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 Twenty-Two

"If you're cancelling on me, I don't want to hear it."

Maddie groaned and clutched the phone. "I'm sorry, Mac. I really am. But I'm not ready to see Ben."

"Maddie…"

"And I've already seen the new house, so there's no need for me to come to your housewarming."

Mac scoffed and wiped a speck of dust from their entry way mirror. "You could come because you're my friend and I invited you. Ben is the one who called things off. Why are you the one hiding?"

"I'm not hiding."

"You are," she argued. "So, is this how it'll be forever? You won't come to anything Ben will be at?"

"Mac-"

"Because that's not fair to Harm and I. Ben is our friend too, and we hate what happened, but we're not going to choose sides."

Maddie sighed loudly, completely exasperated at this conversation. "I'm not asking you to. I'm sorry, but I'm not coming."

"Do whatever you want, Maddie. I've got to go." Mac waited for her friend to say goodbye, and then she hung up the phone – a bit more forcefully than normal. The wedding was in less than a month – three weeks from today to be exact – and now in addition to normal pre-wedding jitters, she now had to worry if her maid of honor would back out because of Ben's presence. He wasn't the best man, but he was a groomsman, and they would be in close proximity throughout the wedding weekend. She took a deep breath and shook her head. She couldn't worry about that right now.

"Stop fussing, everything looks great."

Mac turned and rolled her eyes at Harm. "I'm not fussing."

"You've cleaned that mirror at least three times."

She looked up at the gleaming mirror and blushed. "I want everything to be perfect."

He walked up to her and placed his hands on her hips. "It will be. Just relax." She didn't look convinced, and he lowered his lips to hers. He knew she was dealing with some version of imposter syndrome, and frequently felt like she didn't deserve most of the good things in her life; and that now included their new house.

She pulled away from him and headed back to the kitchen with the glass spray and the rag. "Maddie isn't coming tonight."

He grimaced and leaned against the counter. "I'm sorry."

She shrugged and tucked the spray back into the basket of cleaning supplies. "Not your fault."

"I know," he said. He snagged her hand as she moved past him and pulled her against him. "Things will get easier. He's an absolute idiot, but they love each other and they're both hurting. It'll get easier." He bent forward and kissed her again, running his hands underneath her t-shirt. When they broke apart, he grinned, and pushed her hair off of her face. "You need to relax."

Mac smiled and placed her hands on his chest. "Do I?"

He nodded and teased the waistband of her shorts. "I can help with that."

"Oh really?"

He nodded again and gave her a quick kiss. "Come on." He gently pushed her back, and then took her hand, and led them upstairs.

"Harm, we have guests coming in two hours."

He dipped his hands in the waistband of her shorts, and tugged them down. He watched as they fell to the floor, and she stepped out of them. "We have plenty of time," he insisted, and pushed her panties down as well, and then pulled off her t-shirt and palmed her bare breasts. "You should go without a bra all the time."

She snorted and pulled off his own t-shirt. "They're a little too big for that."

He sat down on the edge of the bed, and pulled her to stand between his spread thighs. "They're perfect," he said, and then took a hardened nipple into his mouth.


Several hours later…

Their housewarming party was in full swing, and everyone seemed to be having a great time – including the host and hostess, and though the house was large and spacious, it wasn't long before everyone moved outside to the gorgeous backyard, which had been what had sold them on the house. There was a pool, plenty of mature trees to provide shade, azalea and gardenia bushes which would bloom in the spring, and a massive deck with a grill and comfortable patio furniture.

Most of the guests were friends from JAG or from Hammer Aviation, and their spouses or partners, and when they heard the doorbell ring, Harm and Mac exchanged a confused look. Other than his out-of-state family, practically everyone they knew was already here. She shrugged and hoisted little AJ higher on her hip. "I'll get it. Can you take him?"

"Of course." Harm held out his hands, and AJ went willingly to his godfather. She watched them for just a second with a wistful expression on her face, and then the doorbell rang again and she turned and headed back inside and opened the front door, and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Maddie. Hi."

Maddie extended the bouquet of irises she was holding. "I'm sorry about earlier."

Mac leaned forward and gave her a hug. "Come on in." She accepted the flowers and smiled. "These are beautiful." Maddie nodded and followed Mac to the kitchen and watched as she pulled a vase out of a cabinet and filled it with water. "Why'd you change your mind?"

She shrugged, and tweaked one of the stems in the vase. "You were so excited for tonight, and I was being a selfish asshole."

"You're not an asshole," Mac said softy.

"I'm not, but I was acting like one. And you're my friend – my closest friend, and I don't want to hurt you."

"I was hurt," Mac says, "and I overreacted, but I do understand. I'm sorry, too."

They hugged again and when Maddie pulled back, she dabbed at her eyes. "God, I'm such a mess these days." She puffed out her cheeks and let out a breath. "Okay, I'm fine. I'm fine." Mac raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything, and Maddie ignored her. "Is he here? Did he – did he bring someone?"

"He's not here," Mac said. "We haven't heard from him, so maybe he just chickened out. But let's forget about him. Come outside. There's a cute baby to cuddle, and tons to eat and drink."


They ate a late dinner under the strands of twinkle lights Harm and Mac had strung, had drinks by the bonfire, and then people slowly began to head home. Soon it was just Mac, Harm and Maddie left – she had insisted on staying to help clean up. Mac had taken an arm full of glasses to the kitchen, and Maddie turned to Harm. "I'm sorry he didn't show up. I'm guessing it's because of me."

