Decisions

A/N: So so sorry for the delay in updates. Life's been hectic, and inspiration just hasn't hit. This story's been on my mind for weeks, and nothing just seemed to come to mind. I know where I want to take it, but still not quite sure how to put it to words. Again, sorry for making you wait so long. Thanks to those of you who reviewed. You guys really are awesome. So, here's the next chapter!

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WASHINGTON, DC, MATTIE'S POV:

"Mac, do you think Harm's okay?"

I'm sure he is. I mean it is Harm we're talking about, after all. He can do some crazy things in situations like this, but those crazy things have always gotten him out alive. But, then again, while in most of those situations, he had Mac with him to keep him somewhat rational. He doesn't have her with him now, so God only knows how far he might push it.

"I hope so, Mattie. Harm's got a knack for getting out of these things. God only knows how he does it, but he does."

Telling by the tone of Mac's voice, it sounds like she's trying to reassure herself more than me. It almost sounds like she's not so sure that he will make it out this time. Honestly, I'm kind of unsure myself. It's been over 24 hours since Jen told us about the hold-up at Heathrow. Due to the circumstances, the judge granted a continuance for my custody hearing. I guess I was kind of glad for that. I mean, I want all of this custody junk to be done and over with, but I also want Harm to be there.

ZNN has been covering the story on the hold-up, and Mac's eyes have been pretty much glued to the TV screen when she wasn't on the phone trying to find out what was being done to end this mess. It really bugs me that it isn't over already. Come on! According to the news reports, there aren't even that many of these guys. I get that these guys are dangerous, seeing as how they've got guns and all, but something should have been done about it by now.

"Mattie, come here!"

Oh boy, that sounded important. Slowly, I lean against my crutches, which I convinced Mac to let me use when we're at the apartment, and make my way over to where she's sitting in front of the TV. On the screen, there's Harm, with about 10 other guys, a couple security guards, and what seemed like a battalion of cops. Granted, they all look like hell, but he's alive, and he's got that 'flyboy smile', as Mac calls it, plastered on his face.

"Damn, he looks like shit."

"Yeah, he does, but he's alive. Oh god, he's okay."

We both breath a sigh of relief, Mac's reason being that Harm's okay, and mine a mixture of that and the fact that I didn't get chewed out for the comment I just made. Harm and Mac don't usually let me run at the mouth like that. I know she didn't say anything about it because she's relieved about Harm, but I'll take whatever I can get. I turn my attention to the screen and listen as the reporter interviews Harm and some of the guys with him.

"This is Patricia Walden at Heathrow Airport in London, where a group of about 30 men, all native to the London area, were recently taken into custody after taking the entire airport hostage and holding it up for slightly over 48 hours. Here with me I have the group of men responsible for the capture of these men. Among them is Captain Harmon Rabb of the United States Navy. Captain, can you tell us what happened in there?"

"Simple…long story short, we all got fed up with crummy airport food, rallied together and by some miracle all made it out with only minor injuries. Basically we kept the guys distracted and occupied long enough for the police to come in and take care of them."

"And how did you do that, Harmon?"

I could tell that Mac was getting just a little tweaked with the reporter. She was obviously flirting with him. Not that I can blame her, a blind woman can see how attractive Harm is. And the funny part is Harm's constantly got women not-so-subtly throwing themselves at him in attempt to catch his eye, and he's always completely oblivious! How dense can the man really be?

"God, if she smiles sweetly like that at him one more time, I'm going to fly out there and personally kick her six. Then I'm going to kick his for not doing anything about it."

"Getting a little possessive, are we?"

"A lot…I've had to watch him with other bimbos for the last nine years. Now that I've got him, I'm keeping him."

"I don't think you have to worry too much about that. Look."

Back on the screen, Harm was obviously getting uncomfortable. He's apparently not as dense as we thought.

"Well, MissWalden, we pretty much just kept talking, annoying them, pissing them off, but not to the point where they were inclined to shoot. They threatened to, and got a little more violent than I thought they would, but there wasn't any more shooting. We got out lucky, because it definitely could have been much worse."

The 'Barbie Doll Look-alike', as Mac has so named the reporter with Harm, was definitely getting irritated with him. Clearly, she was a little upset that he wasn't returning her interest and making passes at her. Mac and I were getting a kick out of watching her try to hide the fact that she was seething in front of the camera for the entire world to see. It was hilarious!

"Thank you, Captain. I'm sure I speak for all our viewers when I say, we're glad you all made it out safely. This is Patricia Walden with ZNN, signing out. Back to you in the studio"

"Well, I'm sure Harm's going to call any minute. You gonna wait up for it with me, Matts?"

"Definitely."

"Okay. Now that I know he's okay, I think I can handle eating something. How does pizza sound?"

"Great. I want meat-lover's."

"Ah, a girl after my own heart!"

Before I could respond with some crack about Harm and rabbit food, the phone rang. Mac all but destroyed her apartment in an attempt to get to the phone as fast as humanly possible.

