AN: WOW! I take it everyone enjoyed the shower scene. I must say it was one of my favs, too. Thanks for the resposes. I hope you enjoy the next installment.
Mac awoke the next morning cradled in Harm's arms. She felt so safe in his arms. She thought she could stay like this forever. She didn't even realize she was drawing circles on his chest till she heard him chuckle.
"That tickles."
"Sorry."
"Don't be. I like it."
"Oh. Ok."
"How are you feeling?"
"Better everyday. I feel I could walk a mile. Of course, I haven't gotten out of bed yet. I'm too comfortable to move."
"You are. Are you?"
"Yeah."
"Good."
"There's only one problem."
"What's that?"
"I'm hungry."
"Figures. What would you like?"
"I have a sweet tooth this morning. How about cinnamon roles?"
"Sounds good to me. You can stay here, Mac. I'll bring it to you."
"You don't have to."
"I know. I want to."
"Part of your master plan, right?"
"Right."
Harm got out of bed and headed for the kitchen. While he was baking the cinnamon roles, the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Good morning, sir. How are you?"
"Fine, Bud, and you?"
"We're all fine over here."
"What can I do for you, Bud?"
"Harriet and I were wondering if we can come by today with the boys. AJ is worried about "his aunt Mac," and he wants to make sure she's ok."
"I don't have a problem with it. Let me ask the invalid."
"You better not let her hear you call her that, sir."
"I'm crazy, not stupid, Bud. Besides, I don't have a death wish. Hey, Mac!"
"Yeah?"
"Bud and Harriet want to bring the boys by today. Your godson is worried about you."
"Oh. So he's my godson now. I don't see why not."
"Sounds like a plan, Bud. What time?"
"Around 1400. Jimmy is usually up from his nap by then."
"Ok. See you at 1400."
Harm hung up with Bud and finished the cinnamon roles. Pouring two glasses of orange juice, he made his way to the bedroom.
"Breakfast is served."
"Thanks."
"So, what do you want to do today."
"Well I have two choices. Sit in the bed or sit on the couch."
"So, what will it be?"
"The couch I guess. That way, I won't have to move when Bud, Harriet, and the boys arrive."
"Ok."
They finished breakfast, and Harm helped Mac to the couch. Once she was settled, Harm decided to clean up and do some laundry. Mac was able to catch up on a book she was reading. They both felt like this was how it should be. They thought they should be together like this. Harm was going downstairs to get the last of the laundry when Bud, Harriet and the boys showed up.
"Hey guys. Come on in. I was just headed out to get the clothes."
"Uncle Harm!"
"Hey, buddy. Aunt Mac is inside waiting for you. You can go see her, but remember she has a big owwie."
"I will, Uncle Harm."
"Go ahead in. I'll be back in a minute."
"I'll walk with you, sir."
"Bud. It's the weekend. Let's try Harm. Ok?"
"Ok, si…I mean Harm."
"Let's go."
Harm and Bud made their way downstairs to the laundry area while Harriet kept Mac company.
"Hello, Aunt Mac."
"Hey, AJ. How are you?"
"I'm ok. Mommy says you have an owwie."
"Yes I do."
"Why don't you get Uncle Harm to kiss it better? Mommy kisses all my owwies, and they feel much better after that."
"Well, we'll see, AJ."
"Ok. Mommy, can I go play with Jimmy?"
"Sure. Just be careful with him."
"I will."
AJ went over to where Jimmy was and grabbed a rattle. He shook it in front of Jimmy's face and made him laugh. That brought smiles to Harriet and Mac. Harriet then turned to her.
"How are you really doing, ma'am?"
"Harriet. One. It's Mac. Two. I'm fine."
"How does it feel to have Harm here?"
"Honestly, I love having him here. I'm so scared about what to do when he leaves."
"You think he will?"
"Why wouldn't he?"
"Because you love him, and he loves you."
"What makes you say that?"
"Mac, I'm not blind. I can see the feelings you two share even though you both are too stubborn to admit them. Besides, you didn't see him the night of the accident Mac, I have never seen Harm breakdown like that. He looked so lost."
