One week later

A.J Chegwidden's house

Harm walked out on the porch and counted the right amount of kids running around. The older kids played softball, while the youngest were climbing trees and running around. It was a chill in the air, but warm enough that a light jacket was enough. Spring was coming full force.

"Are the troops all accounted for?"

Harm turned smilingly to his former commanding officer. "They are all here."

A.J handed Harm a beer. "Mac looks great."

Harm took the beer and leaned back on the railing. He smiled by the mentioning of his wife. "She always does."

"You're a lucky man, Harm. Smartest thing you ever did was marrying her." A.J smiled as he sat down in one of the chairs on the porch.

"Well, I had to do something smart eventually, right?" Harm laughed softly.

A.J laughed too. "How is it being JAG?"

"Acting JAG," Harm corrected. "It's fine. Young made a mess of things, but it's calming down. I still don't agree with SecNav about letting him off the hook when it came to the accusations of sexual harassment. They let him off easy."

"Politics."

"It's a hell of a thing." Harm put his beer down on the railing and crossed his arms. "I don't know A.J. Maybe I should just retire."

"It's an option of course. If it's what you want. I personally believe that you'd make a fine JAG."

"I appreciate that."

"You have a great family, Harm. Mac will support you no matter what you decide." A.J stood. "But make sure you don't decide based on a bad conscience. The kids, and Mac, they are all proud of you. Hell, I'm proud of you."

"I'm just afraid that I'll miss out on what's important. Seven years ago, I wouldn't have thought about it twice, but things have changed."

"For the better I would say." A.J smiled and turned when Mac walked out on the porch.

"Everyone accounted for?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am." Harm smiled as she walked over to where he stood and did her own counting. "You don't trust my ability to count right?"

Mac turned to him with a teasing smile. "The Marines like to double check when the Navy makes reassurances."

"I'm glad to see that nothing has changed," A.J smiled. "You look lovely, Mac. Is Harm behaving?"

"Surprisingly well." Mac offered a sweet smile in her husband's direction. "How are Francesca and the grandkids?"

"They are great. I'm visiting them next week and staying for a month."

They all turned when Harriet stepped out on the porch. "Everything okay out here?"

"I've counted them, and Mac counted them to make sure, so yes, they are all here," Harm reassured.

Harriet smiled. "Thank you so much for inviting us, A.J."

"It was about time we found the time to catch up," A.J said and smiled. "Did you have the recipe on that shrimp salad?"

"Absolutely, let me write it down for you."

Harriet and A.J left the porch, and Harm pulled his wife into his arms. "This is nice."

"It is," she agreed and kissed him. "Remember our first kiss out here?"

Harm smiled. "Oh yeah. The good old days when we would date, or in your case get engaged, to other people and pretend we were nothing more than friends and coworkers."

"Hey, you had your chance in Australia," she reminded him.

"Don't remind me," he pulled her close.

"People seem to pass through my life, except for you. Will you always be there?"

He smiled, remembering sitting on another porch with her, hearing her say just those words.

"I want you to know, that if you want a baby, in the future, the offer still holds. We could do it together, like we planned."

His words made her lift her head to look at him.

He ran his hand up her body, cupping her face. "We did good. It can't get any better than this."

She looked into his eyes. "You really mean that, don't you?"

"I really do," he smiled and kissed her softly. "Marrying you is the smartest thing I ever did."

"I agree," she said teasingly.

He laughed.

She sobered up. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Three days later

Mac was in her office getting some work out of the way while she waited for her husband to be ready for lunch. She was just about to rise to look for a lawbook she needed, when security appeared in her door.

"We have to secure the building. Everyone has to leave, ma'am."

Mac knew instantly that something had happened. "What happened?" she asked as she followed the guard.

"There's been a shooting."

Once out of the building she looked around for Harm, but he wasn't among them. She saw Bud and headed for him. Bud had just returned to duty on Harm's request, after being a civilian since he and his family left London three years ago. He had agreed to serve again, as Harm's Chief of Staff, when Harm had asked him after he became the Deputy Judge Advocate.

"Do you know anything? "she asked.

Bud hesitated. "The Admiral and Lieutenant Commander Graves have been taken hostage in the library, ma'am."

Mac's eyes widened and she temporarily forgot how to breath. "What happened? "

"I was in court, so I have no idea, Colonel. I'm sure we'll know soon," Bud reassured.

Mac felt panic take her, she turned and walked away. She needed to compose herself. She took a few deep breaths and looked around until she found who was in charge.

"Excuse me, I'm Colonel Mackenzie. What's going on in there?" she asked.

"Colonel, I'm Agent Tyke. I'm afraid it's too soon to tell. All we know is that shots were fired in the library," the agent said as someone yelled his name. "I have to go."

