Disclaimer: I don't own JAG.
Author's Note:Takes placeseason eight and builds off most of the previous seasons, although I do take some liberty...
Stolen Kisses
She should have been happy. She should have been enjoying herself tonight. After all, it was Christmastime and she was surrounded by her closest friends, people who amounted to the closest thing to a family she had ever known. But she wasn't happy, and she knew that she couldn't enjoy herself when the one person who mattered most wasn't here. In fact, she had no idea where he was. That was the problem. He had promised her he'd be here in time for dinner, but they were moments from sitting down at the table and there was still no sign of him. She had left several messages on his cell phone and answering machine at home but he hadn't called her back. Her mind filled with all the possible scenarios, most of them involving him, an F-14 and a parachute – and of course these thoughts did nothing to sooth her frantic nerves.
"Mac, we're about to sit down."
Mac turned from the window and met the eyes of her CO. "I'll be there in a minute, sir."
"How many times do I have to tell you to drop the sir?" AJ said, smiling softly although his eyes were serious as he noticed her distress. "Mac, are you alright?"
Mac glanced around the room at her friends and colleagues who were beginning to drift into the adjacent dining room. She looked back fleetingly at the Admiral before looking back out the window again.
"Yes, sir," she lied.
AJ sighed heavily. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's Harm, isn't it?"
She choked back a cynical laugh. Yes, it was Harm. She could always count on him to turn her world upside down with something as simple as being late.
"He'll be here soon," AJ said quietly, his voice insistent and meant to be comforting.
Inexplicably, tears formed in Mac's eyes. She successfully held them back but even so it was impossible not to see how upset she was. AJ sighed again and suddenly grew angry. It was painfully obvious to him and to anyone with eyes who saw the Colonel and Commander together that they cared very deeply for each other. Scratch that – that they loved one another. And it seemed like Rabb was always doing something like this to her. Didn't he realise that every stupid heroic stunt he pulled ended up killing her, piece by piece? AJ thought back to all the trouble Harm had gotten himself into over the past seven years and felt the sudden urge to throttle the man. This woman didn't deserve that pain. AJ knew, of course, that Mac had inflicted her share of hurt on him, but somehow it was easier to blame Harm.
Seeing the state Mac was in now, however, only confirmed in AJ's mind that, despite their apparent inability to sort out their feelings for each other, they would figure it outone day. He was well aware of the depth of their loyalty for one another and he knew that this devotion alone would ensure that they made it. After all, one thing had remained constant throughout the years, despite all the chaos and all the things that fought to drive them apart – when it came down to it, they were always there for each other. Hell, she had followed him to Russia twice, and he couldn't count the number of times Harm had saved her. He also knew that Harm would kill any man who hurt her. But, judging by the unshed tears AJ saw in Mac's eyes as she stared distraughtly out the window for any sign of the man he knew she loved, Harm seemed to have a tendency to inadvertently hurt her, too.
"Come on, Mac," he said quietly. "You and I both know the Commander very well. He'll be here."
She closed her eyes for a brief second, trying to gather herself together. She hated herself for acting like this in front of her CO, but AJ Chegwidden was also one of the most trusted men in her life after Harm and more like a father to her than her real father had ever been. At the same time, she felt weak, standing here crying when really she had no proof that anything bad had happened. For all she knew, he was stuck in traffic on the Beltway and that was all. But things were rarely that simple when it came to Harm.
Mac forced a brave smile onto her lips and she nodded at AJ. "I know."
"Come on, let's go inside. God, it smells delicious! Harriet has managed to pull together an amazing dinner and it would be a shame for us to miss a second of it," AJ said. He gently guided Mac away from the window and towards the dining room.
