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)

Note: I am determined to finish this in the next few weeks! It's SO close!

Part Twenty-Three

Mac hated Vegas. She hated everything about it. The whole place just felt dirty and seedy, and it reminded her of her misspent youth. She had visited a couple of times – once for a bachelorette weekend for a woman she was friends with in law school, and once with Chris. They had spent a long weekend at a filthy motel off the main strip, not long after their courthouse wedding – it was the closest thing they had come to an actual honeymoon. Chris had gambled away the little money they had brought on their first night, and they spent the rest of the weekend drinking cheap beer by the shabby pool at the motel.

Being here with her friends and with Harm was different. Instead of a Howard Johnsons with Chris, they were in two suites at the Bellagio. Instead of passing crumpled bills to a teenager who looked high on God only knows what, she watched as Harm slid over a credit card with the ease of someone who had never worried about money a day in their life. It was a little surreal.

But even in a much nicer hotel, she still hated Vegas. It was too loud and too bright and too busy, and she couldn't believe her friend wanted to get married here. She had wanted to talk to her, but they hadn't had a chance. Maddie took a sleeping pill at the airport and slept through most of the flight. And now she was clutching Ben's arm, and asking the concierge about 24-hour places to get married. She couldn't help but wince when one of the brochures he passed her was for a drive-thru chapel a few blocks away. They took the keys to their rooms, and headed to the bank of elevators, and Mac looked at the others.

"You want to do this tonight?" She asked and they nodded. "Guys, not to be a buzzkill, but our bodies think it's 3:00am. What's the rush? Why can't you do it tomorrow."

"I don't want to wait," Maddie says and Ben reached for her hand. He twined their fingers together and then leaned in to kiss her gently.

"You were supposed to be my wife a month ago," he said. His voice is soft, but Mac and Harm were both able to hear him. "And I don't want to go to go to bed without being your husband ever again." He kissed her again, and then pulled back to smile at his friends. "So, let's get upstairs, drop these bags off, and then we can go get married."

Mac looked up at Harm to see if he was as unsure about this development as she was, but he was standing there with a smile on his face and she let out a breath. Damn it.

The room was nice, of course. As it should be for what it cost, and there was an impressive view of the city. "Wow," she said quietly.

Harm approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Crazy view, huh?" She made an affirming noise, and felt his chin drop to her shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she said quietly. He shifted, and moved his hands to her hips, and turned her to face him.

"What's wrong?" She shook her head and he frowned. "I know you. And I know something's wrong."

She sighed softly and turned to the city. "I'm worried they're rushing into this."

He grinned and shrugged. "Of course, they are. They went from broken up to Vegas in the span of about seven hours. That doesn't mean it's not right. Or that they're not happy."

"It's just…" She trailed off and shook her head. "I don't know. I guess I'm just being overly cautious. But I'm worried about her, and I don't want her to make the biggest mistake of her life."

Harm shrugged again and leaned in to kiss her. "If it is, it's her mistake to make, Mac." There was a knock on the door to their room, and he frowned as he glanced at his watch. "I'll be right back." He opened the door and found Maddie and Ben on the other side.

"Well, we're not getting married tonight after all." Maddie sank onto the foot of the bed and looked over at Mac. "Apparently the wedding chapels are twenty-four hours, but the place to get a marriage license closes at midnight."

Ben walked over and sat next to her. "I'm sorry, sweetheart." He lifted her hand and kissed it gently. "We'll do it right tomorrow. Huge brunch, get the license, spend the day relaxing, and then we'll get married."

"And then we'll take you guys out to dinner," Harm piped up.

Maddie smiled and nodded. "Yeah, okay. We'll do it tomorrow." She stood up and reached for Mac to give her a hug. "We're going to go get some sleep. Thanks again for coming with us."

"Anytime," Mac said. "We'll see you in the morning."


"You're up awfully early," Harm said.

Mac turned back to the bed and smiled at her fiancé. It was unfair for anyone to look that perfect this early in the morning – especially after such a long night. "So are you."