"We never really talked about that night."
"You should, Mac. Then you can tell him how you feel."
"I want to so bad. I'm just so scared."
"What are you scared of?"
"That he doesn't love me."
"I'm sure he loves you, Mac. He's here now, and he is taking care of you completely. Which brings me to my next question. How is the showering going?"
"Oh, Harriet. You're terrible."
Mac couldn't help but blush. It was something that Harriet picked up on quickly.
"I see. I take it is going well then."
"I…uh…"
"It's ok, Mac. I can see by the look on your fact that there's more to him helping you shower."
"We haven't done anything, Harriet."
"But you want to."
"I…uh…Oh hell. I might as well tell you. You would probably figure it out anyway. The first night he helped me bathe, and we kissed. The, last night, he helped me was my hair, and he was naked."
"Really! Oh my goodness. What did you do?"
"What could I do? I wanted to jump him, but all I could do was stare."
"I bet he was a sight to see."
"Harriet!"
"I'm married, Mac, not blind. Is there more?"
"No that's it. He does sleep in the bed with me."
"Does he behave?"
"Yes, he does."
"That's sweet. I hope you know I mean well, Mac. I just want you to be happy. Please, talk to him and tell him how you feel."
"I plan to do that when I'm better."
"Ok."
Harriet and Mac continued to talk while Harm was being grilled by Bud.
"Have you told her how you felt yet?"
"No, Bud. I haven't."
"Why not, Harm?"
"Because it's not the right time. I want to have this conversation with her when she's better."
"Why?"
"Lets just say I'm having a hard enough time trying to not want her. If we reveal how we feel now, then it will just compound the problem. I need all the control I can muster. Knowing Mac loves me will lessen me control."
"You do know she loves you?"
"I'm pretty sure she does, but she hasn't said it yet."
"Trust me. She does. I just hope she gets better soon."
"Me too, Bud. I don't know how much longer I can help he like this and keep my wanting her at bay."
"You are a stronger man than I am."
"That's what you think. We've came so close a couple of times already."
"That's to be expected. You both love each other and have tried to deny it for years. Now you're both in a situation that opens the door to more intimacy. It's hard no to want to walk through."
"You're telling me. Come on, Bud. We better head back up. I don't need a hungry marine on my hands."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. With Harriet pregnant with twins, she's insatiable."
"I'll tell her you said that."
"You wouldn't dare."
"Care to bet on that?"
"I would rather not. You would probably do it anyway."
"You got that right. Now lets go feed our women."
Harm and Bud made their way back to the apartment. Harriet was busy feeding Jimmy, and Mac was helping AJ eat. Mac looked up when they walked in.
"I though you both got lost."
"Sorry about that. We were just talking."
"It's ok. We were doing the same thing."
"So what do you want to eat?"
"Harriet had a craving for pizza, so we ordered a meat lovers and a vegetarian pizza."
"Harriet! You want pizza for lunch?"
"Why not, Bud?"
Harm leaned over and whispered to Bud.
"I wouldn't argue with her, Bud. I've learned never to get in the way of a woman and her food."
"What are you whispering over there, squid?"
"Oh, nothing, Mac. I'm just giving Bud some advice."
"Right, and just what were you advising him on?"
"Uh…Nothing specific."
"Yeah, right. Bud?"
"I'm sorry, Harm. I have to go with her."
"Traitor."
"He just said to give you what you want. You deserve it."
"Well, why didn't he say that in the first place?"
"I don't know. Maybe he didn't want you to know he's a big softie."
Under her breath, Mac added.
"There's nothing soft on him. Nothing I couldn't remedy anyway."
Mac didn't know anyone heard her till she noticed Harm blush. Realizing he heard, she blushed also. Harriet and Bud could make most of it out, but chose not to comment. Harriet decided to break the silence.
"So what are you planning to do today, Mac?"