Mac took her usual seat at the table but had to fight back another flood of tears when she saw Harm's spot empty across from her. She forced herself to focus on the present, however, not wanting to ruin things for anyone. But her heart just wasn't in it, and as a result Mac was quieter than normal during the joking and reminiscing that accompanied dinner. Part of her resented themfor being able to laugh when no one had any idea where Harm was. It bothered her especially when Sturgis began relating stories of the antics he and Harm had gotten themselves caught up in during their Academy days together. How could they talk about him when they didn't know where he was, when they didn't know whether he was safe or not? At one point Bud even made a crack at how it was just like the Commander to be late, and they joked that he was probably busy stopping a missile strike or foiling the plans of some terrorist on his way home. That was almost her breaking point – how could they possibly manage to sit there and laugh about Harm and his predilection towards heroics? Didn't they all realise that one day those heroics would get him killed?
This was too hard. She had always hated it when Harm went flying, yes,but she had never reacted this strongly before. Knowing Harm he probably had gotten himself into trouble. If it wasn't one thing, it was another, so shewasn't really jumping to conclusions at his absence. But normally, she wasable to maintain her faith in him and trust that he would manage to getthrough it. He always had in the past. Nothing really was different about today, except that it was Christmas, perhaps, and Mac knew the luck Rabb men had flying on Christmas. But she tried her best to push such thoughts out of her head.
She managed to last through almost the whole meal, but when Harriet returned from the kitchen with the dessert Mac felt the tears threaten once again. He wasn't here yet. Dinner was over and there was still no sign of him. She was about to excuse herself to go to the bathroom, feeling the storm of tears building, but all of a sudden the doorbell rang and she forgot her tears as hope took over. Harriet began to get up to answer the door but Mac hastily stood up and gently lay a hand on her friend's shoulder, pushing her back down into her chair.
"No, Harriet, let me get it. You've been on your feet all day."
"Are you sure, ma'am?"
"Yes, don't worry about it."
The soft laughter continued as Mac left the room. She walked quickly down the hallway. Every step she took closer to the front door made her heart beat faster. She could almost swear that the indistinct outline of the man she saw on the other side of the frosted glass belonged to Harm. She hopelessly told herself to calm down before pulling open the door.
Harm stood on the other side with his arms loaded down with Christmas gifts. He was still wearing his uniform and his hat and shoulders were dusted with the snow that had begun to fall a couple hours earlier. He looked at her as she opened the door and smiled widely at her, not seeming to realise the chaos her life had recently been in because of him.
"Hey, Mac. Merry Christ –"
But his words were cut off when she propelled herself into his arms, throwing her arms around his neck and colliding against him with a force powerful enough to send him stumbling backwards a couple of steps onto the porch.
"– mas," Harm finished, surprised by her reaction. After a few seconds of shock, he began to realise just how tightly she was holding on to him, and he responded the only way he knew how. He dropped his heavy load of gifts without a second thought, letting them crash to the floor with a noise neither noticed, and wrapped his arms around her.
"Hey," he said, trying to lighten the mood with a weak joke. "If I knew this is how you'd greet me, I think I'd always try to be late."
She started to sob into his neck, and it was then that Harm was sure something was wrong. Not that he wasn't pretty sure the second he had seen her face when she opened the door, but crying openly like this certainly wasn't like her. He glanced into the house and heard the laughter and voices coming from the dining room. Without really thinking, he stepped forward and closed the front door while still holding onto Mac. Somehow he knew she didn't want anyone else to see her like this, and besides, he wanted to know what the hell was going on. He slowly shuffled over to the bench in the corner of the porch with Mac still clutching onto him desperately, but he didn't sit down. They stood there for a long moment as Mac struggled to get her emotions under control.
"Hey, Mac," he whispered, rubbing his hands on her back and kissing the top of her head. "Hey, Mac, it's okay. It's alright."
"You're late," she said, her voice muffled by his chest. They were the first words she had spoken to him.
He pulled back slightly, trying to study her face. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were red and still teary. She sniffed back her remaining tears and looked at him accusingly. Despite how unbelievably glad she was that he was here and holding her in his arms, she wasn't about to let him get off easy for what he had put her through the past few hours. He had terrified her, and she was angry.
