Author: PreppyPrincess5103

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Summary: Harm. & Mac begin their life together, while both deal with the reality of Harm's decision to resign his commission. Spoiler alert: Mac doesn't handle it very well. (Continuation of It Started in Russia, and Everything is Going to Be Okay)

Part Ten

Mac opened her eyes and smiled. Harm's arm was draped over her stomach, and he was placing soft kisses on her shoulder. She nestled closer to him, and his arm tightened around her.

"Good morning." His voice was low and husky, and it flooded her with warmth. She placed her hand over his, and the ring on her finger flashed in the morning light. She nestled closer to him, and lifted her hand to examine the ring. He placed another kiss on her shoulder. "Penny for your thoughts?"

She kept her hand extended and moved it around, admiring the way it caught the light. "This ring is really beautiful."

"It looks good on you."

She moved her head to look at him and smiled. "Has your mom or grandmother seen it yet?"

"No, not yet." He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. "We should call them to give them the news." He reached for the phone on the nightstand, and she stopped him with a gentle hand on his wrist. "What?"

"Sweetheart, your parents are on a cruise ship. Calling them isn't exactly possible right now." He blushed, and set the receiver down. "And they really should be the first to know."

He nodded and settled back on the pillow. "You're right."

She frowned at the change in his voice. "What's the matter?"

He shook his head. "You do want to tell people, right? I mean, you're not having regrets, are you?"

Her heart ached, and she hated that her insecurity caused the worry she heard in his voice. She turned to face him, and placed her hand on his cheek. "No regrets. Not a single one. I'm happy. And I'm excited to tell your parents, and since I don't plan on taking this ring off, people are going to know pretty quickly." She rubbed her thumb over his stubble and smiled. He ran his hand over the curve of her hip and pulled her close. She bit back a moan as his fingers moved over her skin.

He leaned in to kiss her, and groaned as her mouth opened under his. He dipped his tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss. He rolled onto his back and pulled her on top of him, never breaking the kiss. She pushed herself up and sat on his stomach. She smiled down at him and ran her hands over his chest. "Hi."

He cupped her breasts and rubbed his thumbs over her nipples. "Hey there." He moved his hands down her sides and rested them on her hips. "God, I love you."

"I love you too." She beamed, and lowered her head to kiss him. "Now just lean back and let me show you how happy I am."

"Big wedding or small wedding?"

He opened his eyes and glanced in her direction. After spending several days hiking, sailing, and snorkeling, they were spending a day in relaxing in cushioned hammocks on the beach. "I honesty haven't thought about it. I've just been focusing on getting you to say yes." Even with sunglasses on, he could tell she was rolling her eyes and he laughed. "What would you like?"

"I think I'd like a big wedding." She closed the novel she had been reading and set it beside her.

"Seriously? I figured you'd want to elope."

She pushed her sunglasses on top of her head and carefully rolled onto her side. "What makes you think that? Would you rather have something more intimate?"

He shook his head. "No, not at all. You were just so hesitant about the whole getting married thing. I figured you'd just want to go before a judge or something." He grinned and lay his head back down. "My mom will probably never speak to us again if we don't have some kind of wedding and party." She laughed and he smiled at her again.

"I went before a judge with Chris." She paused, and glanced at him. He closed his own book and placed it on his chest. He knew that talking about her past was a big deal, and he wanted to give her his undivided attention. "I didn't even wear a dress. We both went in jeans, and I wore a tank top. I initially had on a red one, but I remember he just kind of tossed a white one at me and told me to wear that instead." She took a deep breath and slowly released it. "This time it's real. And getting married is a big deal. I'd like to treat it that way this time, and celebrate with the people that matter to us."

Harm nodded and reached over to her and took her hand. "A big wedding sounds perfect. Are you going to ask Maddie to be your maid of honor?"

"I am. Who's going to be your best man? Keeter? Sturgis?"

"Actually, I was thinking about asking Frank." He saw her eyebrows rise and he squeezed her hand. "My whole life I had planned on finding my father alive, and I pictured him with me for all of my big life moments. I've realized over the past year that Frank has always been there for me, and has always been a father, even if I refused to accept him. I think I'd really like to have him standing next to me when I marry you."

She beamed at him, and he felt something tighten in his chest. He felt invincible when she smiled at hm like that. "I think that's a really wonderful thought. I can't wait to tell them." She watched as his head cocked to the side and he dropped her hand. "What?"