That got the ball rolling. Everyone sat and talked about anything and everything.. The pizza finally arrived, and they ate. They were enjoying their meal when the phone rang. It was AJ checking in on Mac. Satisfied that she was being taken care of and threatening Harm's existence if he hurt Mac in any way, he hung up. Harm began eating again. Five minutes later, the phone rang. It was Mattie and Jen. They were checking up on Mac, and Mattie wanted to say goodbye. Her dad wanted her to come over earlier than expected and stay a couple of weeks instead. Harm wasn't happy when he heard this, but he let her go. The last person to call was Sturgis. He let them know his dad was home and ok. He also wanted to check on Mac. Harm hung up with him, and he turned to the group.
"I think they planned that. That's the first time we heard from them since Mac came home."
"They probably wanted to make sure you and Mac were settled before they called."
"Yeah. You're probably right."
The pizza gone hours ago, AJ yawning, Jimmy asleep, and the conversation dying, Bud and Harriet decided to go. Once the goodbyes were said and they left, Harm turned to Mac. He had been thinking about his conversation with Bud. He wasn't ready to profess his love yet, but he had to give Mac a clue.
"Mac, can I talk to you?"
"Sure, Harm. Is something wrong?"
"No. Nothing's wrong. I just want to say something."
"Ok."
"I don't know about you, but the past couple of days have been brutal on my control."
Mac knew what he meant, but she wanted to see where this was going.
"How do you mean?"
"Mac, we've known each other for 9 years. I've come to respect and care about you deeply. Being this close to you has been very hard on me."
Doubt started to creep in.
"Do you want to leave?"
"No! I want to stay. I just wanted you to know what you do to me, and that we have to find a way to do this for the next month or so."
"Oh. I see. If it makes you feel any better, I feel the same way. I have never been this close to you. I'm having trouble keeping myself at bay."
"So, what are we going to do."
"Well, we both recognized that there is more than feelings of friendship involved here. The kiss we shared a couple of nights ago is proof of that. Now all we need to do is find a way to make this a little easier on ourselves. I'm still going to need help bathing, but I can limit washing my hair to every other day. I'm not going anywhere, so there is no need to wash it so much. I can try to bathe myself and call you when I need help getting in and out. Oh, and for you to do my back of course. That way, we won't be as tempted as we have been. I can get dressed before you put to medicine on my scars. The stitches come out Friday, so we won't have to do that much longer. How does that sound?"
"I think I can do that, Mac. I think the less we see each other without clothing the better. Not that I don't like looking at you, but that's the problem."
"Same here. So we're agreed."
"I never thought I would agree to not look at a beautiful woman."
"Oh, you can look, but don't touch."
"Tease."
"You haven't seen anything yet, flyboy."
"Oh, I'm banking on there being more, but that will have to wait."
"Yes it will."
With everything settled, Harm and Mac fell into a regular routine. As the days passed, Mac was able to do more and more on her own. It got to the point that she really didn't need Harm's help anymore. Not that she wanted him to leave. She did convince him to go back to work a month after the accident. Life at JAG had been pretty hard with three senior officers out. Sturgis had gone back a week after the accident, but they were still backed up. Harm finally agreed to go back once she went to the doctor. The doctor was surprised to see that Mac was healing so quickly. The doctor assured him that Mac was healing fine and the factures were almost healed. The cast would be coming off in a week, and she could go back to work the week after that.
Harm reluctantly went back to work, but he came home to her every night. He got so use to staying with her, that it didn't feel right when he was by himself. They took turns staying at each other's apartment until Mattie went to stay with her dad permanently. That happened about a week after Harm went back to work. He knew something was up when Mattie started to distance herself from him. He thought it was because she was jealous he was spending most of his time with Mac. He did try to make time for her, but he didn't want to leave Mac alone. He spoke to Jen and got the rest of the story. Things were moving along quickly between Mattie and her dad. Her dad wanted to have Mattie back sooner than expected. Harm tried to talk to Mattie, but she pushed him away. Jen said Mattie thought it was for the best. She thought breaking ties with Harm would make the goodbye less painful. Harm had gotten a subpoena, and he went to talk to Mr. Johnson. He then went back to court, and the judge ruled that Mattie should go back to her dad. Harm and Mr. Johnson did agree to allow Mattie to come visit. Mattie didn't expect that, and immediately felt sorry for pushing Harm away. Even though he would still get to see Mattie, the damage had been done. He lost her, just like he lost everyone he cared about. Everyone, except Mac. Mac couldn't make it to the hearing, but soon found out what happened.