"Mac, I'm sorry."
"What happened?"
"It's a long story."
"Tell me."
He sighed, lifting a hand away from her back to wipe the lingering tears on her cheeks. "Now? It's freezing out here, Mac. Let's go inside."
"No," she stated.
Harm looked at her carefully. He saw the determination in her eyes along with something else – traces of fear. And then he realised what was wrong. Him. He had done this to her.
"Oh God, Mac, I'm so sorry," he breathed. "I'm sorry I'm late. But I have a good excuse, really."
"I'd love to hear it."
He reluctantly let her go and gestured to the bench behind them. She sat down, biting her lip to maintain her cool, angry façade. As he sat down beside her, he shook off his uniform jacket and put it around her shoulders. She accepted it not to appease his gentlemanly instincts but simply because it was quite cold outside and she was only wearing a short-sleeved dress. And, guiltily, she always loved wearing his clothes.
After he explained to her what had happened – how he and Boone had missed their flight and, once they had finally gotten their hands on a plane, had been sidetracked by a transport plane carrying Toys for Tots that needed their help landing – Mac didn't say anything right away. She sensed he was leaving something out of his story and she didn't quite believe him. He noticed her skepticism and sighed, reaching for her hand.
"Mac, I'm sorry. I really am."
She couldn't bring herself to look at him. Just the fact that he was holding her hand now sent her mind into a frenzy. She could hardly manage to keep herself from bursting into tears once again. So she said nothing.
"Mac," he pressed, leaning forward. "Mac, please look at me. I said I was sorry for being late."
"Apology accepted," she said, but her voice was cold and unforgiving. She rose from the bench, almost jerking her hand out of his grasp, and walked a few feet away from him.
"Mac," he said, rising, too. But he knew enough not to approach her. "Mac, what do you want me to say? I did everything in my power to get here on time. I'm sorry I was late. It couldn't be avoided."
"I left four messages on your machine. Why didn't you pick up your cell?"
"It's kind of hard when you're busy flying over the Atlantic to answer your phone. I'm sorry."
A moment of silence passed. And then Mac said, "You missed dinner."
"I know. I'm sure there's a lot left over, though, knowing Harriet."
Mac said nothing. She turned to him slowly and he saw the surrender in her eyes. "I was scared," she whispered, crossing her arms across her chest and pulling the sides of his jacket closer around her. "You have this tendency of getting yourself into sticky situations. I thought this was one of them."
Harm listened to her helplessly. Seeing the residual traces of fear in her eyes, he felt a wave of guilt sweep over him. Of course he knew that she hated it when he went flying. She always had, and really, given his track record, he couldn't blame her. But until this moment, when he saw what worrying about him did to her, he hadn't realised just how much his flying bothered her.He had to know…
"I asked you once," he began hesitantly, "if I gave you nightmares…you never answered."
"Do I really have to? Yes, Harm, you give me nightmares. Every damn time."
Her voice broke. He met her eyes and felt his heart break. "I'm sorry, Mac. I – I didn't know just how much it affected you."
She sighed, feeling the exhaustion from spending the last four anxious hours worrying about him catch up with her all of a sudden. "I know. It's not your fault."
"Of course it is. Who else's is it? It's certainly not yours."
"It's not your fault, Harm," she repeated. "It's just the way things are. I just haven't learned to cope with it yet. I wonder how your mother ever managed to."
The fact that she had compared her situation with that of his mother did not escape him. For her part, she didn't seem to notice what she had said as she stepped closer to him. An action of peace.
"I don't know if she has yet," he said, his response delayed somewhat.
The distance between them had virtually disappeared. She looked up at him with those huge chocolate brown eyes he had fallen into the first time they met in the Rose Garden all those years ago. He still hadn't managed to find his way out of them successfully, even after all this time. Tentatively, as though testing the water, he reached out a hand and traced the line of her jaw, hoping she would be able to feel the compassion he had for her. She let out a heavy sigh and moved into his arms, resting her cheek on his shoulder as he held her gently, raking his fingers through her hair.
