, but beautiful white gold and diamond ring. Three princess cut stones sat in the centre with diamond chips running around the rest of the ring. Mac's breath caught in her throat. Harm gently reached into her shirt and pulled out her dog tags. He silently disconnected the bottom chain and held one of her tags in his hand before looking up at her.

"Harm?"

"I'm not going to ask you to marry me on a naval dock when I'm about to leave on a tour of duty, but when I get back, I will. I want you to look after this." He slowly laced the ring onto the chain with her tag.

"I will be waiting when you dock." She smiled, kissing him quickly. He reached in to his shirt and pulled out his tags. She noticed for the first time that he had three tags on his chain. He pulled one off the lower chain and laced it through hers, effectively sandwiching the ring between his and her names. She grinned as he secured the small chain back onto the one that still rested around her neck, dropping it back under her shirt. His hand rested over the ring on her heart.

"I love you, Sarah." She twisted her Marines class ring off her finger and quickly attached it to his dog tags and he grinned.

"I have your ring, waiting for you to come home and put it where it belongs. Now you have a little piece of me to remind you you have to make it back here. I fully intend on getting my class ring back, Sailor. I love you." Hand in hand, they made their way to the gangway. He was putting off boarding for a long as possible. He found every excuse to hold her, to show her his love. When he could put it off no longer, he clutched her close to him and showered her head with kisses. They pulled apart and he gently kissed her with all that he had, promises of what was to come when he returned. She watched as he walked away from her and up the gangway. She could no longer hold back the tears as she watched him disappear into the bowels of the ship. She felt the loss deep within her soul. She wanted nothing more than to follow him into the ship and go with him. Every other time they'd been on board in the last three years, they'd been together. Now he was walking away from her, for six months. With the rest of the spouses and families, she waved as the USS Patrick Henry pulled out of the dock. Her eyes locked with his as he found his place on the deck. When she could no longer see the boat, she slowly made her way back to her car where she let loose. No longer were silent tears coursing down her face, but violent sobs wracked her body. She had lost a part of her heart and soul, of her body. Her hand clutched her tags, remembering his promises of love and devotion. Slowly the tears stopped enough for her to be able to drive home. But home was no longer her apartment in Georgetown, but his studio north of Union Station, where she could be surrounded by him.

I cried
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy
Too young for him they told her
Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier
Our love will never end
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again
Never more to be alone when the letter said
A soldier's coming home

Two weeks later, the first letter arrived. They had been emailing each other constantly, but seeing his messy scrawl made her feel so connected with him. She was hunched over a case file when Tiner brought it in to her.

"Ma'am? This arrived for you today." She has immediately recognised his writing and thanked the Petty Officer before ripping open the envelope.

"My Darling Sarah,

It hasn't even been an hour since I left you on the dock. I hate that I was the cause of the tears I saw running down your beautiful face. I can't wait to see you again and be with my marine. I already miss you and want to jump ship. At this point, I'd swim back to Norfolk if I thought I'd get away with it! I hope by the time this reaches you that you are feeling more at ease about my being deployed. I promise to stay safe. I promise I will come back to you. I promise to put that ring where it belongs. I have been questioning whether I did the right thing on the dock with that or not from the moment I stepped onto the ship. I want to marry you so much right now.

I love you, Ninja Girl. Stay safe, stay happy. I'll be home before you know it!

Your Sailor,

Harm"

She stared at the page in her hands. A knock at the door caused her to look up.

"Dinner tonight, Sarah?"

"Mic, I've told you, I'm not interested. And my name is Mac. Don't call me Sarah ever again." 'Sarah' was Harm's thing. She didn't want Mic's sleazy voice breaking that magic.

"Come on sweetheart, you know you want to."

"No, Mic. I'm not interested. Can't you take no for an answer?"

"No. And you won't be able to keep saying no for long."

"She said 'No' Brumby. What about that don't you understand?" AJ's voice came from behind him. Suitably chastised, Mic sulked away to his office. "Can I come in, Colonel?"

