A/N: Years ago, I read a particular Fanfiction story where Mic came back to headquarters after Harm and Mac married. I didn't save it, can't remember the title or the author, and for the life of me, I can't find it. And even though I've read countless others with the same premise, I decided to write my own similar story. (Because I always like to stick it to Bugme.)

I wish he would have been able to see (and suffer) because of the depth of Harm and Mac's love for one another. Yeah, I hated the character. I thought he was smarmy, pushy, controlling, manipulative, and eventually would have turned abusive.

And no, I haven't forgotten my story "Without You." I'm in what I call the "messy middle" and I always struggle with those parts.

JAG Headquarters
March 24, 2003
0800 Local

Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. stepped off the elevator and entered the bullpen. Before he reached his office, someone called his name.

"Commander, the admiral asked to see you immediately," Petty Officer Jason Tiner stood at attention.

"Thanks, Tiner. Would you take my cover and briefcase into my office?"

"Yes, Sir."

Harm entered through the anteroom, then knocked on the door to Admiral A J Chegwidden's office.

"Enter."

"You wanted to see me, Admiral?"

A J stood at the window with his back toward Harm. Several seconds passed before he spoke. "Come in. Close the hatch."

Harm walked to his CO's desk, standing at attention. He had years of military protocol ingrained in him. Although he sensed there was something more to this meeting than JAG business, he maintained proper decorum.

Chegwidden turned around, then walked to his desk and sat down. "At ease. Have a seat, Harm. How is Mac this morning?"

"She's fine, Sir. During her last check-up at Bethesda, the doctors said the baby looked good. She's in the third trimester now."

"Not being grouchy, is she?"

"Not too much, Sir. Except she did get a little upset a couple of days ago when I forgot to buy her favorite flavor of ice cream." Little upset was an understatement. Mac accused him of never paying attention to her, then blamed him for getting her into the mess she was in. He'd made the mistake of joking about it.

"It takes two people to make a baby," he had said. "I seem to recall you were a very willing participant."

Mac had been livid and gave him a proper dressing down, much like she had the petty officer years earlier on the Watertown. Afterward, she broke down in tears. But Harm didn't see the need to go into that with the admiral.

A J smiled. "A little upset, huh? You mean she hasn't thrown anything at you yet?"

Harm's eyes widened. "You think she will?"

The admiral leaned forward, showing Harm a scar on the top of his head. "Marcella threw an electric can opener at me during her second trimester. Mac is a marine, Harm. Just beware."

"Sir, I'm trying my best not to do anything to upset her. We've put all that behind us."

"Good. Because what I'm about to say will affect both of you. I spoke to the SECNAV a few days ago."

This couldn't be good. Harm had never been one of Secretary Nelson's favorite people. Surely the man wasn't pushing to have either he or Mac transferred out of Washington. They weren't under the same chain of command anymore, so he shouldn't have a problem. But why did he feel the shoe was about to drop? He found it difficult to speak. "The SECNAV?"

"He's hell-bent on revising the foreign officer exchange program with the RAN. This morning I got word of who they're sending to headquarters."

The shoe was about to drop. "Not Brumby, Sir?"

"Sorry, Harm. I didn't have any say in the matter. Since you're Chief of Staff, he'll be working under you. Will that be a problem?"

"Sir, I assure you I will behave with the utmost professionalism in the office."

"And what about out of it?"

"If Brumby so much as looks at Mac in the wrong way, I'll—"

"Don't go there, Harm. You don't want to do anything to jeopardize your career. I don't want a repeat of what happened in Australia. If Brumby acts in any way other than a professional manner, let me deal with it."

"Yes, sir. It's just that I—"

"Don't trust him?"

"No, sir. I don't. But don't tell Mac. The way her emotions are all over the place these days, she'd take it to mean I don't trust her. And I do. But Brumby…"

"Has always been an ass. Don't think I didn't pick up on things before. Hell, I should have called him on it when he first arrived at JAG years ago. The way he went after Mac could be construed as harassment. But since she never complained…" A J shook his head. "If I had done something, a lot of things could have been different. You leaving to fly, Australia, you crashing a Tomcat in the Atlantic."

"Don't think I haven't berated myself a few times. If only I'd had the ba— um, the courage to speak up. But that's all behind us now. Mac and I have one another, we're about to become parents, and that's what matters."

"Very well, Commander. Brumby will arrive next week. He'll assume his duties on April 1."

Harm couldn't help but smirk. "April Fool's Day. Seems fitting."

Chegwidden smiled. "Yeah, I guess it does. I trust you'll talk to Mac."

"Yes, sir. I'll tell her when we get home tonight."

"Very well. Dismissed."

"Aye, aye, Sir."

Harm walked across the bullpen, pausing to acknowledge Sturgis before entering his office, closing the door behind him. Even after a year, it still didn't seem right that Mac wasn't in the room next door.

Still, he wouldn't trade his life now for anything. If he had any regrets, it's what he told the admiral. He only wished he'd gotten his head out of his six years earlier. He and Mac wasted a lot of time.

But no time to think of that now. He closed his eyes and remembered a stormy night almost two years ago.