"Then there's no hope, huh?" she said, her voice muffled somewhat by his shoulder. "This is what it's going to be like every time, forever?"
"Well, forever may not be too much longer," Harm said, remembering what had happened.
"What are you talking about?" She didn't lift her head from its position.
"The CAG warned me that if I deviated from the flight plan he would have my wings. When I helped that transport land, I pretty much gave him the excuse he's always wanted to keep me out of the cockpit."
Mac didn't understand what she was hearing. "That's ridiculous. He can't do that."
"Sure he can. And – and, to be honest, I don't know if I'm going to fight him on it."
Mac closed her eyes tightly, letting out a low, shaky breath. She hated herself for her next words, but she knew that she would hate herself more if she didn't say them at all. "Of course you will," she said. "No Rabb I know would let some petty man take away the most precious thing in his life without putting up a solid fight first."
Now it was Harm's turn to close his eyes as he tightened his hold on her. Her words pierced him to the core. Was that what she thought of him? He knew that it was now or never, and so he kissed her hair and whispered, "But I'm holding the most precious thing in my life right now."
Mac froze. He felt her tense up and decided to give her the option of flight, dropping his arms away from her and making it easy for her to pull away if she wanted to. And she did. She took a couple staggering steps backwards, staring at him with wide eyes. Once her heart finally started up again, it began to race out of control, and she had to fight to maintain her balance. What had he just said? Did he just…did he just freely admit that she was important to him – that she was in fact the most important thing in his life? Had she heard him correctly, or was this just her subconscious playing a cruel joke on her?
"Mac. Say something," he begged.
"I don't know how you can say that," she said, her voice low. She was surprised the instant the words left her mouth because that wasn't at all what she had intended to say.
He could only stare at her. While he hadn't necessarily been planning on saying what he had or on going this far tonight, he certainly had never anticipated this response from her. She was angry.
"I don't know how you can say that when – when everything that's happened has happened."
She let the words out in a rush.
"Mac…"
"With everything that's happened…damn it, Harm! Throw me another curveball, why don't you?"
"Mac?"
She was confusing him now, she saw. Good. Let him be the confused one for once. She had spent the better part of the last seven years confused as to what his intentions were. And now she was even more bewildered.
"You say I'm important to you, yet you break my heart time and again."
There, the words were out. Now it was up to him.
"What? When?" He seemed truly shocked.
"When? Damn you, Harm! When should I start? When you left to go flying, I guess. Sydney. My engagement party. The night Mic left. Do you want me to go on? I can, you know," she said, not really wait for an answer, anyway. She began pacing the porch as her frustration with him and with them, finally found its voice. For his part, he could only stare at her as she continued her ran. "How about every dumb blonde you ever dated? Annie, Jordan, Renée…Do you know what it was like seeing you with them? The idea that you would rather be with train wrecks like them instead of me –"
"Mac, that's hardly fair."
"Is it? Annie was a virtual basket case, Jordan was an insecure, possessive shrink, and Renée…well. Even you must be able to see why Renée was –"
"Enough!" Harm cried.
Mac abruptly stopped talking and gaped at him.
He sighed and began pacing, too, although he was careful not to approach her. "Mac, listen to me. Renée and Jordan and Annie – they weren't what I wanted. They weren't who I wanted. They were just second-best."
"Then why didn't you tell me how you felt? You've had seven years."
"It's a two-way street, Mac."
"I tried to, excuse me!"
"By becoming engaged to another man?"
"The only reason I said yes to Mic was because you had said no," Mac said, staring him boldly in the eye and daring him to contradict her. "That night in Sydney…"
Harm finished the thought for her, "…I wish it had never happened."