"Colonel?"

She turned and saw Bud approach her. "It's Graves client, Petty Officer Muck, in there with them. Apparently Harm went into the library in exchange of Lieutenant Lee. The Petty Officer threatened to kill Lieutenant Lee if she didn't get to see the JAG."

"Why would Petty Officer Muck do this?" Mac wondered.

"I don't know. She was facing charges for killing a fellow enlisted man, claimed that it was in self-defense. I have no idea why she'd make the situation worse for herself like this," Bud looked past Mac's shoulder. "Looks like they're going into the building."

Mac turned and saw agents getting ready to go into the building. "I think I need to sit down, Bud."

Bud steered her towards a bench. "It's Harm, he'll get out of this, he always does," he reassured and sat down with her.

"He has to," Mac said quietly and twisted her wedding ring.

"The press is here," Bud pointed to all the cars that were gathering, and people fixing cameras and getting ready to air. "Let's hope they'll be able to deliver good news."

The next two hours, time stood still while they waited for news. Bud managed to get some information as he was chief of staff, and he let Mac know everything he knew. They were trying to convince Petty Officer Muck to come out, but she wanted reassurances that she wouldn't be convicted, which no one could give her since she now had made a huge mess out of her situation.

It took another hour before Harm had convinced the Petty Officer to give up her gun. It took another ten minutes before Harm and Graves walked out of the building, then the Petty Officer came out in cuffs being led to a waiting car and driven off.

Mac didn't care about the police cordon when she saw her husband. She moved it over her head and walked to meet him. Harm smiled brightly when he saw her and gathered her into his arms.

"You're making my day a little bit more exciting than necessary, sailor," Mac said as she relaxed into his embrace.

"I'm sorry," he said and released her enough to look at her face. "I'm going to break Military protocol now," he leaned in and kissed her deeply, then hugged her close again. "I love you."

She smiled. "I love you too."

From there it was chaotic, with the press wanting their piece of the action. Then the building was cleared and they could return to their workstations.

Mac didn't get to see the press briefing by her husband until later in the day. He was run over with questions of what had transpired while he was being held at gunpoint. Most of it he couldn't answer, because there was still an investigation going on.

"Admiral, what were you thinking while you were held hostage? Did you ever fear for your life?"

"I was never really scared that the Petty Officer would shoot me, but in situations like that you never know for sure. I was mostly focused on finding a solution and get Lieutenant Commander Graves and myself out in one piece. My wife would kill me if I pulled any stunts and got hurt, so I used the power of speech," he said with a sparkle in his eyes.

"Colonel Rabb seemed glad to see you safe."

Harm smiled. "I did worry a little about her gearing up and coming after me," he joked, then sobered up. "It was nice seeing her there when I got out."

Mac shook her head in amusement and turned to go back to her office, noticing several amused looks in her direction. Her husband was going to pay for that remark, she thought.

When Harm got home that night he was talking on the phone with Mattie, who was worried after the day's events. He had barely gotten inside the house when Nathan and Claire jumped him, apparently, they had heard about what happened at JAG too.

"I'm fine," he reassured. "Sorry Mattie, I was jumped by the kiddos."

"No problem, I've got to go anyway. Tell everyone that I love them, and tell Mom not to make you pay too much for your remark at the press briefing."

Harm laughed softly. "I definitely will."

"Bye Dad. I love you," Mattie said.

"I love you too, and everyone sends their love."

Harm put his phone away. "Okay, so I guess you heard about what happened today?"

Nathan nodded. "We're happy you're okay."

"Really happy," Claire added. "Matthew doesn't know anything, and Mom said not to tell him."

"Sounds like a plan," Harm agreed as he headed for the kitchen. He found Mac arranging Chinese Take-out on the table. "Hi, beautiful."

She smiled sweetly. "You're such a charmer, Rabb. The press loves you."

He chuckled. "I didn't say anything that wasn't true," he stepped closer to her and put his arms around her. "It's a great day to be alive," then he kissed her deeply.

When he ended the kiss Mac was breathless, and had forgotten why she had planned on giving him a hard time. "Wow, Admiral, what was that for?"

"Just because I can," he said and kissed her again. "I love you."

She put her face close to his. "I love you more than you can ever know, and if that Petty Officer had as much as messed up a few hairs on your head I would have taken her out."

Harm smiled brightly. "That's my girl, my own beautiful protector. I'm glad you're on my team, Mackenzie."

She kissed him softly, letting it linger. "The kids are shaken up. They heard about it at school. I talked to them, but maybe you should take the time to do so too. Not Matthew though, he doesn't know anything."

Harm nodded. "I'll talk to them," he promised and let her go. "So, take-out?"

"Yes, I was craving Chinese," she said with humor.

He kissed her cheek. "I'll go change."