Many thanks to the readers, and thanks for more reviews than I've ever had! Yee Hah!

Oh… because a few people asked, and because they also reviewed…. Bud helps me explain a certain thimble…

Hoping for one more chapter. Let me know what you think.

JAG Headquarters

Commander Rabb's Office

Three Months Later

"It's Friday, sir." Harm looked up from his paperwork to see the smiling face of Bud Roberts.

"It sure is. Big plans?"

Bud smiled. "Mikey offered to stay with the baby while he's on leave, so Harriet and I are taking AJ down to Water World this weekend." Harm laughed at the enthusiasm. He wondered if his godson would enjoy the waterpark half as much as his father would.

"Sounds exciting, Bud. Wish I was there."

"Well, gee, sir, you could come along if you wanted to."

"Bud, I-"

"You know, it could be really fun."

"Bud." Harm exhaled a laugh. "As difficult as that offer is to turn down, I'm afraid we've got plans."

"We, sir?"

"C'mon, Bud, you know you aren't any good at straight faces, so don't even try. Yes, we. Colonel Mackenzie and I are having dinner tonight, and tomorrow, well..." The commander looked off towards the colonel's office. A wistful glow lit his eyes.

"Sir?"

Harm's look jumped back to Bud, and after considering for a moment, he gave him a confiding nod. "I'm hoping to fly her out to the country for a picnic. You know how tough this week has been."

"That's for sure, sir. You guys deserve a break after finding that security leak on the Henry." He smiled happily at the commander. "It seems like you two are getting along really well."

Harm smiled back at him, then looked a little concerned. "Bud - can I ask you something?"

"Of course, sir. What's up?"

Harm looked surprisingly uncomfortable. He stood up, walked to the office door and closed it carefully. "I need an honest opinion."

Bud looked startled. "I always try to be honest, sir."

The commander laughed lightly. "I know, Bud, I know. But this is different. It's kind of personal, but kind of professional." He ran his hand back through his hair and sat down on the edge of his desk. "Have we been doing all right?"

"Sir?"

"I mean, Mac and me. We've been dating for three months now, and I'm just worried that - well - I don't want either of us to look unprofessional in the office. I know that you and Harriet do a great job of balancing your work and your relationship here, and I just wondered how Mac and I looked to the outside world." Harm looked sheepishly at the lieutenant, and Bud looked humbly flattered.

"Well, gee, sir, thank you. I mean, sometimes it's difficult, but we try." He stopped and focused on what he could remember of the Commander and the Colonel lately in the office. "Let me think."

Harm waited patiently, and then impatiently, for a response. "Bud?"

"I'm trying to be honest, sir. I have to look at the evidence."

Harm grinned in spite of himself and shook his head. With any luck, Bud would someday be the best judge the Supreme Court ever had. After another minute, the lieutenant nodded. "Okay. I think I can give an opinion." He leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms on his chest. Harm looked at the calm, considered expression, and knew that he had asked the right person.

"I think you're doing better in the office. Back when you two were apart, there was more tension between you. It got ugly sometimes, to be frank, sir." Harm nodded for him to go on. "The first week or two that everyone knew you were actually dating, you were both so careful to not look any different here that you really…well… looked different here." Harm frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Well... you two have always been friends, sir. You have to accept the fact that most people here think of you as a couple anyway, and have for years."

Harm glanced through the closed door toward the bullpen and looked nervous. "Really."

"Don't worry, sir, it's only the people who know you well that feel that way." Bud paused for a moment, decided that it was close enough to the truth to go on, but also deciding to stick to the first person from here on in. "I'm used to you looking at each other, reading each others minds. That's perfectly normal for you two. It's part of what makes you such good partners. It's the same with, well, contact. You would open a door for the colonel, put your hand on her back... she would put a hand on your shoulder looking at a file on your desk. But for a couple of weeks there, you avoided it. Like it was suddenly an impropriety when it hadn't been before. Like you didn't really like each other, I guess."

"Okay. We overcompensated." He sighed. "Are we doing any better?"

Bud looked up toward the ceiling and tilted his head. "I think you're doing great." He dropped his eyes to Harm's and smiled. "I'm sorry if this is out of line, but it's a good example. I've seen you two brush hands accidentally - I saw it this morning, in fact - and instead of looking nervous, as if it didn't happen, you just grabbed her hand for a second... and you smiled at each other, and went on with what you were doing. That kind of acknowledgment actually is less of a distraction." He shifted his back against the wall. "You seem comfortable with the relationship, so it's not getting in the way. Not sticky at all. I think it's just what we've all hoped would happen, frankly."

Harm laughed. "Well, good. I'm glad we're not being... sticky or anything." Bud grinned at him and nodded. "Good thing we've got such good teachers. Thanks, Bud." He looked around for a moment, then leaned forward. "Do me a favor?"

"Of course." Harm smiled. Leave it to Bud to agree before he knew what was being asked of him.

"I'm asking you this as a friend. If you see us getting... sticky... will you promise to let me know?"

