A/N: This is it, kids. The end. It's been fun! Thanks to all who read and thank you for all the reviews!
Gone
Chapter 40: Eventually
March 30th, 2006
2225 Local
Harm's Apartment
North of Union Station
Harm crossed the threshold into the sleeping area, using the dim light from the streetlamps outside to check on Jace. The baby was sleeping peacefully now, and Mac appeared to be as well. Harm quickly used the bathroom, then stripped down to his boxers before slowly approaching the bed, his heart speeding up as he softly called Mac's name. She didn't answer, didn't even move, but then a delicate sniffle from her told him she was awake…and crying. The sound pierced his heart, and once again, he wanted to smack himself for hurting her so.
Before he could lose his nerve, he lifted the covers and slid beneath them, immediately scooting over to spoon himself against Mac. He wrapped his arm around her, knowing he was taking a risk, but though she stiffened, she didn't move from his hold.
He waited for a few beats, then bent to bring his lips close to her ear. "I'm sorry, Mac. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry." He held his breath, waiting for her answer, and just when he was about to tell her he was sorry again, she drew in a deep, shuddering breath.
"I th-thought I told you to leave."
"I'm not leaving you, Mac. Not now, not ever. I know it's late, I know you're tired, but I want to clear up a few things first, okay?" Harm didn't wait for her to answer; instead, he plunged ahead.
"First off, my love…even if I wanted to go to London, it is not what's best for our family, and our family is the most important thing in my life. Second…I suspect I may even want to go to London less than you do. I'm tired of not having any control over my life. I don't want to go to another carrier. I don't want to be the JAG, and I don't everwant to be without you again. Ever. I want to be in Montana with you and Jace and with any other kids we might have. I have ten acres outside of Whitefish that's all ready for you to build the house of your dreams on it. There's a hill that would be perfect for our wedding, and I bet we can find sound goats for that too. We can have horses, go skiing, you can work in the store or not, and I'll either be flying search and rescue or piloting medical transports. That's what I want…now, tell me what you want. Not what you think I want to hear, but what you want. Mac?"
Harm could feel Mac shuddering next to him, and he knew she was crying in earnest. He kissed her hair, kissed her behind her ear, then gradually coaxed her to turn around. Once she finally did, he tucked her in against him, letting her leg slide in between his and then simply held her until she calmed. Several moments later, he asked her again. "Mac, baby, what do you want?"
"I-I…"
"Come on, sweetheart. It's okay," he encouraged.
"I…I want to go to Montana. I want to raise our babies there and I want to know what it's like to breathe fresh air again. I want the goats, the horses, maybe even a pot-bellied pig. And we need a dog and maybe another Nic. I want to go hiking and skiing and I want to work with Mary. I-I never want to set foot in DC again. I want to marry you and vacation at your grandmother's farm. I want to redo the Fourth of July there. I want…I want to be just Harm and Mac and nothing else."
"Well, Mac…that's exactly what I want…except for maybe the pig…now, let's get some sleep, and we'll talk tomorrow after I get back from telling the general what the navy can do with London, okay?"
"Okay," Mac whispered into the dark. "I love you, Harm."
"I love you too, Mac."
The two of them snuggled close and Harm felt himself drifting off, all of his muscles relaxing, all of his bones settling peacefully…and then his eyes flew open. Mac had said something about another…oh, god."
"Mac, what did you mean when you said 'another Nic?!'"
Mac answered with a snore…and a glance toward the steps revealed a smiling Nic, his tongue slowly licking his chops…his eyes glowing knowingly in the dark.
Epilogue
June 30th, 2007
Harm and Mac's Home
Whitefish, MT
"Do you, Harmon Jason Rabb, Jr take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to live with her in holy marriage according to the Word of God? Do you intend to love her, comfort her, honor her, and keep her in sickness and in health and, forsaking all others, be husband to her as long as you both shall live?"
Harm grinned at the beautiful woman standing opposite him, glowing in an elegantly simple ivory gown. Her hair was down about her shoulders, adorned only with antique pearl-accented combs, her 'something old' gifted to her by Harm's mother. She held a bouquet of roses in many different colors, paying homage to the day they met in the White House Rose Garden. Mary stood at her side, looking lovely in a dark red dress, while Frank stood up for Harm as his best man. Mary's husband Dan and the former Admiral AJ Chegwidden sat in the front row, Dan holding Jace, and AJ holding their six-month-old daughter, Eden.
A lot had happened since the night they'd both finally been completely honest with each other…
They'd awakened in the early morning hours at the sound of their hungry son. After he was fed and back to sleep, Mac climbed back into bed, and the two shared a loving kiss, which turned into a kiss of passion. They'd made love until it was time for Harm to get ready for work, and then made love in the shower, joyfully reacquainting themselves in the most intimate of ways. Harm was a bit late for work that day, but he didn't care. He was leaving soon anyway.
Harm retired as planned, despite many attempts to get him to reconsider. A mere four days after he left the navy for good, the three of them and one Nicodemus boarded a private plane to Kalispell. Mac had cried the moment she stepped down onto the tarmac, telling a concerned Harm that she was happy. 'I can breathe again, Harm!' she'd said, and Harm knew exactly what she meant.