Harm turned up at her place in complete disarray. Mac, at first, thought he had been drinking, but he wasn't drunk. He looked so sad and broken. Mac let him in and they talked for hours. He broke down once saying that she was all he had left. He wouldn't know what to do if he lost her. All she could do was hold him and let him cry it out. He ended up falling asleep on her lap. She let him sleep there till the next morning. She thought it would be awkward between them, but it wasn't. He was so at ease and even thanked her for being there for him. This definitely wasn't the Harm she was used to, but she could get use to this.
A week after Mattie left, Mac returned to work. The doctor stated everything was healed, and she was fit for duty. That was the news Harm and Mac had been waiting for. Harm especially. Once he found out she was healed, he pulled out all the stops. He lefts cards and little gifts at her desk everyday. This went on for a couple of weeks. Then, one day, Mac walked into her office to a five bouquets of one dozen red roses. Except one vase had 11 roses in it. She knew immediately whom they were from. She took out the card and read it.
Two months ago, my life changed forever.
I owe it all to you, Sarah.
Here is a rose for each day I have been blessed to have you in my life since then.
Yours Always and Forever,
Harm
Tears filled her eyes as she read the card. She then heard a knock at the door. Harm quietly walked in, closed the door, and smiled at her.
"I take it you got my gift."
"Oh, Harm. These are so beautifully. You shouldn't have."
"I know, but I wanted to. I have something for you."
Harm pulled something from around his back. In his hand, he held a card, a box and a single red rose. He handed the rose to Mac.
"Now you have all 60 roses. I wanted to give you the last one myself."
"I can't believe you did this all for me."
"There's more."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Harm handed her the card and box and asked her to open it. She opened the card first. It was the card he bought for her at the grocery. The tears she was trying to hold back flowed freely now. No one had ever given her a card like that. It as so full of love, even though he didn't come out and say it. She knew what he meant. She also understood what he was trying to say. Her life changed for the better, too. The day she met him for the first time, and the day she almost lost him were instrumental in making her the woman she is today. She had to read the card a few times. She didn't realize how similar they really are. They had the same fears and the same wants. She had to struggle to gain control of her emotions in order to open the box. Inside was a rose pendant on a gold chain. Mac couldn't believe what she was seeing. This was all becoming too much for her.
"Harm this is so beautiful. Why?"
"Because two months ago, you changed my life for the second time. The rose is a symbol of the first time you changed my life. You are the reason I am a better person. I want you to wear that pendant and know how much you are a part of my life."
"Oh, Harm. Thank you so much. I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say a thing. Just seeing how happy you are is all I need."
Mac came around her desk and hug him with all she had. He returned the hug. Finally breaking away, Mac looked up at him. The emotions that remained dormant were beginning to stir. They knew they shouldn't do this in the office, but they couldn't stop. Slowly, their lips came together, and the inferno was renewed. Tongues began dueling as hands roamed everywhere. They couldn't get enough of each other, but they knew they had to stop before they were seen. Reluctantly, they pulled away and rested their foreheads together. It took them a few moments to catch their breath. Harm was first to speak.
"Mac, do something for me?"
"Anything."
"Come out with me tonight."
"You mean on a date."
"Yes, on a date. I want to treat the most beautiful women to a wonderful meal."
"Well, when you ask like that, how can I refuse?"
"So, you'll come?"
"Yes."
"I'll pick you up at 1900."
"See you then."
Harm gave Mac a quick kiss and left her office to go plan the evening. They both knew what was coming. Tonight was the night that they would reveal and face their feelings. After tonight, there would be no turning back, and neither wanted to.