Chloe was exhausted and fell asleep quickly, leaving Mac and Harm to work on the paperwork far into the night. When he caught Mac's eyes falling closed, Harm made the executive decision that it was time for bed. "Mac," he whispered, rubbing her shoulders, when she demurred, "you'll be exhausted tomorrow."

She swallowed, rubbed her eyes, and went back to work without responding.

"Are you sleeping okay?" he asked slowly, her insomnia being the first thing that came to mind. Her quick look down told him he was right, and he tipped up her chin, finding bags under her eyes he hadn't noticed before. "You didn't sleep well last night," he realised. "Nightmares?"

"Sort of," Mac grudgingly responded.

"Come here," he said, and Mac didn't have the energy to refuse as he drew her into the warmth of his strong arms. "I'm sorry, Mac." He rubbed her back slowly, the circles nearly sending her to sleep. "I wish I could help somehow."

Mac smiled against his shoulder. "You're doing it. And Harm?"

"Mmm?" They were rocking slowly in an echo of 'their dance.'

"Thankyou." She looked up, needing him to understand. "I don't know many men who would do what you've done for me."

Harm smiled, the expression sending shockwaves into her soul. "I told you, I love her too."

"Not only that. We have this big, dramatic conversation about 'us' which we both think is leading somewhere," the slow tip of his head confirmed that, "and then I drag you off to go get my little sister without saying a word. You've just gone with the flow and accepted that she is what's important to me right now, without getting angry that we," she gestured between them, "are losing out."

"Hey, Mac." She looked up. "I know you, and I know Chloe. I want what you want, and this is what you want – hell, what you need – right now."

"Still, how many times have you ever kissed me?"

Harm smiled slightly, and she knew he could tell her the exact number (much as she could him.) "Could count them on one hand."

"See, anyone else in our position would be kissing every other second. You've sacrificed that" – she traced a finger across her lips, and Harm was hypnotised – "for this," she gestured expansively to the hotel room around them. "And I don't know many men who would."

Harm smiled softly. "I've waited this long," he said, "I think I can wait a bit longer. Although right now it is getting very tempting."

"Please kiss me, you idiot," Mac challenged, and before she knew it her eyes were fluttering closed as his lips floated in to meet hers.

The kiss was beautiful, like somehow all their bottled-up love poured out between their lips. But Harm withdrew too quickly, and it felt as if his heart wasn't in it. "Harm?" Mac asked, concerned, as she looked up at him.

"You're going to say it's stupid, but… it feels selfish. This might be what I want, but you need to sleep and the adoption paperwork needs finishing. It's not fair of me to take what I want from you at the expense of both of your welfare."

Mac rubbed her forehead, catlike, against his chest. The motion was both affectionate and teasing. "Harm, I love you for being so selfless." She heard the hitch in his chest at the 'l' word, which apparently hadn't lost its impact. "But I have two responses."

Harm laughed, brought back to his childhood debates. The side of Mac's lip twitched too in acknowledgement of the moment.

"Firstly, this is a relationship," his breath hitched again, and she hoped she wasn't making too many assumptions, "what you want matters too. And secondly," her volume dropped to an almost-vulnerable whisper, "I love you. And do you think there is anything I want more than to kiss you right now?"

"I don't know, Mac," he looked conflicted. "Chloe…"

"Here's the thing," she said, tipping her face up to his. The achingly simple movement made him shiver with love, anticipation and something extra which was especially Mac.

"I love Chloe, and so do you. But this is you," she continued, oblivious to his inner torture, "and this is me. This is what we need."

He nodded slowly, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. Their proximity was doing crazy things to his body. "I know."

"Good, we're in agreement then," she said with a familiar twist of the lip which was somehow inherently seductive. Then she moved her weight to her tiptoes and closed the distance, her lips seeming to move toward his in slow motion. He realised that no matter how many times he kissed her, it always felt like the first time.

The ache in his chest evaporated with the pressure of her lips on his. He sighed into her mouth, the fire in his body calming as it melded with hers. His brain seemed to drop to his stomach with the loss of tension, the tingling of his lips becoming the only sense he needed. "Mac," he whispered softly, reclaiming the moment, "I love you."

She traced her lips down the side of his nose, tasting heat and salt. "I love you too, flyboy," she whispered, "I love you too."

"Now," Harm said softly, "you need to go to bed."

"But I don't want to," Mac responded with a childish pout which belied the flushed, clammy warmth of her face.

"Yeah you do," Harm said, scanning from the bruise-like purple under her eyes, which kept falling closed, to her ultra-flushed cheeks. "Wouldn't mind having you with me, though," he said, like a wish he knew wouldn't come true.

But Mac had heard him. "Why not?" she asked, fetching a t-shirt and shorts from her duffel and changing matter-of-factly while he stood in the living area looking confused. "Flyboy, did any of that get through your head?" she muttered. Apparently he was still holding onto his noble mindset, despite her promise that what he wanted did matter – and besides, she wanted it too. With a sigh, she just directed him "go get changed."

He did as asked, still with that slightly confused, faraway look which Uncle Matt had always called 'space cadet.' He returned to a Mac who pulled him down on the sofa beside her, fitting her body against his like a puzzle piece. Arms coming round her in the cold of the winter night, he found himself more at home than ever. Mac agreed. His strong warmth against his back like a promise and most of the adoption paperwork done, she felt like her life was going right for the very first time.

Despite the sofa being hard and rather too small for its occupants, both Harm and Mac slept well that night. Mac woke up with his warm arms around her and her head against his chest, breathing in the scent of his clothing. "Harm," she whispered, leaning up to twitch his nose, and he swatted her hand away like an annoying mosquito. "Harm," she said again, a little louder, and gained a similar response.

Then, just for the hell of it, with the words of the night before playing in her head, she leant up and covered her lips with his. That certainly woke him up and he responded eagerly, if with a little confusion – one hand finding its way to her forehead and the other to the nape of her neck. "Sarah," he breathed huskily into the kiss, and she felt a stream of fire run through her body.

"Harm," she said in a similar manner, and then reluctantly disentangled herself lest Chloe find them in this slightly compromising position. The loss of her touch showed plainly on his face, and for a moment she revelled in the knowledge of the effect she had on him. Then she pulled him up. "Harm, when we left the Admiral said..."

"He wanted us back Wednesday for the Miller deposition. I did call him yesterday, told him how everything was going."

"About the adoption?" Mac was shocked.

"Not in those words. I thought it should probably be you who told that story."

Mac nodded with unadulterated resignation. "I'll ring him this morning." And then, curiously, "do you think he'll be okay with it?"

Harm contemplated the question for a moment. "Inasmuch as it will probably affect your duties, probably not. But in general he's a pretty family-oriented guy, and it's not like Chloe is some kid you picked up off the street." He paused. "Do you think we should wait 'till we get back for the change-of-status announcement?"

"I reckon so. Not looking forward to that one either, honestly." Mac looked about as keen as a rabbit about to be shot.

"Wow, counsellor, you're overwhelming me with your enthusiasm. Lay off a little, will you?" Harm fired back with rampant sarcasm.

"Hey," Mac looked up at him seriously. "You know I'm sure about this, but you also know the Admiral will probably give us hell."

"Just imagine Harriet's response," Harm parried with a knowing smile.

Mac hit the heel of her hand into her forehead at the thought. "God, we really have to go through that."

"We're going to make her year, Sarah Mackenzie." Harm knew he looked forward to the sweet but inevitably irritating enthusiasm about as much as Mac. "Aren't you happy to be responsible for that?"