Mac looked at him plaintively. Her anger had left her now that she had indulged in her frustration somewhat, and she saw him surrender, too. He sighed heavily and took a couple of steps closer to her, relieved when she didn't back away.
"I'm sorry," he said, for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. But it was true. "I'm sorry…for everything. I admit I made mistakes. There are things that I did or said in the past that I wish I could take back or do differently. But this is where we are now, Mac, and I'm trying to be honest with you. When I said that I probably wasn't going to fight the CAG for my wings, it wasn't just some spur of the moment thing I blurted out. I've been thinking a lot about this, actually. But seeing what my flying does to you is making my decision a hell of a lot easier."
"Harm –"
"No, let me finish," he said, stepping up to her and reaching out to pick up her hand. "My next quals are in six months. I've got until then to make up my mind. But I think I pretty much have already."
Mac searched his eyes to see if he was actually serious. "Harm, flying is everything to you. It's so much of who you are. You can't just give it up."
"Who said anything about giving it up? I'll always have Sarah. I just don't need to be going on combat missions anymore. I'm not as young as I used to be, in case you haven't noticed."
"I haven't," Mac said with a soft, teasing smile.
He returned her smile with one of his own, but he quickly grew sober again as he became lost in her eyes. The smile faded from her lips, too, as she unconsciously stepped closer to him. It seemed like they were standing there staring at each other for eons, neither able to look away while the invisible force between them that had been directing their lives for so long drew them closer and closer. After what was really only a moment, Harm lifted his other hand, the one that wasn't holding onto hers, and cupped her cheek tenderly, wiping away a tear that had fallen without her realising it. Slowly, he leaned forward until their noses just barely brushed together. Mac could feel his breath on her face. She lifted her hand to touch his cheek, feeling the stubble beginning to grow there. They remained like that for what seemed like forever, on the verge of crossing that line they had spent most of the past seven years circling around, neither believing any of what was happening.
But all of a sudden during that moment, Mac saw their entire relationship flash before her eyes. Every failed conversation, every futile attempt to take that extra step towards something more, every significant look, every stolen kiss – everything returned to her then. And it all seemed so daunting. How could this possibly work when the past seven years hadn't? No matter what they tried, they hadn't been able to make it work before, so what made her think they could do it now? Life always managed to come between them, even during those rare times when they were actually on the same page. There were always boyfriends or girlfriends or their work. Duty – to others, to themselves, to the uniforms on their backs. She thought about every time she had watched him risk his life in a plane and the feeling that overcame her every time he went up returned to her now. It was a sensation that made her feel as though she were hanging onto the very edge of herself, a feeling that only left her when he was safe on the ground once again. She felt her heart constrict around itself in a paroxysm of pain.
"I can't do this," she whispered, a millisecond before his lips were about to meet hers.
He froze and opened his eyes, but hers were still pressed tightly shut as she began to cry. He dropped his hand away from her face and took a step back, feeling his heart threaten to explode.
"Why not? What do we have to lose?" he asked. His voice sounded as desperate as he felt.
"Everything!" she shouted, opening her eyes and staring at him desperately, praying that he would understand. "Harm, if we – if we do this…we risk losing each other. I – I wouldn't be able to stand that. I just wouldn't. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me and I can't afford to lose you."
"You won't."
"You say that now."
"No, Mac. You won't ever lose me. I swear to you."
"How can you promise me something like that? The fates are against us, clearly, or else we would have been past this conversation seven years ago. Harm, so much has come between us…I can't even count the number of times I thought you were dead or gone forever – all those times I began to grieve for you, not knowing if you were alive or dead…! I can't do that anymore."
"Mac, listen to me," he said, taking a step towards her and holding her face in his hands, bending down slightly so he was eye level with her. "I promise you that you will never lose me and I swear to you that this will work. And the reason I know this is true is because I love you and I'm not about to lose you, either."