Bud considered for a moment. "Of course, Harm. If you want me to." He put out his hand, and they shook solemnly.

"Thanks, Bud. It means a lot to me."

"No problem." The lieutenant turned to go, stopping at the door. "Oh, by the way, Sir, I think you should know you're giving the rest of us men a bad name."

Harm frowned. "Why?"

"Evidently you're more 'romantic' than we are."

"Really."

Bud tried not to grin. "Let's put it this way, Sir. Just about everyone has noticed the thimble thing."

"The thimble thing?" Harm tried, unsuccessfully, to look confused and completely innocent.

The lieutenant sighed. "Yes, Sir. You know. You walk into a meeting and drop one on the papers in front of the Colonel. You pass her in the hall and hand her one."

"Hmh."

"And there was some discussion about it, I must admit. Coates said she got it, so did Harriet… but they wouldn't tell. They just looked at the rest of us like we were totally stupid." He frowned. "Except for the Admiral. He seemed to understand it from the beginning."

Harm shifted uncomfortably. "He is the Admiral."

"Right. Anyway, I finally figured it out."

"Don't know what you're talking about, Bud." Harm moved around the desk to sit in his chair, smiling politely.

"Sir, please. I was reading to AJ last night while Harriet was feeding Jimmy… and he wanted me to read Peter Pan." Bud may have been mistaken, but there was the faintest hint of a blush under the Commander's innocent act.

"...Oh?"

"Yes, Sir. When I got to the part where Peter asks for a kiss and Wendy hands him a thimble, I looked at Harriet and she just smiled at me…" Bud shook his head. "I've got to tell you Sir, you're raising the bar." He grinned sincerely. "Nice one."

This time Harm's smile was genuine. "Hey. A man's gotta do…"

"Right. But do me a favor?"

"What's that, Bud?"

"If you come up with something else like that, let me know first. So I can at least be prepared to buy flowers."

Outside Mac's apartment

Saturday Morning

Harm stood outside Mac's door, messed with his hair, straightened his shirt, and checked the pockets of his jeans one more time. He nodded to himself, took a deep breath, and found he almost knocked on Mac's nose as the door opened. She jumped back and laughed, and he laughed as well, when the shock wore off. "Tink, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

"You never touched me, flyboy. What timing. I was just going to check for the mail." She giggled and leaned close to him. "You're early. You're not usually early." He leaned over and kissed her. She sighed happily as she pulled away, and ran her fingertip down his nose. "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too." He kissed her finger and folded her hand in his. "Sleep well?"

She looked grateful. "I slept like a rock. Probably snored like crazy. Thanks for understanding." He shook his head, dismissively.

"Hey, after this week, I needed the sleep, too. It worked out fine." He flashed her the famous grin. "Besides. I understand discipline is good for the soul." She laughed out loud, then covered her mouth with her hand.

"Right. You going to come in? Or are we ready to go?"

"Everything's in the car. But I think you'll need a jacket for in the air."

She grabbed a hooded sweatshirt from a hook near the door and gave him a teasing look. "You mean your love won't be enough to keep me warm?" His expression was so serious for a moment that she frowned. "Harm? You okay?" He looked at her, and his sudden expression of love almost brought tears to her eyes. "Sweetheart?" He just shook his head and folded her into his arms, hugging her tight against his chest.

"I love you, Sarah."

She looked up at him. "And I love you, handsome."

"Really?"

There was something going on this morning that Mac didn't quite understand. She did, however, understand sudden feelings of insecurity. For that reason, she answered him absolutely seriously while still smiling. "Really really." He gave her another squeeze, and left one arm around her as they turned from the door.

"Good."

She glanced up at him, and wondered. One way or another, she had come to terms with her love for him long ago. Maybe these waves of insecurity that she got from the always cool commander were his own adjustments. Surely he must know, after all they'd been through in the last four months, how much she cared. She frowned at herself. Was she holding anything back? He had discovered his more playful, romantic side, and was always doing sweet little things for her. Could she be more... open? She tilted her head and smiled up at him. "Besides." He looked down curiously at her. "Your love is keeping me warm." She held up the gray sweatshirt, and he saw that it had a navy logo.

"Hey! I wondered where that was." He reached for it, but she pulled it up to her face and inhaled deeply. Her dark eyes looked at him over the crumpled gray fabric.

"You've got to let me keep it. It smells like you." Her expression became more sincere. "Please?" The make-believe stern look in his eyes faded to laughter, and she smiled shyly. "You know when you were gone for two days last week on the Patrick Henry?"

He nodded. "A very long two days."

"I stole it from your apartment when I watered the plants. It made me feel like you were here." She looked down, positively embarrassed. "I slept in it."

Harm looked at her, and something in his heart both relaxed and tensed with excitement. "Well, I guess you can keep it for a while. If you don't mind being a Navy girl." She laughed and they hugged each other hard. "By the way," he said, after kissing her again. "I found a great place for the picnic. It's just a quick hop."