Three weeks after they'd arrived in Whitefish, Mac finally saw her Ob/Gyn in Kalispell for a postpartum check, having been unable to make her appointment in DC. It was a fairly routine exam…until Mac had asked for birth control…
Flashback
"Well, how have you been, Sam?" Dr. Boyle asked kindly. "I'm sorry I missed delivering your baby, but I'm glad everything worked out well. We're still about two years out from getting a NICU here."
Mac smiled softly. "That's okay. Jace…our son, is doing really well and I'm good. I've been pretty tired since the move back here, but otherwise, everything is fine."
Dr. Boyle insisted on checking a pregnancy test prior to prescribing birth control, and Mac complied, knowing it wouldn't be a problem. The sample was given, she left for home…only to be called back five minutes later…
"I'm what?!" Mac asked once she was back in a room again.
"Pregnant. The test was positive, Sam."
"But that…that's impossible! I'm breastfeeding, I haven't had a period since before I got pregnant with Jace…run it again!"
Dr. Boyle smiled gently at her and laid her hand on Mac's. "We did…two more times. You're pregnant, Sam."
They had done a quick ultrasound right there, and Mac was stunned to find out that she was almost eight weeks pregnant. The baby was due on December 22nd, which meant her two children would be less than a year apart. How am I going to explain this to Harm? she'd thought to herself. She finally decided just to slap the ultrasound photo in front of him as he sat at the dinner table. In retrospect, she probably should have waited until he'd swallowed his vegetarian lasagna; he'd sputtered and choked when he noted the name on the picture, and Mac, rather miffed at Harm and his virility, roughly pounded on his back. He'd long-since recovered by the time she'd stopped, and when he asked how it happened, she'd burst into tears, telling him it happened the first time they'd had sex since the night they'd conceived Jace.
"What the hell, Harm?!" she'd shouted. "How could you do this to me?" It wasn't that she didn't want more children; she'd just expected to have at least a year between babies. Harm didn't help his case, commenting to her that maybe it was for the best, because 'she wasn't getting any younger.' Mac had locked herself in the bedroom with Jace that night, while Harm spent a sleepless night on the couch, Nic staring at him all night long. They quickly made up the next morning, however, and Eden Mary Rabb made her appearance on Christmas Day. She was a carbon copy of her mother, while Jace grew to look more and more like his father.
Harm went to work as a pilot for medical transports and did volunteer with one of the search and rescue teams. He loved his job, and he loved the fact that he never had to worry about being sent out on an assignment on the other side of the world.
Mac still worked with Mary in the store, the babies staying with a wonderful nanny. Beth brought the kids around to the store almost daily, and everyone was happy with the arrangement.
Seven months after they'd returned to Montana, Harm, Jace, and a very pregnant Mac moved into the house they'd helped design themselves. Eventually, they acquired four horses, a few goats, two dogs, and another cat, much to Harm's chagrin. Nicodemus had warmed to Harm eventually, but the cat never failed to let Harm know where he fell in the hierarchy of the Rabb household. Mrs. Brisby, another grey tabby cat, was a tiny thing, and Harm took pleasure in the fact that the little feline was not shy about smacking Nic around if he got too big for his britches. That said, she seemed to look upon Harm as a rival as well, so thank god the two golden retrievers, George and Gracie, loved him unconditionally.
Mac had decided she wanted to get married on the hill behind their house, and she didn't want to be hugely pregnant during it, so here they were, six months after Eden's birth, standing in front of a few friends while goats wandered amongst the guests…just as Mac had once described her perfect wedding.
And it was perfect…their life was perfect…
Both Harm and Mac found it hard to believe how much had happened in the last ten years. They'd met in a rose garden, become friends, then best friends…they'd loved other people, they'd grown apart, come together, fought, and then almost broke completely. It was a miracle they had found each other again, and the miracles had just continued from there with the births of their son and daughter.
Their wedding day had dawned clear and sunny, not too hot and not too cold, as if the day had been made just for them. Harm's grin widened as he said his 'I do,' and both of them teared up as Mac said her own. Their vows followed, and before long, the pastor pronounced them husband and wife while their guests and children applauded.
Life was indeed perfect. And it was about to become more so. Mac had her own special wedding gift for Harm, and the next night, as they settled into the honeymoon suite in the famous Belton Chalet of Glacier National Park, Mac handed him a little box. Harm quickly unwrapped it, and then carefully removed the stick with a pink "positive" sign decorating it. His eyes flew to Mac's and he answered her brilliant smile with his own. Underneath the stick was an ultrasound photo…and ultrasound photo clearly showing the two little peanuts that were their children. "Twins?" Harm asked with awe. Mac nodded, and then they were in each other's arms, happy tears flowing down their faces, I love yous on their tongues. They made love long into the night, and when they welcomed their twins, a boy and a girl, seven months later, their joy surpassed anything they'd ever known.
And they lived happily after ever…
End