"Probably," he said. She winced and he reached out and squeezed her arm. "I'm not trying to be hurtful, just honest. He's hurting too."

"Is he – is he seeing anyone yet?"

Harm shrugged. "I don't know, Maddie. He and I had an argument a few weeks ago, and we haven't spoken much since." She opened her mouth, and he held up his hand. "Don't apologize."

She let out a shaky breath and nodded. She bent to pick up a stack of plates. "I'm going to take these to the kitchen."

He nodded and tied off the garbage bag he was holding, and then headed out the front door and to the side of the house where their garbage can waited. He dumped the bag in, closed the lid, and turned to go back inside when a car with headlights that seemed much too bright pulled into the driveway. He stopped walking and let out a breath when he realized it was a black BMW and watched Ben step out.

"You missed the party, man."

"I know," he said. "I'm sorry. I need to talk to you."

Harm looked back at the house and then at his friend. "It's not a good time."

"It'll just take a second." He turned and began walking to the house when Harm called out.

"Ben, stop. It's not a good time." Ben turned to look and him, and Harm shoved his hands in his pocket. "Maddie is here." He let out a breath and looked at the house. Harm could see the longing on his face. He turned back to the house, and took off to the house, taking the few steps to the front door and bursting inside.

Harm hurried after him and screeched to a halt when he saw the three of them standing in the living room. Mac looked annoyed, Maddie looked ashen, and Ben looked frenzied.

"I need to talk to you, Maddie," Ben was saying. "Please. Just a few minutes. Please."

Harm watched Maddie's face. She looked like she was going to say no, and he wouldn't blame her if she did. But after an agonizingly long moment, she relented and nodded. "Just a minute. Let's go to the deck." He nodded and trailed after her like an obedient pet.

Mac watched them go, and then turned to Harm. "What's that all about?"

"No idea," he said with a shrug. "He asked to talk to me until he found out she was still here, and then he practically ran inside. He watched as she bit her lip and then scanned the living room. He smiled and closed the space between them. "There's nothing else that needs to go to the kitchen, and there's nothing left on the deck, so you're not going to be able to plausibly spy on them."

She laughed, and wrapped her arms around him. She loved that he knew her so well. She had always had a touch of psychic ability, but it seemed he did too. At least when it came to her. "I love you; you know that right."

"I know that," he confirmed. "And I love you too."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and placed her head against his chest. "I can't believe that three weeks from now I'll be your wife."

He tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "I can't believe it either." It seemed like a lifetime ago that he had blurted out a proposal before leaving for Pensacola. She hadn't taken him seriously, and had refused to consider it a legitimate offer, but he had been as serious as a heart attack. He had wanted to marry her back then. Hell, probably even earlier than that. And in three weeks it would finally happen. Oh, if all of his ex-girlfriends could see him now. They'd never believe that he was the same man who had been terrified of commitment, and wouldn't even let them keep a spare toothbrush here.


"It's getting late," Harm said with a glance at his watch. "Think we should go check on them?"

"Nope," Mac said. She shifted on the couch and crawled into his lap, straddling his legs. "I think we should go upstairs. They're both adults. Hopefully they're smart enough to let themselves out and lock the door behind them."

"You're not curious about what's happening?"

She shrugged. "Of course, I am. But Maddie will tell me later." She toyed with the top button on his gray henley. "But right now, I want to go upstairs with you, and finish what we started earlier before we were so rudely interrupted by our well-intentioned friends who wanted to help."

He grinned and nodded. "By all means." She climbed off of his lap, and held out her hand to him. "Lead the way." He took her hand and they were headed toward the staircase, when they heard the patio door open. They halted where they were and waited. Mac expected a teary-eyed Maddie, and Harm expected a brooding Ben, but both were stunned when they crossed the threshold into the living room, clutching hands as if they were terrified to let go.

"What…" Mac started, but Maddie held up her left hand. Her engagement ring – the one she had shoved at Ben with so much force it literally cut through his shirt – was back on her finger.

"Vegas. Right now." Ben said. "Come with us."

Harm and Mac looked from them, to each other, and then back to them. "I'm sorry," she said. "But what is going on?"

Ben lifted Maddie's hand to his lips and then let go. "I've been an idiot. I've been terrified of getting hurt again, but god damn if the past two months haven't been the worst of my entire life." He looked at Maddie. "I begged and pleaded and she agreed to give me a second chance."

Harm frowned and shook his head. "So, the correct response to a second chance is Vegas?"

"Yeah," Maddie chimed in. "I never wanted a big wedding, but our parents did. And all of the stress of planning this stupid wedding that neither of us wanted just added to his anxiety."

"Okay," Mac said. "But why Vegas? Why right now?"

They looked at each other and shrugged. "It just feels right," Ben said. "Come with us," he said. "It's Saturday night. Let's catch a red-eye tonight, and since the three of us have Monday off for the holiday, we'll come back Monday. Maddie already called the hospital and is getting another doc to fill in for her. Come to Vegas with us."

Mac looked Ben over, and then turned her attention to Maddie. "Maddie, are you positive this is what you want?"

She nodded and then looked at Ben. "Yeah," she said. "This is everything I want."

Mac let out a breath and looked at Harm and shrugged. "Vegas?"

He nodded, just a bit hesitantly. "Vegas."

End Part 22