He didn't give her a chance to react before he kissed her. For a long while she simply remained motionless from her shock as he held her in her spot. But after a moment she closed her eyes and began to fall into the kiss, not really having any say in the matter, anyway, seeing as it was impossible not to respond to the sensation of his lips on hers. It was a soft kiss, tender and full of every unspoken declaration of love between them. Harm was the one to pull back first. They held their foreheads together as they recovered, somehow needing the contact.
"We seem to have an affinity for front porches at dinner parties, don't we?" Mac asked, her voice breathless.
Harm laughed, giving her his flyboy grin that always caused her heart to beat faster. "It's one of my better addictions – you and stolen kisses."
Mac barely waited for the words to leave his mouth before she kissed him again, wrapping her arms around his neck as he returned the kiss with full force. Things quickly escalated to the point where all Harm wanted to do was take her home and just forget about Christmas and everyone who was waiting inside the house for them. For her part, all Mac wanted was to spend the rest of her life on that porch. But her internal clock told her that it had been ten minutes since she had gone to answer the door, and, knowing that her absence would have been noticed by now, Mac fought against herself and pulled away from him.
"The Admiral's probably going to send out a search and rescue party soon," she said as she held his face in her hands, trying to keep him from continuing his assault on her mouth.
"In that case we should find a better hiding spot," he breathed, crushing her against him once again. But at the first opportunity, Mac squirmed out of his arms, holding his hands to keep him away but he overpowered her and began to plant feathery kisses along her neck.
"Oh God," she breathed, trying in vain to resist. "Harm….Harm. Harm, stop."
The gentleman in him heard the magic word, and, although he hated it, he listened. He sighed and took a half-step back so there was some distance between them, although he didn't let go of her. His eyes pleaded with her and she had to laugh at him.
"We need to go in," she said. "Dinner just ended so we're probably going to start exchanging gifts soon. We can leave right after that, okay?"
Harm grudgingly agreed and they went inside, stopping first to pick up the presents he had unceremoniously dropped onto the porch floor earlier. Everyone had already moved to the living room and looked up at them when they came in. Mac lingered by the doorway as Harm went around saying hello. After a moment she became aware of someone watching her and she knew it was the Admiral. When she gathered enough courage to look at him, she saw the knowing look in his eyes and felt the blush creep up into her cheeks. She abruptly looked away but in a moment AJ had quietly appeared by her side. She didn't meet his gaze as they both watched Harm bend down to play with little AJ.
"What was his excuse this time?" AJ asked.
Mac laughed. "Playing hero again, of course."
She was able to laugh at it now only because he was safe and back with her where he belonged.
"Nothing new there. But I told you he'd come, didn't I?"
"Yes, sir, you did."
They were quiet for a moment. Both saw Harm glance away from little AJ and search the room for her. When their eyes met, a bolt of electricity passed between them and Mac was sure that there was no way the Admiral couldn't have felt that shock, too. Harm gave her a quick smile that sent rays of warmth radiating down her entire body before he returned his attention to the young boy pulling on his pants leg. Mac glanced at the older AJ standing beside her. He had a smug expression on his face.
"Admiral," she began hastily, but he cut her off.
"There's nothing to say, Mac," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "But do me a favour, will you?"
"What's that, sir?"
"Wait until next Thursday before you make it public, will you? That's my day in the office pool."
Mac couldn't help but gape at the back of her CO's head as AJ walked away laughing to himself. Harm soon joined her and handed her a glass of apple cider.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I think we've been found out already."
"Let me guess – Harriet?"
"No. The Admiral, actually."
"The Admiral! Well…was he angry?" Harm asked, somewhat fearful.
"No," Mac said slowly. She smiled softly to herself after a pause. "He seemed to be relieved, in fact. I – I think he had always known."
Harm switched his glass to his other hand and reached discreetly behind her to rest his hand on her lower back. His touch sent bolts down her spine. He leaned into her and whispered, "I thinkthey've all always known."
