Hi guys! Thank you for the lovely reviews!
Unfortunately, health keeps being an issue, which means I have had to make the decision to give myself off until the first weekend of February. I know, that's six weeks, and no, it wasn't an easy decision to make. There are plenty of chapters in the works, so I promise to not abandon this story, because I want to see it finished as much as you do. I just have to take care of me first.

Hope you understand. I'll be back with a brand new chapter on February 2nd. See you all next year!

January 22, 1998

Teagan watched them come in through the door. She tilted her head to the side as Mac wove her way through the early Friday night crowd, Harm trailing close behind her. "I was about to send a search party."

"Tally's bedtime ritual tends to last longer when Dad does it," Mac said, taking off her coat, "because she has him all wrapped around her little finger."

Harm narrowed his eyes. "I can't be held responsible for that."

"Not only that," Mac continued, sliding into the booth, "but then he made Shannon memorize the house rules and our phone numbers, before going on a fourth security check of the apartment." She sighed.

Teagan pressed her lips together to keep herself from laughing as Harm opened his mouth to protest. "What? You don't want the girls to be safe?"

"You don't think the fourth time was overkill?"

He shrugged. "Please. I would've done it a fifth time if you'd given me the chance."

Shaking her head in exasperation at Teagan, Mac patted his arm. "I know. It would've made us later than we already were."

Jack started to laugh. "Since you're still standing, Hammer, first round's on you. Another beer, please."

"It would be." Harm looked at Teagan. "What are you having?"

"Jack Daniels, neat."

"Be right back."

Teagan's eyes shifted to Mac. "You're not having anything?"

"He knows exactly what I'm drinking." She rested her chin in her hand. "I swear, the man is hook, line and sinker with her."

"The man is hook, line and sinker with the both of you." Jack winked. "We all know that's a good thing, Mac."

"It is." Mac exhaled. "Sometimes I just wish it took a little less time. Getting to do her bedtime ritual is great, but I get antsy when he ignores the clock."

"That's because yours is a built-in. Harm has one that always runs on Rabb-time."

"He's always been like this?"

Jack grinned. "I'm pretty sure he was worse before he came to the Academy. Plebe summer straightened some of it out, but I figured out pretty quickly you need to tell Harm to be there twenty minutes early if you want him there on time."

"Don't I know it." Mac waved dismissively. "Anyway, we're not here to discuss Harm's tardiness. Or the way he tends to indulge Tally." She groaned. "I'm going to be doomed when we have another daughter."

Teagan raised an eyebrow. "Did I miss something? I know the no alcohol thing is permanent, but when?"

"You know. Ever. Let's get married first, shall we? Do something in this relationship in the right order?"

"Speaking of which…" Teagan lifted her eyes to the bar. "You might need to go and mark some territory before they throw themselves on him."

Mac looked back over her shoulder and sighed. "Oh, for heaven's sake. I can't leave him alone for half a minute," she murmured loud enough to be heard. "Excuse me, guys."

Sliding out of the booth, she went off in the direction of the bar. The man couldn't help being his nice, polite self, but she wasn't going to let the rest of the female population in the bar get away with draping themselves all over him. She was the only one with that right.

Without glancing at the blonde trying to butter Harm up, she pulled on his earlobe. "Hey sailor, what's taking so long?"

Harm looked up at her, his grin stretching wider. "Joanna's busy." He gestured to the bar where Joanna was drafting beers. "Does this mean you're not mad at me anymore?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not mad. I wasn't mad. I was frustrated."

"Sarah…" He pulled her closer, circling his arm around her waist and dipping his fingers under her top. "I just want her to be safe."

"I know." Her hands slid up his shoulders. "But you read her three stories and then checked the apartment a fourth time, while you'd done three rounds before Shannon came over. Your clock runs uniquely on Rabb-time and not all of us have that luxury."

"Your Mackenzie one is way more accurate than mine."

"Tally knows that, too."

His fingers brushed the skin just above the waistband of her jeans. "Which is why you're the strict parent and I'm the fun one."