"Thank you, Sir," she said as he shut the door and settled into one of the visitors' chairs.

"Did you get one too?" he asked indicating to the envelope on her desk.

"Yeah." She didn't need to say anything for her CO to know she was missing Harm desperately.

"He asked me to look after you, Mac. You know, if you need anything, I'm here for you."

"Thank you, Sir." Unconsciously, her hand moved to play with her dog tags. She pulled them out from under her uniform, lifted the chain from her neck and handed them to her friend and boss. "Before he left, he told me he was planning on asking me to marry him when he got home. He sandwiched the engagement ring between our tags. Every time I see the ring, I want to jump the next COD to the Henry and bring him home with me."

"And that's why you haven't been back to your own apartment in two weeks?" She nodded slowly, taking the offered chain back from her CO and slipping it over her head.

"His place smells like him. I feel safe there." AJ nodded. He knew the pain of being separated from your loved ones because of military life.

"Just remember, you have lots of friends here who want to help."

"Harm,

AJ came and saw me today and asked if I'd received a letter from you today too. He told me you'd asked him to look out for me. Do I need to write out my 'I'm a Marine' speech? Despite being a Marine, I love you and appreciate your concern. I'm counting down the seconds until you're due to dock at Norfolk.

I keep looking at the ring around my neck. Today I showed AJ. It felt good to acknowledge this thing to someone. I love it. I can't believe that you had it ready to give me. We didn't even know where we stood ourselves until the day before you left!

I have a confession to make. I have been spending most of my time in your apartment. It makes me feel like you're close, like you could walk through that door at any moment. I miss you, I love you.

Always YOUR marine,

YOUR ninja girl,

YOUR Sarah"

Letters arrived daily from that day on and emails came through two to three times a day. Three weeks after the first letter arrived, Mac checked her computer and smiled. Another email.

"Sarah,

I'm off to fly over Afghanistan in a few hours. There have been reports of ground troops building to fight the allied forces. This mission is recon with the prospect of taking out camps if need be.

I know you don't want to talk about it, but if anything happens, please know that you're the best thing in my life, that I will have done everything I could to come back to you and it just wasn't enough. I love you more than anything, Sarah MacKenzie. You are it for me. If I don't come back, talk to Clay, get him to find out what he can. Then promise me that you will move on with your life. My greatest wish is that you, Sarah, will be happy.

I don't have the words to tell you how much I love you. I wish I could hold you one more time before I go up again, I wish I could kiss you, make love with you, but the powers that be have deemed we are better off apart. I love you more than anything else.

I love you.

Harm"

Looking at the timestamp on the email, she noticed that he'd sent it 4 hours ago. She'd been in court all afternoon and hadn't seen it until now. She quickly shot back a reply.

"Flyboy,

I will never love anyone like I love you. Remember that. Fly safe and remember you have to come home to me. I will write again when I have more time. I love you so much it hurts. Without you, I am only half a person.

Your Sarah"

Hitting send, she jumped up and rushed to the bathroom, a hand over her mouth.

At the same time, a convoy of F-14s flew over the Afghani desert. Below them, someone discharged a hand held rocket launcher. A direct hit. Moments before the bird exploded in a ball of flames, two parachutes could be seen floating down into enemy territory. A piece of metal flew past one of the other panes. The word "Hammer" could clearly be read in black stencilling.

So the letters came from an army camp
In California then Vietnam
And he told her of his heart
It might be love and all of the things he was so scared of
He said, "When it's getting kinda rough over here,
I think of that day sittin' down at the pier.
And I close my eyes and see your pretty smile.
Don't worry but I won't be able to write for awhile."

Harriet smiled as she watched Mac return from her fifth dash to the bathroom in the last hour. This had been the morning ritual for the past week. She was looking tired and pale. No one dared approach her. She hadn't been able to stomach her normal Marine grade coffee for weeks – and a Marine without caffeine was something to be feared. Harriet knocked on Mac's office door.

