Set in season 10

The characters doesn't belong to me and all that...

The hike

Mac finished up her work and reached for some files she planned on looking at during the weekend. She was about to put them in her briefcase when she suddenly realized that she didn't want to work on them. She looked around the office and felt like it was strangling her. She didn't want to be there.

For weeks now the same feeling had haunted her. When she woke up in the morning she was dreading going to work. It was like something was bothering her, but she couldn't for the life of her understand what it was.

Maybe she needed a getaway. It had been a long time since she'd been on leave. She sat down in her chair and her eyes darted to the window. Somehow, life had managed to fly by her. At some point she should have met someone special, had a kid or two, made life about them and not about JAG.

She sighed. Harm had been slipping her hints lately, about them. Nothing straight forward, just small clues as to what he wanted. He would ask about her plans for weekends, he'd ask her to have dinner with him. Last Friday he had suggested a hike. Why hadn't she gone hiking with him ? She loved hiking. She loved spending time with Harm. She loved hiking with Harm.

She sighed again. Would it be so terrible if they got together? She knew he wanted her, he'd said so himself in his own evasive way. Having biological kids wasn't as important to him as having kids with her. They could adopt. That's what he'd said.

Once again she sighed. Maybe if she hurried she could reach him before he left. She could ask him about his plans, maybe even suggest that they'd go hiking this weekend. It had to be a good idea, because it did make her feel better just to think about it.

She stood, gathered her stuff and hurried out the door. He wasn't in his office, she could see that the lights were off. Damn, she'd missed him. Well, a phone call when she got home would do.

She left the bullpen and headed for the elevator.

"...a restaurant for you to take me to. An expensive one."

Mac saw Dr. Elgin send Harm a flirting look. She sighed.

Harm looked guilty when he asked her to join them.

She sighed again, but tried to decline politely.

They all entered the elevator. Mac felt exhausted all of a sudden. It was like someone had sucked all the powers out of her and left her with the ability to stay on her feet, but not much more.

She'd let too much time pass. Harm was tired of waiting for her. She understood.

"So, Mac. What's your plans this weekend?"

Mac realized that Harm had spoken to her. She tried to figure out what he'd said, but she came up empty. "What?"

"Are you okay, Mac?" He sounded worried.

"Yeah, why?" Maybe because you look worse than you feel, she thought.

"...come over and cook for you?"

Once again she'd been deep in thought instead of listening to him. "What?"

He looked even more worried. "Are you getting the flue? Petty Officer Pittman had it last week, and this week Lt. Grey got it..."

"No, just been a long week." Suddenly she felt a spike of something energetic. She decided to stake her claim on him. "How about a hike tomorrow?"

He still looked worried. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." She was on fire now, and offered a close to sincere smile. "It's what I need. Fresh air and good company."

He studied her with curiosity, wondering what had gotten into her. "If that's what you want I'll be the good company."

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. "I'll pick you up at 0800."

He nodded. A smile threatening to make an appearance. "I'll be ready."

She stepped off the elevator and as she walked out the doors and was hit with a breath of fresh air she felt better somehow. She'd made a move in the right direction.

The next day

They had walked for three hours, and Mac felt her spirits lift with every step she took. Harm was in a great mood, and kept singing songs to her while they walked. He had a nice voice, so she didn't mind at all. It was unusual for him to just sing out like that though.

"Are you in a good mood because of your date last night?" She asked, feeling lighthearted enough to add a teasing tone.

He stopped singing. "Date? It was just dinner."

"I thought you might be tired of waiting." She decided to be honest and hoped that it wouldn't lead them into a fight somehow.

"I'm not, just take your time." He said, surprising her.

She was quiet for a moment, thinking about how to tell him what she was thinking. "You were right when you said that it didn't matter how we created a child, as long as it happened between the two of us."

"I am usually right." His tone was teasing, and it made her feel so much better.

She stopped and stared at him. For a moment she had the strangest feeling that somehow everything would be okay, just as long as he didn't move on without her.

"...okay?"

She felt stupid. Once again she'd been lost in thought without listening to him. What had he asked her?

"Hello." He waved a hand in front of her. "Mac?"

"Yeah, what?" She noticed the worry in his eyes.

"Is something bothering you?" He put both his hands on each side of her face and studied her. "I'm worried about you, Mac."

He was being so serious, and suddenly she felt like crying. He was worried about her. About her! She felt the weight of the last year on her shoulders, and wondered if he could really make it go away. Make everything better somehow.

"Mac?"

"I want to leave JAG." She said suddenly.

"What?" He removed his hands from her face and put them on her shoulders. "Mac, what's going on with you?"

"I'm going to ask for a transfer." She had made up her mind.

"Is it to get away from me?" He looked horrified. "Look, if I have pressured you too much I can stop it. I can leave you alone, okay?" He looked so defeated.

She smiled the first sincere smile she'd smiled in a long time. "It is so that I can be closer to you."

"Closer?" His defeat was replaced with confusion.

"Yes. I'd like to be closer to you." She smiled wider.

At first he studied her with even more confusion. Then he leaned in and kissed her deeply. "Closer like that?" He asked when the kiss ended.

"Yes." She whispered. Yes! She was yelling inside.

TWO YEARS LATER

"Mac?" Harm yelled as soon as he'd shut the front door. "Mac?"

"In here." She called back. She realized that he didn't know where 'in here' was. "In the living room." She added.

"What's the hurry?" He said as he hurried into the living room.

"Stop." She ordered. "Stand there by the door."

She kissed their daughter's cheek and put her down on the floor.

"Daddy."

They watched as Hannah unsteadily walked her way towards her daddy with a big smile on her face.

"Oh my.. Mac, she's walking." He laughed out loud. "Amazing." He put his arms out as he sat down and reached for his little angel. "You're walking." He kissed her cheek and hugged her close.

"She's growing up." Mac walked over to her husband and daughter.

Harm smiled proudly. "You're daddy's little super-girl."

Mac leaned in and kissed him sweetly. "I love you."

"I love you too." He kissed her again. "And our little miracle." He kissed Hannah's cheek.

THE END