He leaned back against the headboard and grinned. "It's nearly noon back home. And you're not in bed next to me." He looked her over, taking in the snug t-shirt and panties she was wore. "Why are you wearing clothes?"

She looked down at her bare legs and smiled. "I was going to work for a while, while you slept, and I hate being naked on hotel couches."

"Well, I'm awake now. So, take those off and come back to bed."

Mac raised an eyebrow and toyed with the hem of her t-shirt. "And why should I do that?"

Harm shifted, and the duvet slid a bit, revealing a bit more of his firm stomach. "Because I'm asking nicely." He watched as she chewed on her bottom lip, and then gave the panties a gentle tug. He watched as the blue lace slid down her legs and to the carpeted floor, and the let his gaze move up her body, lingering on her long, tanned legs and her breasts before meeting her eyes. He watched as she tugged the t-shirt off, revealing her naked breasts to him. And then he stopped simply watching and shoved the duvet aside and took his impressive morning erection into his own hand. "Come back to bed," he said again. And this time she did as he asked, settling herself on his lap, and closing her eyes as he angled himself into her.

He couldn't stop touching her. He ran his hands over her smooth back, cupped her breasts, tweaked her nipples, and then when he could tell she was close, he slid a hand between then and teased her clit. He watched, transfixed, as she braced herself by placing her hands on his chest, threw her head back, and cried out his name; and then he was right behind her. His hands dug into her hips as he emptied himself into her, and then tugged her down against him. She settled against him, resting her head on his chest and draping a leg over his.

"What were you working on?"

She ran her fingers through his chest hair and closed her eyes. "My vows, actually."

He raised and eyebrow and trailed his fingers over her spine, and smiled as she shivered. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah… I mean, we're getting married in less than a month. I figured now is as good a time as any."

"We could always skip that part and just get married here," he said, and immediately regretted it when she stiffened against him.

She sat up and shook her head. "Harm, no."

He sat up and cupped her face. "I know you think that they're both crazy, but I get it. I know what it's like to not want to wait one more minute to marry someone."

Mac clenched her jaw and slid out of the bed. "And I know what it's like to elope without friends and family there, and I don't want that. I can't control what they do, but there is no way in hell I'm going to marry you without Frank standing beside you, and Trish and Grams in the front row. It's not happening." He didn't say anything and she ran a hand through her hair. "I'm going to shower." She turned to head to the bathroom, and then stopped and turned back to him. "Why do you keep bringing this up?" He looked confused and she felt her annoyance increase. "Eloping. It seems like you bring it up an awful lot when you know that I want a real wedding."

"I want that too," he insisted. "But we could do both. We could get married here, and still do the actual ceremony in front of our family and friends at the end of the month."

"No," she said simply; firmly. They stared at one another, neither saying anything, and then she sighed and sat down on the bed. "I need to know why you keep bringing this up. Are you…" she swallowed and tried to force the words that were sticking in her throat. "Are you worried you'll back out?"

His eyes widened and he shook his head. "No. I'm not going to back out." He swallowed and ran his tongue over his bottom lip. "But sometimes I worry that you might." The color drained from her face and he reached for her. "Mac, you've been so… I don't know. Just so convinced that you don't deserve the life you're living. You're constantly talking about how it's too good, too right, and how you never expected anything like this. I'm worried - I'm worried that you're going to convince yourself you're not worthy."

"I'm not going to do that," she said softly. "I'm committed to you and our life together. And whether we get married today or in three weeks, that won't change." He nodded and she swallowed. "I'm sorry."

Harm frowned and cocked his head to the side. "What are you sorry for?"

She swallowed and bit her bottom lip. "I was so afraid when you got back to Washington, so I know how horrible it feels to constantly worry the person you love is going to change their mind." He didn't say anything, and she reached up and fingered the ends of his hair. "I'm sorry you're going through that. And now I know that getting married now would help ease that worry for you, and I'm sorry I can't do it."