"Ma'am? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, must have eaten something bad." Even as she said it, she didn't believe it. Her normal appetite had vanished and she hadn't eaten anything substantial for the past couple of weeks.

"Permission to speak freely?"

"Granted."

"Any chance you could be pregnant?" Mac's face paled further and she counted backwards. Harm left six weeks ago.

Three hours later, Mac walked through the bullpen and signalled to Harriet to follow her. Once in her office, she handed Harriet a letter on Bethesda letterhead. Harriet pulled her friend into a tight hug and let her cry into her shoulder. Outside the office, their colleagues looked on, perplexed, before quickly scattering as the two women made their way to their CO's office. Letter in hand, Mac knocked on the door.

"Flyboy,

It's been a few days since I last heard from you. I hope everything is okay, that you're just busy. You need to stay extra safe now. It's not just me you're coming back to. You made good on your promise we made the day little AJ was born. I need you back. I don't want to be a single mom from the word go. What do you think? A little boy with my looks and your brains, or a girl with your looks and my brains? Please, just let me know you're okay.

Sarah"

The email remained unread, unseen, unanswered. Five days after his last email, Sarah was called into Chegwidden's office. This was the part of his job he hated.

"Mac, sit down." The use of her nickname unnerved her when used in this office. "Mac, I need to tell you. Harm's plane was shot down. Other pilots saw the 'chutes, but they haven't been able to locate either Harm or his RIO. Today he was officially declared MIA." By now she was a wreck. She wrapped her arms tightly around her waist as her body heaved with violent sobs. She was vaguely aware of sliding off the chair and lying curled on the floor. She barely felt her CO gently pick her up and hold her as she howled. Her brain registered but didn't acknowledge that Harm's mother and step-father had been informed. Her hand clasped but didn't accept the letter that AJ placed in it, the familiar scrawl written across the front, causing her tears to come harder and faster. She didn't acknowledge Harriet taking over comforting her. She didn't hear AJ order Tiner to clear the bullpen. She didn't feel Bud wrap her jacket around her shoulders. She didn't understand her movement to AJ's SUV. It wasn't until Harriet stripped her of her uniform and she was firmly encased in Harm's sweats and tshirt, wrapped in his blankets that she finally felt anything. In her mind's eye she saw Harm's battered body lying on the ground in the Afghani desert.

In the small town of Azaw, a man made his way down an ally and into the basement of a building. His light brown hair stood out. If he was going to get them out of here alive, he'd need help, he'd need to take his time. In the underground bunker, two figures in US Navy flight suits lay, unconscious on the hard concrete floor.

Eight months and two weeks after Harm shipped out, Harriet stood beside Mac, encouraging her as she brought Kaly Sarah Rabb into the world. She was named for the rose garden in which her parents met and her great grandmother who doted on her. Every night, her mother cried for the father Kaly may never know.

For two years, every Wednesday, she called Clayton Webb. Every Wednesday she was met with the same recorded message.

"This is Webb. Leave a message and I'll call you back when I can." Every Wednesday she left the same message.

"Clay, it's Mac. Please call me back. I need to know what you know about Harm. Please."

AJ watched on as his Chief of Staff carried out her duties without passion, simply going through the motions. Every Thursday he called Kershaw. Every Thursday he got the same response.

"Rabb has been reported MIA. We don't know any more than you do."

"Sir?" Harriet asked from the door of the Admiral's office.

"Yes?"

"Sir, the Redskins are playing at home on Saturday for the veterans round. I was wondering if I had your permission to organise a JAG outing?"

"I think that's a good idea, Harriet. Make sure you get Mac and Kaly there. She could do with some cheering up."

"Aye aye, Sir."

