Having Each Other's Back

Epilogue.

Five days later.
Harm's loft
Washington, DC

"Got it!" Harm crowed, grinning broadly as he rose from where he'd been scrolling through job ads and reached for Mac, who was carefully fastening their miniature medals and Harm's wings onto their formal "mess dress" uniforms.

Wrapping his arms around her, he continued, "I've found our jobs!"

"What are we going to do?" Mac was happy to abandon the uniforms for the moment and turn to face Harm, lifting her face for his kiss.

"Mmmm…you're distracting me," he complained jokingly, planting lazy kisses on her cheeks as he held her close.

"ME?" Mac giggled, reaching up to return the favor and tugging him towards the couch.

Later.

"Guess we distracted each other" Mac chuckled softly, raising her head off Harm's chest far enough to survey the trail of clothes strewn across the floor as her fingers continued to idly rub his chest in slow circles.

"We're entitled." Harm smiled happily, nudging Mac's head down to his chest again, his hands caressing the back of her head. "Love you," they murmured in unison.

"So, what work are we going to do? That is, if we don't get fired for 'distracting' each other too much." Mac didn't really care what they did as long as they did it together. In between ….. well, making up for six and a half years of UST, they'd decided their future, at least for the short term.

Mac's apartment was empty and returned to its owner, who'd been only too happy to let her out of the remaining months on her current lease. Gleefully informing her that he'd have it rented in two days for half again what she'd been paying, he wrote a check on the spot for her security deposit. Her furniture had been sold to a flea market dealer who lived below her, and a dozen cartons of her personal gear and mementos were in Bud and Harriet's garage. Harm's loft was listed and the agent assured them it was 'priced to sell.'

They'd decided quickly that they didn't want to take the DC, VA or MD bar exam, and also wanted away from government – a clean break with JAG and the military. Tossing out ideas, they'd decided to spend the summer on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, camping out if they couldn't find a reasonable rental, sure they could find jobs in the tourist-filled area, and perfecting their hang-gliding skills on the windy dunes where the Wright Brothers had flown.

They'd head south the day after tomorrow, after their wedding. "Are you sure Mac? You're sure you want to wear your uniform?"

"Yes." Mac was definite. "I want to wear it one more time. I want a happy memory of the last time I put my uniform on." Chaplain Turner would marry them at the Wall, with Harriet, Bud and Sturgis as witnesses. Harm and Mac had asked them not to tell anyone, just come as if they were going out for lunch. Plan B - if the admiral held them at JAG for any reason – the ceremony would be at dusk. Keeter was overseas out of touch, Chloe was taking her finals and Trish and Frank were on a cruise in the Greek Islands. Mac and Harm didn't care. Well, they cared, but not enough to wait. All they wanted was to be married to each other.

"So where's our job? Did you find something on the ocean?"

"Yeah … well …sorta. It's right near the water" Harm assured her, reluctantly rising from the sofa and grabbing his boxers. Returning to the computer, he waited for her to shrug into his t-shirt and join him.

"It's ...um-m-m…not the Outer Banks though. But it's on an island!"

"Hilton Head? Or further south? Amelia Island?" Mac shrugged – she really didn't care.

"Uh hhh …Baranof Island" Harm held his breath as Mac scrunched up her face, trying to place it.

She shook her head. "I'm not placing it. Is it off the Gulf coast?"

"Not that Gulf." Giving up, Harm blurted it out. "We're gonna teach in Sitka Alaska! Lookey here …" Harm's finger stabbed at the computer screen. "Sheldon Jackson College needs foreign language, math and PE instructors – the ad says they'll give preference to applicants who can teach the PE subjects – racquetball and basket ball. We can do that!"

"Sooooo…" Mac leaned over Harm's shoulder to study the screen. "We move to Alaska and take three jobs – do ya think they'll give us one salary or two?"

8 weeks later.

"We made the right decision." Balancing her paddle across her lap, Mac trailed her hand in the warm water of the Sitka Channel, admiring the setting sun behind Mount Edgecumbe on Japonski Island, connected by bridge to Sitka proper. "Is that an eagle?"

Watching the giant bird soar high above, the kayak floated on the evening tide as they joined hands and gazed skyward. Life after JAG had begun.

The end.