2 years later
Harm walked into JAG earlier than usual to meet Rachel before court. Over the course of the two years they had worked together, they had become good friends, and Harm had played a large part in Caleb's life.
"Rach, are you going to help me out with this case, or are you planning on staying in your office all day?"
"Sorry, sorry, I was trying to find the notes I took last night at your place after dinner."
"You mean these?" he held up the notes and she laughed.
"Thank you! Are we ready to go? From what I've heard, this civilian attorney we're up against is pretty good. And the friend I have who works at that office with her says she's gorgeous and single as well."
"Trying to set me up are you?" he grinned. "I don't need a date. I'm perfectly happy as it is."
"Okay, if you say so," she looked at him skeptically.
"Let's go. We've got to get going if we're going to be on time."
They arrived at the courtroom with five minutes to spare. Rachel pointed out the attorney as soon as they entered. Harm only caught a glimpse of her from behind as he and Rachel took their seats.
"You've got the opening and I've got the first witnesses, correct?" she asked him.
"Yeah."
"All rise for the honorable Judge Peters residing."
"You may be seated. Counsel?"
"Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb for the defense."
The prosecutor stood up and looked straight at him. "Sarah Mackenzie for the prosecution."
Harm coughed and grabbed the glass of water Rachel held out for him. "Commander Rabb, are you okay?" asked the judge.
"Yes sir. I apologize. I'm ready to continue."
Harm stared at the woman who had just identified herself as Sarah Mackenzie. It was her, and she was right across the room from him. After presenting opening arguments, the judge called a recess for lunch.
"Harm, what was that all about this morning?" asked Rachel before they walked out of the courtroom. Mac stood still waiting to hear what Harm would say.
"I'll tell you later," he said in a low voice as he ushered her out of the courtroom.
As soon as they arrived at the restaurant, Rachel asked him again. "Why did you start a coughing fit all of a sudden?"
Harm didn't answer her, and suddenly her eyes widened. "She's the one. She's your old partner, the one you were in love with, isn't she?"
"Yeah. I thought she was married in Australia and now I come to find out she isn't."
"Oh my goodness, this is amazing," she said.
"How can you say that? I was in love with her and she brushed me off. Now she's back, and I just…I'm in shock. She didn't even call to say hi over the past two years, and now I'm fighting her in court."
"Don't you get it? You're still in love with her, and you're getting a second chance. That's something not all of us get, so at least talk to her after court."
"How do I know that I'm still in love with her?"
"I know, so you've got to know. I'll go with you after court today and we'll talk to her. Okay?"
"I guess so. But only to get you off my back."
"Okay then."
After they finished for the day, Rachel practically dragged Harm over to talk to Mac. "Hello, I'm Rachel Alt, and apparently, from what I've heard you knew Harm."
Mac smiled. "I'm pleased to meet you Rachel. You can call me Mac. And yes, I used to work with Harm."
"I've worked with Harm for about two years now, but I don't know everything about him. Why don't we have dinner tonight, and you can tell me about when you used to work with Harm."
"I'd like that. Where and what time?"
"Hey, do I get a say?" complained Harm.
"Not in this one," Rachel said as she jabbed him in the side. "My house, seven o'clock. The address is 3002 S. 25th street. We'll see you tonight."
"That sounds good. Thanks," said Mac as she walked away with her briefcase in hand.
"Now see how hard that was?" scolded Rachel as she pushed him out the door.
"She's changed. She's not the same person anymore, and after we have dinner, you're going to let it drop, okay?" said Harm.
"Alright, alright, I will. Do you think she'll mind Caleb tossing his food around?" Rachel laughed.
"Well, she used to love Harriet and Bud's son, little A.J. so I don't think she'll mind."
"I hope not, because he's going to love getting a new playmate."
When seven o'clock rolled around, Mac was right on time. Harm answered the door with Caleb in his arms. "Hi," chirped Caleb as he reached out to touch Mac's face.
"Caleb, no," said Harm as he pulled his hand back and then put him down. "Go find mommy."
Caleb ran off and Mac's eyes were fastened inquisitively on him. "Is he…I mean…"
"Oh, no. No, he's Rachel's little boy, but we've gotten to be good friends and Caleb has gotten to know me very well."
"Oh, I thought you and Rachel were…"
"Together? No, we're just good friends. Here, come on in. Rachel's in the kitchen."
Mac looked around the house. She followed Harm to the kitchen where Caleb was banging on pots and Rachel was putting the food on the table.
"Go ahead and sit down," said Rachel as she pulled her curly hair back into a small ponytail. "Caleb, come here."
"No."
"Come here Caleb," said Harm as he held out his arms. Caleb came running and Harm swung him up and placed him on the chair in the booster seat.
"Help yourself. So tell me what you're doing at a civilian firm after being in the marines."
Mac looked up from her plate. "Well, I moved back here and quit the marines when I got a job offer about a year ago for the firm I'm at now."
"Hmm, that's got to be interesting," said Harm.
"It is, but I have to say, JAG was a lot better."
Caleb chose that moment to throw his food at Harm. "Ham eat!" he squealed.