"Hello?"

Please be Harm, please be Harm, please be Harm.

"Harm! Oh my god, are you okay? What the hell happened? And why did…"

And it's Harm. God, she looks ready to cry in relief and flip out, probably for being cut off by Harm, at the same time. I watch her closely, wanting to know what he's saying to her and getting anxious to talk to him.

"Well I'm glad you're okay. Why didn't you find some safer way to get out of that mess? I know you definitely could have done something even more you, but there had to have been a better way to do that."

Well, she does have a point there. Harm could have done something more stupid than he did. Man, I can't wait to talk to him and give him beef about all of this. I'll just be happy when he's home and Mac and I can mess with him a little. That's always fun, especially when there's someone else to team up with. Telling by the look on Mac's face, Harm must be okay, because it looks like he's annoying the hell out of her with whatever he's saying.

"You know, if I thought it was going to be difficult breaking in a new partner, it's going to be absolute torture breaking in a new fiancé."

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SAME TIME, MAC'S POV:

My heart practically leapt into my throat when the phone rang. It had to be Harm. I made a mad dash for the phone like I was being shot at or something, and answered it in a huff.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Marine."

"Harm! Oh my god, are you okay? What the hell happened? And why did…"

"Whoa, slow down there, Ninja Girl. Yes, I'm okay. Assuming you saw the interview on ZNN, that's exactly what happened, just with a few more unmentioned details I preferred not to tell to the world. Now, what's your third question?"

Oh! I swear it, sometimes this man…

"Well I'm glad you're okay. Why didn't you find some safer way to get out of that mess? I know you definitely could have done something even more you, but there had to have been a better way to do that."

"I tried to think of another way, Mac. Honestly, I did, but there wasn't one. All the other alternatives I could think of were a lot more risky than what we pulled. I'm okay, and that's all that should matter. You and Mattie can beat me up all you want for putting my neck on the line when I get home, okay?"

"You know, if I thought it was going to be difficult breaking in a new partner, it's going to be absolute torture breaking in a new fiancé."

Oops, wrong thing to say. Good going, MacKenzie. I know Harm's not completely over the fact that I was with Mic, and honestly don't think he ever will be. I can hear the hesitation on his end, and I can only imagine the look on his face.

"I'm sorry, Harm. That was the wrong thing for me to say. I was just scared, Harm. I was so scared."

I'm practically sobbing into the phone now, and in my peripheral vision I can see Mattie headed to her room. I'll have to remember to thank her for that later.

"It's okay, Mac. I know what you meant. Listen, I'm stuck here for another day or so, so that the cops can get everything straightened out over here and get the airport back in order. How did Mattie's custody hearing go?"

"About as good as can be expected. Like I thought, Preston did bring up my past, but if I read Judge Marsden right, it's not enough for him to be convinced that we're unfit to be parents to Mattie. The subject of us did come up briefly, but was quickly taken care of. That was no big deal. Other than my past, Tom and Preston don't really have a case."

"So we have her, then?"

"Not yet, when we heard about what was going on at Heathrow, the judge granted a continuance. We've been scheduled to reconvene on Monday at 0900. We'll have her then, unless Preston digs up something else, but I really don't think he'll be able to."

"Okay. Is Mattie around?"

"Yeah, hang on a sec."

I put the phone up against my chest to muffle the noise a little, for Harm's sake, and made my way over to Mattie's door. I knocked lightly before entering to find her sitting in the chair I had in there reading an issue of Seventeen.

"Mattie, Harm wants to say 'hi'."

"Kay, I'll be out in a second."

Closing the door, I brought the phone back up to my ear and started talking to my sailor again.

"She's on her way. So, that was quite an interview you just had."

"Yeah, I guess it was."

"You looked terrible, Harm. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Mac. I've been through worse."

"That you have. Patricia Walden seemed to be quite taken with you."

"Uh…yeah, guess she was. Look, Mac, you don't have to worry about…"

Had to give the man props, he actually caught on to another woman flirting with him.

"Ha ha, I know, Harm, and I'm not. I'm gonna hand you over to Mattie now, sailor."

"Okay, Jarhead, I love you."

"Hmm, I don't think I'll ever get tired of finally hearing you say that. I love you, too, Squid."

I handed the phone off to Mattie and went over to the fridge, where I had a bunch of pizza coupons hung by magnets. Once Mattie was done talking to Harm, she joined me, handing me the phone.

"So, how about that pizza?"

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A/N: Sorry again for the long wait. Did that seem enough like Harm? I couldn't think of anything else that would be more "harm-ish", so I just wrote this. I'm on the road, going to Michigan right now, so I decided to work my way through this writer's block. It's been the most difficult chapter for me to write so far. Hope you liked it! As always, review and let me know what I can do to make it better! I'll try to update as soon as I can, but I'm not quite sure when that will be. Until then!