"Maddie, are you sure? Completely sure?" The two couples had brunch, and then split up – Mac and Maddie went shopping, and Harm and Ben were spending the afternoon by the pool, and Mac was relieved to finally have the opportunity to talk to Maddie alone.

Maddie rolled her eyes and pulled a dress off of the rack. "I'm sure, Mac."

"This has just all happened so fast."

"I'm aware." She held the dress up to her body and studied herself in a mirror. "I know you mean well, and I know it's because you're my friend, but please don't be negative about this. I need your support."

"You have my support," Mac said softly. "But I just want to make sure you're sure and this is what you want." Maddie's jaw clenched and she reached out, grabbing her friend by the shoulders. "Maddie, yesterday you weren't going to come to our party out of fear you'd see him. And now you're getting married? Have you told your parents? What will they say about all of this?"

"Probably the same thing you're saying." Mac flinched and Maddie pulled away and let the dress fall over her arm. "Look, I get it. And I'd probably say the same thing to you if you were in my place. But I love him, and I want to marry him. I was absolutely miserable without him, and I don't want to feel that way anymore."

"And if it's a mistake?"

Maddie shrugged. "Then it's a mistake, and we'll end up a divorce statistic." She swallowed hard and licked her lips. "But I'll always regret it if I don't try."

"Whose idea was it," Mac asked and Maddie frowned. "To get married now, I mean."

"It doesn't matter," she said. She ran her hands over her hips. "Look, I'm marrying him tonight, and I want you there – by my side. But only if I have your full support. Otherwise, I don't want you to come."

"You have my support," she reiterated. Maddie smiled tightly, and headed for the dressing room. Mac watched her leave, and took a deep breath. Her friend would have her support today, and she'd have it if everything fell apart in the future.


After shopping and the pool, they all headed back to their rooms to freshen up before reconvening in the lobby. Maddie had changed into a lovely white maxi dress with twisted straps and a low neckline that almost seemed Grecian, and her red hair had been twisted into a fishtail braid that fell over one shoulder. She looked beautiful, and Mac had to admit she looked so much happier than she had in the formal wedding gown.

She and Ben beamed at each other and clutched hands as they walked outside to meet the limo Ben had ordered for them. Mac forced a smile as she slid in next to Harm, and watched as a bottle of champagne was immediately popped and three glasses were poured. Then Ben twisted the top off of a bottle of Perrier and poured a glass for Mac. He smiled as he passed it to her, and then raised his glass and turned to Maddie.

"A toast," he started, "for the most incredible woman I've ever known. Thank you for this second chance, Maddie. I will spend the rest of my life making sure you never regret it." He smiled, and then turned his attention to Harm. "And to good friends – who stood by me even when I didn't deserve it." They all clinked glasses and sipped.

The chapel was only a few blocks away, but with traffic and massive amounts of tourists milling around, it took nearly twenty minutes to get there. They climbed out of the limo, and Ben and Maddie rushed inside. Harm reached for Mac's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, good." She smiled up at him and then tweaked his collar with her free hand. "You look handsome."

"Thank you. You look perfect." And she did. Her dress was short and made of gray silk, and he itched to put his hands all over her. They made their way inside and scanned the room for their friends. The place wasn't busy at this time of night, and there were only three couples ahead of Ben and Maddie. They took seat on vibrant velvet benches and waited for their names to be called.

Mac watched as the couple inside came bursting out, their friends throwing confetti and rose petals at them. The bride was so young – and very pregnant – but she looked so happy. She watched their group hurry from the chapel and out into the Las Vegas night, and then turned her attention to Harm. His left hand was resting on her thigh, and she imagined what that hand would look like once he wore the wedding band they had picked out. She covered his and with hers and smiled when he looked at her. "I can't wait to marry you," she said softly. She hoped he could hear the sincerity in her voice, and knew that she meant that more than she had ever meant anything else.

End Part Twenty-Three