"Ham?" asked Mac with a wry smile.
"He can't say his r's."
Harm stood up and wiped the food off of him and then sat back down to eat. When dinner was finished, they visited until Caleb's bedtime, and then Harm got ready to leave. Rachel hugged him, and Mac couldn't help but to feel a little jealous.
"Talk to her. Invite her to your apartment to talk," she whispered in his ear. "It was nice having dinner with you. I'll see you tomorrow in court," said Rachel.
"Bye Rach. I'll see you tomorrow." Harm walked down the drive and then remembered Rachel's whisper. "Uh, Mac, would you like to come over to my apartment to catch up without Rach around?"
"I suppose that would be okay. I'll meet you there. It is the same apartment, right?" she said.
"Yeah, it is. I'll see you there in a few minutes."
When both cars pulled up to the parking lot, it was totally dark outside. "Come on up. I apologize for it being slightly messy, but I haven't cleaned since last week because I was out of town."
"That's okay. Wow, it's changed so much," she commented as she sat down on his sofa.
"I know. I re-did it about a year ago. Do you want something to drink?"
"No, I'm okay."
"Mac, we need to talk."
"This can't be good. What do we need to talk about?" she asked, knowing exactly what he was talking about.
"Mac…you know what I'm talking about. I want to know everything from the past two years."
Mac sighed. "Alright, then you'll tell me everything. We went to Australia. The day before the wedding, I realized I couldn't bring myself to do it. Because Mic was not the man I wanted. And I expected the man I wanted to rescue me, but after I turned him away one last time, he wasn't there to catch me again," she said softly as Harm looked downward.
"I didn't know you wanted me to."
"I did. More than anything in the world, I did. I took one look at you in the courtroom, and then I saw you with Rachel and her little boy, and I thought to myself, how could I have let him get away? How, when I knew that the only thing that should have mattered was how much I loved him and he loved me?" she said regretfully. "I stayed in Australia for another month by myself, then I came back here, only to learn that my job had been taken by Rachel. I got another job in the service, but it just wasn't the same, so I gave up. It wasn't going the way I wanted it to, so I quit and got a job at the law firm I'm at now. And that brings me to now, when I saw you in the courtroom."
Harm sighed. "What I think is the worst part, is that you never contacted me after that one email. Rach got your job, and she and I became fast friends because I had just lost you and she had just lost her husband. We've gotten very close, and Caleb has needed some male guidance in his life, but he knows I'm not his father. I'm trying to get her to go on dates more often, so that she can get an actual father for Caleb, but she's still been a little wary. Harriet and Bud are still at JAG, and so is the Admiral. Lt. Singer, Tiner, and Gunny are also there, but we've got a few new people too. Besides Rachel, there's Lt. Crimson and Commander James. And that about covers it."
"Well, new people are good. Look, you know, it's late, and we have to be in court tomorrow, so why don't we call it a night?" she said as she stood quickly.
"Mac, I want to know, do you still have feelings for me? I mean, enough to give it another go?"
"Harm…I really don't want to…"
"You turned me down once. Are you going to do it again?"
She looked at him for a moment before placing a kiss on his cheek. "What do you think?" she asked.
"I think you're going to give it another chance."
"I think you might be right. I will talk to you tomorrow after we're done in the courtroom."
The next afternoon, Harm realized that Mac was every bit as good as she always had been. She was making a good case, but he felt he could beat it. After they finished for the day, Harm stopped her.
"A date?" she repeated.
"Yes, you know, something people do with another person when they have feelings for that individual."
"An actual date," she said again.
"Yes." Mac didn't surprise him when she finally managed an okay and then left for the day.
A few months later, Harm and Mac were back in the old routine of their relationship, but it had become more advanced. Rachel overlooked the entire thing, and she and Mac got to be good friends.
But one day changed everything. Harm came home from work expecting to find Mac pulling up in her car at the same time. He spotted her car already parked and so he assumed that she was already inside his apartment.
He walked in to find boxes at the door, neatly stacked and ready to bring down to her car. "What are you doing?" he asked her.
"I'm leaving. I've got a new job offer, and I just don't think that you and I will work out, so I'm taking it," she said, sounding calm, but fighting tears with her back turned towards him.
"And you didn't even bother to discuss it with me?" he asked.
"I decided on my own." Mac grabbed two of the five remaining boxes and carried it down the stairs to her car with Harm just standing there watching her, feeling helpless.
She came back up and grabbed the remaining three, and then walked out of the apartment for good. Harm ran outside after her and stopped her from getting into her car. "I don't want you to leave."
"I have to."
"I love you. Don't leave me again," he said again.
"I love you too, but that doesn't mean I can stay."
"Please," he pleaded as she got into her car, closed the door, and unrolled the window.
"Harm, just make this easy on the both of us before I start bawling like a baby and go back inside."
"No. Not unless you come with me."
Instead of getting out, she started the car. "Stop, please. I love you too much to let you go again," he said one last time.
She looked at him, and then back at the steering wheel. She sat there, and then put the car into drive.