"I have a great idea." He carefully maneuvered himself so he was sitting up. He had already flipped himself in the hammock once, and he wasn't about to do that again. "Our flight has a layover in LA, and they'll be back in town when we fly in. What if we push the DC leg of our flight back one day and surprise them?"

They arrived at LAX and Mac went to rent a car, while Harm went to the ticket counter to change their return flight. He met her when he was finished, and they headed to the car she rented. He raised his eyebrows at the shiny Jeep Wrangler. She grinned and started taking the soft top off. He rolled his eyes and helped her, and then stowed it in the back with their luggage. He started to walk around to the driver's side, and she shook her head.

"No way. I'm driving."

He rolled his eyes and opened the door for her, and then walked around to the passenger side. It was a beautiful day, traffic was fairly light, and the two-hour drive to La Jolla was pleasant. Harm was pleased to see both of their cars in the circular driveway when they pulled up, and reached over to squeeze Mac's knee. "Ready?"

She took a deep breath, and nodded. "I am."

They both got out of the Jeep and headed up the path. Harm reached out and rang the doorbell, and grinned broadly when his mother opened the door. Her eyes widened as she took them in, and yelled for Frank before throwing herself into her son's arms. She pulled back after a long moment, and turned to Mac and gave her an equally intense hug. She pulled back when Frank approached, and stepped aside so he could greet them as well.

Trish continued to stare with wide eyes. Finally, she shook her head, seemingly clearing the daze she was in and smiled. "What on earth are the two of you doing here?"

Harm grinned and reached for Mac's hand. "We followed your example and went somewhere exotic for Christmas. Our flight home had a layover in Los Angeles, so we decided to push the last leg of our trip back and come surprise you."

She leaned into Frank and beamed. "Well this is just the most wonderful surprise. Come in!" She backed into the house, not taking her eyes off of her son. He had never, ever stopped by for a visit like this. He had often stopped by if he was in San Diego for work, but she couldn't ever remember a surprise visit like this. Her eyes moved from him to Mac, and she was filled with so much love for her. She was so good for her son. "How long can you stay?"

"Today and tomorrow. We have an early flight on Sunday morning, since Mac has to be back at work Monday."

Trish nodded and lead them from the foyer to the living room. "Where did you go on your trip?" She and Frank settled on one of the sofas, and she cocked her head to the side as they stood awkwardly by the other. "Okay, what's going on?"

Mac and Harm glanced at each other and smiled. They looked back to his parents, and Mac shyly held out her left hand. Harm smiled as his mother's eyes widened again, and his arm reached out to circle Mac's waist. "I asked, and this time she finally said yes."

Trish bolted off of the couch and grabbed her hand. Frank shook Harm's hand and congratulated him, and then turned his attention to Trish and Mac.

"Oh, my goodness, it's absolutely stunning." Trish tore her eyes away from the ring, and placed her hand on Mac's cheek. "Sweetheart, I am so thrilled. You are everything I ever wanted for him." She gave her another hug, and then stepped back and smiled as Frank took Mac's hand and admired the ring. Trish turned her attention back to her son, and studied him. He was happier than she had ever seen him. "Have you called your grandmother yet?"

Harm tore his eyes from his fiancée, and shook his head. "No, not yet. We wanted to tell the two of you first." He smiled as Mac leaned into him, and he dropped a kiss on her forehead.

Mac kissed Harm's cheek, and excused herself so he could have a longer conversation with his grandmother. She made her way to the deck, and collapsed onto a padded chaise. It had been a long day. The flight had been long and had departed much too early, she was uncomfortably full from the celebratory dinner Frank had treated them to, and her face hurt from smiling. She was still apprehensive about getting married, and wouldn't pretend otherwise. But God, she was happy. She held out her hand and fingered the ring, and smiled. It really was beautiful. The hammered band was unlike anything she had ever seen, and was absolutely perfect. Harm had told her that he had seen one like it in a magazine, and it had made him think of her. How she had been through so much, and hadn't had an easy life, but everything she had been through had made her into the woman she was."

"May I join you?"

Mac looked up and smiled at Trish. "Of course. Harm's on the phone with Sarah. We told her the news together, but I figured he'd like to talk more in private."

Trish smiled and took the chaise next to her. "I've actually always been a little envious of the bond between them. I know he loves me, even when things were difficult between us. But the two of them… I swear. She came for a visit right after he was born, and it was unlike anything I'd ever seen. I thought I was going to have to just let her take him back to the farm."