"Fine." She kissed him. "Can we please have a great night out with Jack and Teag?"

"Absolutely." Kissing her again, he pulled back when he heard his name. "Thanks, Jo."

Before long, her frustration with him was forgotten and she was laughing and teasing with Teagan. Harm watched her from the corner of his eye. Her confidence had grown over the past few weeks. The glimpse he'd gotten at his birthday party showed up when she was doing normal, everyday things. She challenged him, eyebrows raised, teased, bantered. He could tell she felt more secure with him, not afraid to tell him what she wanted and certain he wasn't going to run the other way when she did.

Halfway through the night, Mac came back from the ladies room, pushing hair out of her face. Again, he was standing at the bar, waiting for her, this time surrounded by two blondes and a brunette. She sighed. Not because she didn't trust him -she did, unconditionally- but because it was oblivious she needed to speak up. She locked eyes with Teagan, who smirked, and stepped up to the bar.

"Ladies, I'm sure you don't mind if I take him back with me?"

The other women looked up, surprised. One of the blondes squeezed Harm's forearm, giving her a glance over, obviously deciding she wasn't a threat. "You think it's polite to interrupt other people's conversations?"

"Oh, you were having a conversation, were you?"

"We were. Harm, tell her."

First name basis? In the five minutes she'd been away to use the ladies room?

Gently easing his arm from under her fingers, Harm nodded. "They're only in town for the weekend, they asked if I had any tips for them. You know, sights to see."

Mac winked at him. "Well, I'm sure you were a great help. Was he a great help?"

"We weren't done yet," the brunette protested. "And who are you to tell him he is?"

Mac's smile turned almost sickly sweet. "The mother of his kids." She held her hand out to Harm. "Dance with me?"

Harm nodded, sliding off his stool. "Always. Excuse me, ladies. It was nice meeting you."

Leaving the three women behind at the bar, she dragged Harm behind her to the dance floor.

"The mother of my kids? Plural? You trying to tell me something, sweetheart?"

"No. Think of it as a Freudian slip."

He chuckled. "So this is your version of marking territory?"

"You prefer my 'Property of the US Marines' t-shirt?"

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he shook his head. "No, I don't think I do."

"Good."

"You're not worried I might be interested?"

Her eyebrows raised to the top of her forehead. "In them? Please…" She toyed with the hairs on his neck. "You'd be bored with them before the morning came. We both know you need a challenge."

He pulled her closer, his eyes darkening. "And you are that challenge?"

"If nothing else, I at least challenge your stamina, sailor." Her eyes danced. "You had trouble keeping up with me two nights ago, if I recall."

Harm took a deep breath, ready to defend himself. "So I needed a breather after the third round. You're really going to hold that against me?"

"Do I need to?"

"Didn't I keep you occupied enough?"

She bit her lip, trying not to blush, thinking of all the things he'd done to and with her. "Yeah, you did."

His grin grew cocky. "I'd say so."

Laughing, she pushed him away, stepping back in the direction of their table. "Come on, sailor, before that ego goes places it doesn't need to be."

What? She was going to leave him hanging like that? Not even a kiss? He groaned. He loved her budding confidence, but if she kept this up, it might prove to be too much.

She kept teasing him. Light touches, barely there kisses, innuendos. By the time he'd dragged her back to the dance floor, his body was on high alert.

Harm growled low in his throat as her lips brushed over the pulse point in his neck. "You need to stop being so damn desirable."

Her long lashes blinked up at him as she trailed her finger along the collar of his shirt. "Why?"

"Because I'm going to embarrass both of us if you keep this up."

She smirked. "Pants getting too tight, Flyboy?"

"You're lucky we're in a public place."

"That totally depends on your point of view," she countered.

Closing his eyes, he groaned again. "Sarah…" He tried to say it as a warning, only to have it come out as a plea.

"Yes, azizam?"

"You either need to stop or take me home, before I find a dark corner and ravish you completely."

"Well, why didn't you say so?"