One week later, JAG Headquarters

Harm followed Mac out of the Admiral's office and stopped at Petty Officer Coates desk.

"I'll be happy to stay with Mattie while you are away, ma'am, sir," Jennifer said with a reassuring smile.

"We're eternally grateful," Harm said and reached for his credit card.

"We really are," Mac agreed.

"Don't worry I'll take care of everything until you get back," Jenn promised.

"I have to cancel dinner with Webb, and we won't make it to the meeting with Mattie's English teacher," Mac reminded Harm.

"The dragon lady?" Jennifer assumed.

"She's threatening to flunk Mattie if she doesn't finish the assignments for the first semester," Mac explained.

"But she wasn't even here then," Jennifer reasoned.

"Yeah, we need to get that into her head," Harm pointed out.

"By we do you mean me?" Jennifer was amused. "I can try and reason with the lady."

"Thank you, Coates," Mac offered a sweet smile. "I hate that we won't be there for Mattie."

"Thank you, Coates," Harm said and followed Mac. "We should try and reschedule."

"We'll let Jenn and Mattie talk with her and we'll see what happens," Mac reasoned. "I need to delegate some cases before I leave."

"Ok," Harm said and headed for his own office.

Two days later

Mac caught up with Harm. He had talked with Mattie earlier and she was curious about how it had gone at the meeting with Mattie's teacher.

"Mattie got angry and left," Harm said.

Mac's jaw fell slightly. "She did what?"

"She was protecting us," Harm explained. "Her teacher basically said that we're not showing interest in Mattie's schoolwork and Mattie got angry."

Mac nodded. "I can understand that. It's not ideal that we're both not there."

"No it's not, but it's not up to us, is it? We can't exactly disobey orders, Mac," he reasoned.

"No of course not even though you often do when it's convenient," she teased.

"Like you never push it a little," he threw back with an amused smile.

Mac chuckled. "Did we get a new meeting?"

"Yeah, Friday in a week," he said.

"We'll be back by then," Mac was sure of it.

Harm nodded. "What about you, did you finally get in touch with Webb?"

"Yeah, I did. We'll meet once we're both in town. He seemed fine," she said with hesitation.

"You have worries?" Harm questioned.

"He's been through a lot. He's back in full CIA mode and I worry he hasn't taken enough time to heal. He's been drinking more lately too," she admitted. "Or he has been the times we've had dinner."

"You are worried," he declared.

"I'm just trying to be a good friend," she reasoned.

Harm smiled. "You are a good friend," he reassured. "But Mac, the world Webb lives in, it's different. It's darker."

"You talking from experience?" she wondered.

"I had a peek at that life," he admitted.

"So you did do more than just fly planes," she accused.

He smirked. "Need to know. Come on, we should get this done so we can get out of here."

Three days later

"You're leaving again?" Mattie questioned.

"I didn't have time to make it home to tell you in person," Harm explained.

"Will you make it on Friday?" Mattie wondered.

"Make it?" Harm questioned.

"For the meeting with the dragon," Mattie reminded him. "You said you'd be there."

"Mac will be there," Harm reasoned.

"But I wanted you both there," Mattie pointed out. "And you said you'd be there for the important stuff."

"I need to do this Mattie. A man's life depends on it," Harm explained. "Mac will fix this."

"Fine," Mattie said and hung up. Deep down she knew she was being unreasonable but she wanted to show the dragon that her guardians cared. That they were interested. Both of them.

A knock on the door made her stand and walk over to open.

"I'm home. How was your day?" Mac wondered.

Mattie shrugged. "Harm is leaving again."

"Yeah, it's about the case he's defending, I'm prosecuting," Mac explained. "He had to go investigate something."

"I had hoped he'd make it on Friday," Mattie said with a shrug as she threw herself down on the bed. She propped her head up on her hands and let out a huff.

Mac nodded. "Yeah, me too. But I'll be there and we'll get this fixed. I promise."

"Okay," Mattie said with another shrug. "You guys leave a lot."

Mac let out a sigh and found a chair to sit in. "Yeah, we do. And I know that's not ideal, but we follow orders."

"I understand, I do," Mattie promised. "I just really wanted you both there."

"I understand and I know Harm will try his best to make it back in time. It's not easy, he's invested in you and he's invested in his client. Trust me when I say that in this case, it's more important than a meeting at your school. And I know that it sucks to hear but there are things happening in the world that we have to deal with in our jobs and everything else comes second. It's the oath we took," Mac explained.

Mattie thought about it. "When everyone else goes running away from danger you guys face it."

"Sometimes we do, yes," Mac agreed.

"I don't want Harm to think that I'm mad at him," Mattie pointed out.