Mac glanced around the room as he said this and caught Harriet staring dreamily at them and Sturgis giving thema meaningful smile. They both abruptly turned away when they met her eyes but Mac smiled, knowing that Harm was right.
"How is it possible that everyone else could have known it except us?"
"We knew it, too," Harm answered, his voice soft. Mac looked up at him in surprise as he added, "I think we were just too scared to risk it."
"And now?" Mac asked, her breath catching in her throat.
"And now," he said in a low voice, leaning down to place a soft kiss on her mouth. "Now, I'm sick of being scared."
She stared at him in shock and quickly glanced around the room. She saw Harriet's wide, happy eyes and the Admiral's broad grin.
"Harm!" she hissed. "What are you doing?"
He laughed at her distress and nodded towards the ceiling. She looked up and saw a sprig of mistletoe hanging above them. He grinned at her.
"Relax, Mac. Where's your Christmas spirit?" he joked.
Mac glared at him. To get even, she reached her hand around him and placed it in his back pocket. He immediately stiffened and looked at her questioningly.
"It's at home. Maybe we should go find it," she suggested, her voice husky.
Harm swallowed. "But, uh, we haven't exchanged gifts yet."
Mac shrugged, giving him a devilish smile. "That's alright. I left yours at my place anyway."
Harm pulled her hand away and placed both of their glasses on the top of the piano. "I'll get our coats," he said hurriedly. "You say goodbye for us. Tell them I'm tired after my long flight or something. I'll be right back!"
Mac laughed as he darted out of the room. Harriet approached her and Mac apologetically told her that she was going to give Harm a ride home since he was tired and had taken a cab there. Harm returned in an instant with their coats and the two departed. As soon as they left, AJ walked over to the front window and watched as Harm pulled a laughing Mac down the steps to her car. But before opening the door for her, Harm crushed her against the car and captured her lips in a deep, passionate kiss. AJ grinned and turned back to the room full of people, who were all watching him expectantly.
"Well?" he said loudly. "Who had today?"
Sturgis stepped forward triumphantly, and a chorus of disappointed groans followed before they moved to the window to see for themselves.
Outside, Harm and Mac were oblivious to their audience as the world melted away, only to be replaced with one better than they had ever dreamed possible. They broke apart when a large snowflake landed in between them. Mac laughed, wiping the snow off her nose. She looked up at the man before her with shining eyes.
"What you said before," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck as he pulled her against him roughly, "about loving me…well, you should know that I love you, too. I have for the longest time, and I intend to do so forever."
Harm smiled softly at her before leaning down to place a soft kiss on her lips. When he pulled back he whispered to her, "Don't make a promise you can't keep."
"I haven't yet," she responded, holding his face in her hands and kissing him. "Let's go."
"Aye, aye, ma'am," Harm breathed into her ear, kissing her once more before finally stepping back and opening the door for her. She smiled at him once more before climbing in, and when he gently closed the door behind her Mac felt a wave of peace wash over her. In an instant, Harm was sitting beside her and backing out of the driveway. He reached absently for her hand which she took without hesitation, and they drove through the deserted streets in a restful silence. Mac couldn't remember a sweeter moment, and she felt her heart explode with pleasure as she realised that she had the rest of her life to look forward to sharing even more moments like this with him. The thought made her cry and Harm noticed her tears with alarm.
"Mac! What is it? What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she whispered, wiping away her foolish tears. "Nothing. That's just it. For the first time in my life, nothing's wrong."
Harm glanced at her and offered her a soft smile before returning his attention to the road. He squeezed her hand tightly.
"Me, too," he said. "Me, too."
Mac raised his hand to her mouth and kissed the back of his palm before dropping his hand in her lap, lacing their fingers together. She leaned her forehead against the cool glass of the window and let out a sweet sigh.
"Harm?"
"Yeah?"
"Drive faster."
She turned to him with eyes daring him to defy her, but he only gave her his flyboy grin once more and obeyed.