Mac smiled and leaned back. "When I found out his plane was named Sarah, I asked if he still loved her. He told me that he was wild about her, and that she was his grandmother. We were just friends at the time. We barely knew one another, so there was no reason to be jealous. But I was so relieved. And then completely charmed.

Trish laughed and studied the water. "She has that effect on people." She glanced at Mac and saw her fidgeting with the ring. "Harm told us about your family when we were together for Thanksgiving." Mac stopped, and turned to face her. "My mother died when I was around your age, and Sarah Rabb helped fill that void for me. She was there whenever I needed a mom to talk to, or needed advice." She reached over and placed her hand on Mac's. "I know I'm not your mother, but I would love to fill that void for you, if you'll let me. I am so proud to have you for a daughter-in-law. You make my son so happy, and I'll always be thankful to you for that. But more than that, you're a beautiful, accomplished, wonderful person, and I am as proud of you as any mother could ever be."

Mac bit her lip to force back the tears she felt coming. "Thank you." She placed her hand on top of Trish's, and squeezed. She swallowed twice and took a breath. "I haven't had a mother in a long time, so it may take a while for me to get used to having one again. But having you in that position sounds really wonderful."

Both women smiled, and then turned their attention back to the ocean. Trish leaned back and sighed. "This day certainly helped with those post-holiday blues we were feeling. I don't think Frank will come down off of cloud nine until after the wedding."

Mac remembered the look on Frank's face at dinner when Harm had asked him to be his best man. He had been so happy, and Trish had been so touched. And she had been so proud of him. "Now we just have to actually plan a wedding."

"Take your time. Harm told Sarah and I that he didn't think you'd be ready for a while. Don't let him rush you. If you want to have a long engagement, that's completely fine."

Mac was glad it was dark, and Trish couldn't see her blush. "You know, I wasn't ready until about thirty seconds before he asked. We had actually just had an argument over my readiness, and we were talking about it, and I was telling him how scared I was of failing. And he just started talking and told me that marriage doesn't have to be scary if two people are right for one another." She glanced at Trish, and found her paying close attention. "All of a sudden I was flooded with memories we've made over the years, and how devoted and committed he is to the people he loves. And I knew that he would die before he ever purposely hurt me. All of that hit me like a ton of bricks, and I knew I was ready. I'm still nervous, but I'm ready."

"It is so good to be home." Mac abandoned her suitcase in the entry way of the apartment, and collapsed on the sofa. It could wait. Everything could wait. She watched as Harm locked the door behind him, made his way to her and grabbed her hands.

"Come on. Let's go to bed."

"I don't think I can get up."

He tugged her hand and pulled her up, and then picked her up and began walking to the bedroom. She shrieked, and then laughed as he dropped her on the bed. "How very caveman of you. But thank you."

He smiled and bent over to take off his shoes. All he wanted to do was shower and sleep for about ten days. He had felt terribly guilty that she had to go to work in the morning, but she had assured him that their time in California was worth the exhaustion. He stood up and started for the shower. "Do you want to shower first?"

She hadn't budged from where he dropped her. "If I take a shower now, I'll probably pass out, hit my head, drown, and die."

He rolled his eyes at her theatrics. "Come take a shower with me. I'll make sure you don't die."

She lifted her head and raised an eyebrow. "Just a shower? Because I really don't think-"

His snort cut her off. "Mac. I love you, and I want you all time. But I don't think I could have sex right now if the future of mankind depended on it." He worked the zippers on her boots and tugged them off. "Come on. You'll sleep so much better after a shower." He tugged her up and guided her to the bathroom with his hands on her hips.

They showered quickly, and he turned down the bed while she performed her nightly skincare routine. He turned off the overhead light, and turned on the bedside lamp and climbed into bed. He watched as she put various gels and creams on her face, and then rubbed lotion over her arms and legs. She finally came out of the bathroom and crawled into bed beside him.

Harm leaned over her and gave her a soft kiss. "Goodnight." He started to pull back and return to his side of the bed when she stopped him with a hand on his chest. "Is everything okay?"

She nodded and bit her lower lip. "Tomorrow while I'm at work you should bring the rest of your stuff over."

His eyes widened and he smiled. "You're ready to move in together?"

"Well, I did agree to marry you." She offered him a shy smile. "I guess moving in doesn't seem so scary anymore. Not to mention we haven't spent a single night apart since you've been home, and I don't ever want to."

He kissed her again, and tugged her close, wrapping his arm around her belly. "I love you so much."

She placed her hand over his and moved in even closer. "I love you too."

End Part 10