"He's a big boy, he can handle it," Mac reassured with a sweet smile. "And trust me, no matter how angry you get at him, he will never leave your side. I'm talking from experience."

Mattie smiled. "He never left you."

Mac shook her head. "Never."

"What about those months when he left the Navy?" Mattie wondered.

"We had a falling out," Mac admitted. "But we're here now."

Mattie smiled. "I'm glad."

"Me too," Mac agreed. "Now, how about we have some dinner. I'm starving."

"Me too," Mattie agreed as she got off the bed. "We have some chicken in the fridge."

"A chicken salad, maybe?" Mac said as she stood.

"Sounds good," Mattie agreed.

Friday afternoon

Mattie looked anxiously at the entrance to the school. It was almost four, and neither of her guardians was there yet. She was starting to wonder if something had come up again when the doors opened, and both Mac and Harm walked in.

"Hi," Mac said and offered a sweet smile.

"Were you worried?" Harm wondered.

"Nah, I knew you'd make it back in time," Mattie said and hugged Harm. "Did you solve the case?"

"Yes, I did," Harm said and noticed the look from Mac. "Mac isn't in total agreement with the outcome of the case.

"I'll live," Mac reassured.

Half an hour later, they met with Mattie's English teacher and presented her with all the written work Mattie had done while she was in charge of Grace Aviation and the letter she had written for the court for the custody hearing.

"I think that went well," Harm said as they walked to the car.

Mattie offered a thankful smile. "Thanks for that."

"It's what we're here for," Mac said and smiled. "What now?"

"How about I treat you to a fancy dinner?" Harm suggested.

Mac and Mattie shared bright smiles. "Yeah, that sounds great, Harm."

Later

Mac joined Harm on the couch later that night. She'd taken a long bath and relaxed with a good book. Harm looked thoughtful, his guitar resting in his lap.

"What's up?" she wondered.

He shook out of it. "Ah, just speculating."

"On?" she wondered as she pulled a blanket over her feet.

"Priorities," he said with a shrug.

"What do you mean?" Mac wondered.

"We haven't talked about us," he said after a little while. "We never talked about what happened in Hague."

She nodded. "It's been busy."

"It's not why," he argued as he put his guitar away. "We can never make it work while we're stationed together, can we? There's always another assignment, and another case where we're opposing one another."

"It's going to be hard," she agreed. "And then there is Mattie to think about too. What if we try and it doesn't work out?"

"I have no intention of making that happen," he reassured. "I'm serious about this, Mac. It's time."

She smiled hesitantly. "You're finally ready?"

"I know that I didn't fight you in Paraguay, Mac. And I regret that. I should have fought for what I wanted." His eyes met hers. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too." She reached out and took his hand. "I was sick of this dance."

"I know," he reassured. "I love you, Mac. I don't think I will ever feel about anyone the way I feel about you."

She smiled. "That's very flattering, Harm. One piece of advice, don't share that with your wife, whomever she'll be, she won't understand."

"Do you understand?" he asked point-blank.

"Why we can't make it work? Why we let fate decide our future? No, I don't understand," she admitted.

"What if we try?" he wondered. "What if we admit that this is what we both want?"

"How do you suggest we go about this, Harm?" she wondered. "JAG? Mattie?"

"Mattie isn't a problem, Mac. She'll support us. JAG we'll figure out. There are other duty stations. I'm willing to make a sacrifice," he added with determination.

"It might be me making the sacrifice," she reminded him. "But I'm okay with that."

He smiled and ran his thumb over her hand. "So how do we do this?"

She smiled. "You don't know how to woo a woman?"

He chuckled. "How about I take you out to dinner tomorrow night. As a date?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Then that's settled," he said and leaned in and almost kissed her. "Is this okay?"

She nodded. "But we should talk with Mattie first. Before we start anything."

"Yeah, you're right," he said just as they heard steps in the hallway. Harm moved back and released her hand. "Hi, Mattie."

"Hi," Mattie sat down in a chair. "What's up?"

"Well, Mac and I were talking, and…" he hesitated and looked at Mac.

"We wanted to talk to you about us," Mac continued.

"Mac and I have been friends and partners for a long time," Harm started.

"And we've been dancing around a relationship for years now," Mac continued.

"Are you guys together?" Mattie wanted to know. "Because that would be really cool."

"It would?" Harm asked and his eyes met Mac's and he smiled.

Mac smiled back.

"Yeah, you guys are great together," Mattie reasoned.

"Thanks, Mattie," Mac smiled. "Harm's taking me to dinner tomorrow night."

"Someplace fancy I hope," Mattie said.

"Of course," Harm promised.

Harm and Mac shared sweet smiles. They were finally on the same page.