Saturday dawned bright and sunny, despite the November chill. Mac reluctantly dragged her tired body out of bed as she heard her toddler cry softly. Kaly had always been a good baby. She had the piercing blue eyes of her father, his soft brown hair and his height. Most people thought she was older than she was simply because she was so tall. She could be as stubborn as anything, but was generally a calm and gentle soul, much like her father. Mac smiled as the picture that sat on one wall of the nursery. It had been a present from the Roberts family when Kal was born – she needed to see her father, know who he was. From the wall, Mac saw herself and Harm smiling down on Kal's crib, their arms wrapped around each other, laughter lining their faces. After checking Kal was okay, Mac showered and then got her daughter sorted, a red bow in her hair for the DC Redskins, before heading down to wait for the Roberts clan to pick them up.

Under the cover of darkness, three Americans ran for the hills. If they got over them tonight, they'd be safe. The scrambled, slipping on the soft sand, tripping over rocks. Just as they reached the summit, gun fire lit up the sky. With a thud, three bodies hit the desert sand.

Surrounded by her friends, she felt safe. Kaly sat on AJ's lap, giving Mac a much needed break from her energetic toddler. She smiled at her daughter. It hurt to see him in her every day, reminding her what she was missing, what he was missing, but at the same time, she was comforted by the small slice of him she'd been able to capture. The Rabb legacy would live on, even if he wasn't here to see it. As one, the stadium stood, bringing Mac out of her musings. She gently took Kaly back from her CO and sat her on her hip. A local choir stood out in the centre of the field and recited the Lord's Prayer and sung the national anthem, accompanied by the crowd. The two coaches joined them in the middle of the field and asked for a minute silence in remembrance of those who fought and are fighting to keep this great land safe. Mac clutched her daughter to her chest tightly as silent tears coursed down her face. She offered up a silent prayer to whoever was listening that Kaly would one day be able to meet the man that helped create her, the man who held her mother's heart in his.

Slowly, three achy bodies pushed themselves from the dirt. The gunfire had ceased and they finally felt safe enough to move again. Together they crawled up the hill and dropped down over the crest and into safety.

One Friday night at a football game
The Lord's Prayer said and the Anthem sang
A man said, "Folks would you bow your heads
For a list of local Vietnam dead."
Crying all alone under the stands
Was a piccolo player in the marching band
And one name read but nobody really cared
But a pretty little girl with a bow in her hair

It had seemed so real. For the first time since he was reported MIA, she had dreamt that he lay beside her and she still felt him there when she awoke the following morning. Her dream wasn't one of regret, wasn't one of loss, but one of hope.

They flew across the Atlantic on the final leg of their journey home. They would land at Andrews by lunchtime and, once assessed by the medics, they would be allowed to go on to their loved ones. He fingered the Marine Corps class ring and smiled. Soon he would be able to hold his Marine in his arms again and tell her how much he loved her.

Christmas Eve dawned and she spent the morning making sure everything was ready to go before bundling Kaly up. This Christmas she'd be a little more aware of what was happening. As she drove towards the airport she felt lighter than she had in over two years. She smiled as she watched her daughter toddle towards her grandparents and great grandmother. They dropped their bags off at the house that Trish and Frank had helped her buy, before heading off to the Wall. Mac lifted her daughter up and gently used her hand to trace the name engraved on the granite.

"This is your Grandpa, Kal. He was a hero. He inspired your daddy to be the hero he is. He is as much a part of this story as Grandpa Frank. When you're older, I'll tell you what I know about him," Mac whispered to her daughter. Sarah and Trish each wrap an arm around Mac and smile sadly at the name of the man that connects them all. Three generations of Rabb men taken far too young, leaving behind strong women to carry on the traditions. As four generations of Rabb women stood hugging each other, something righted itself in the world. Mac smiled at the two women who meant so much to her, who were her connection to the man she hadn't seen for years.

"Ladies, let's go to the Afghanistan wall." Frank led his girls down the mall to the much newer wall. Far fewer names filled this space, but again, 'Rabb, Harmon' was amongst them. Tears filled Mac's eyes as she traced her partner's name. In all the years of dreaming about how her future would look, she had never dreamt that she would be bring her child to a granite slab to talk to their father.

"Harm, wherever you are, you need to listen to me. Your daughter and I need you. You need to come home to us, Flyboy. I need you." Tears coursed down her face, showing the desperation in her whispered words. "I love you."

Trish, Sarah and Frank had headed back to the car, but Mac wasn't ready to say goodbye yet. She carried Kaly back to the Vietnam Memorial. She sat on the ground with the sleepy toddler resting her head on Mac's shoulder.

"I needed you to keep him safe, Sir. Please, please bring him back to me. Kal needs her daddy. I need her daddy." Tears continued to run down her face as she stared up at the name. Mac felt Kaly shift on her shoulder.

"Daddy."

"Yeah Kal, we've spoken to Daddy tonight. Now we're sitting with Grandpa." Her voice showed her sorrow.

"Daddy!" Every time Kaly said that, she cringed, wishing Harm was here to hear his daughter call to him. She'd started talking to the photo on her wall, telling Daddy all sorts of toddler gibberish. Mac tried to tighten her grip on the toddler, but she wiggled out of her mother's grasp and ran to a pair of legs standing behind them. Mac turned, still trying to get control of her daughter. Her eyes followed the legs up, over a rugged body, to meet a pair of steel blue eyes.

"Harm?"

"DADDY!"

They lay wrapped in each other's arms, the moonlight dancing off her left ring finger. Their daughter curled up between them. In the guest bedrooms, his parents and grandmother lay. The shock of the past couple of hours was catching up with all of them.

"When did you find out about Kal?"

"A couple of days after your last email. I send you an email telling you I was pregnant, but never got a response."

"I never saw it. I would've made Webb get us out much faster if I'd known. As it was I was in no condition to move for quite some time. I don't remember much of the first couple of months."

"Every day I wanted to call you, to tell you about something. I wanted you to tell me all the morning sickness would be worth it in the end. I wanted you to share in Kal's birth. I wanted you by my side when she smiled for the first time, when she said Mama or Daddy for the first time, when she started walking. Harriet, Bud and AJ have been amazing, but they're not you."

"I'm never leaving you again."

Mac woke the next morning feeling more rested than she had in years. But something was wrong. The bed was empty. She couldn't hear Kal's soft morning whimpering. From downstairs, she heard a crash followed by Kal's cheeky giggle. She jumped out of bed and raced down the stairs to see what was happening to her daughter. She grinned as she watched Harm making pancakes, Kal sat on the kitchen bench far enough away from the stovetop that she couldn't burn herself. Mac stood unnoticed in the doorway.

"Shh Kal, you'll wake Mommy."

"Wake up!"

"No, rosebud, let her sleep. Mommy's tired. Can you help Daddy make pancakes for Mommy?"

"Pahcake!" Harm laughed and hugged his daughter to him. She was covered in pancake batter and yet he had never seen anything so gorgeous as his girl. Mac finally made her presence known, coming up behind Harm, gently kissing his bare back and wrapping her arms around his body.

"I was going to surprise you, Ninja Girl."

"I woke up and you weren't there. I thought I'd dreamt you coming home."

"No, I'm really here and I'm not going anywhere." The three of them stood together, arms wrapped around each other. The two adults had tears coursing down their faces.

"You missed so much with Kal. With me."

"I'll be there for the next one, Sarah." Mac laughed. He was so certain of this. He was home. For good. She reached up and kissed him passionately.

"I love you, Flyboy."

"I love you too, Ninja Girl."

AN:

1. I'm not from DC and have never been there so I don't know the logistics of getting from the wall to the river. I've looked on google earth and it seems possible, but who knows!

2. Kaly means 'Rosebud'

3. I know nothing about American football. I am an Aussie girl and it was hard enough writing "mom" not "mum"! In Aussie Rules (AFL) we have an ANZAC round where we pay tribute to the armed forces both past and present at the start of each match. I'm imagining that this is a similar event in the NFL. If not, I am using my artistic licence to make it so!

4. I know that the actual timing is a LOT out with this fic. Afghanistan didn't happen in reality until much later and the memorial from what I can see online is still not finished, but I'm taking artistic licence for the purposes of this story.