Mac was putting the last of the decorations on the table and wondered silently how Marilyn had managed to rope her into having this party. Of course she could understand that she and the rest of the family wanted to celebrate her so important 33 birthday with her. It was the first birthday she would have together with her family, but she still felt that it had been really unnecessary to invite all the people from JAG as well. She felt like a little child celebrating her birthday with a party. However everyone had seemed glad about being invited and they looked forward to meeting her family. Except for Harm, who had already met them all, the only one her colleagues had met was Zachary.
There was a knock on the door and she went to open up. Her parents and Zachary were already there helping her to organize the food. Jimmy had just called and said that his flight was going to be late. Mac had previously tried to assure him that there was no need for him to take out leave to come to her birthday, but Jimmy had told her that Marilyn had threatened him with bodily harm if he didn't. Besides he was also going to go to Baltimore and visit with some of his old friends. She was also pretty sure that it wouldn't be Harm behind that door so early. He was probably going to be late, hoping to be able to melt in among the other guests. Until now he hadn't seen any of her family since back when he had his thing with Diane.
In through the door came the Roberts' together with their son. Mac greeted them and introduced them to her parents.
Slowly the apartment was filling with people. Eventually Harm showed up too. Mac and he had tried to spend less time together ever since her other birthday, but they seemed to be unable to do so. They were drawn back together and after a week of not spending as much spare time together, they gave up both stating to themselves that they could spend time together just as friends.
"I didn't believe that you were going to wear it," he said and touched the heart shaped charm she wore around her neck.
"Of course. I love it, Harm. I really do. That wasn't the reason I..." Mac answered him and the intense stare that met her eyes made her look away.
"I know, I know."
"It's been a while, Rabb," Zachary had joined them and it made Harm take a step back from Mac and offer his hand to her brother. Zachary accepted it, but made it clear that he wasn't liking what he was seeing.
Mac went over to her parents to reintroduce Harm to them as well and then Harm disappeared to mingle with the rest of the guests. As soon as he started to get close to any member of the family he would turn away. Not out of fear or want to avoid them, but out of respect for their feelings.
Eventually Jimmy arrived and after being properly welcomed by his siblings and parents, they hadn't seen each other since Christmas three months earlier, he went around and said hello to all of the other guests. Finally everyone was there and people seemed to be enjoying themselves. Occasionally Mac and Harm's eyes would meet across the room, but Mac was kept busy by her younger brother and the rest of the guests so they didn't approach each other.
"Sarah," Jim had followed Mac out to the kitchen when she went to get some more bottles of coke.
"Mm hm," she answered him as she got the things out from the fridge.
"You do realize that we love you," he said seriously.
"Yeah... I mean I love you too," Mac answered and stopped what she was doing to look at him.
"We wouldn't want you to get hurt," he added and Mac caught on to where he was going. She started to protest, but he quickly waved her protests away "Listen to me, please. What I'm saying is that we will love you and support you no matter what you do or... who you're with as long as it makes you happy."
Mac nodded, but still didn't quite believe that he meant what she thought he was saying.
"Answer me honestly, Sarah. Is there something more than friendship going on between you and Harm?"
Mac just swallowed and looked at him with big fearful eyes. She nodded slightly once.
"I... Nothing has really happened, but I think it could if we would let it."
"Are you afraid of him, that he would hurt you... or just of how we'd react to it?"
"Harm would never hurt me," Mac stated steadily. That was one thing she believed more than anything.
"We're your family, Sarah, we don't want to stand in the way of your happiness. I can't really talk for Diane, but in my opinion there is no way she would have wanted to keep you from being happy, even if it was with Harm. In the end if we kept you back from finding you happiness, I fear you'll start to resent us."
"I would never..."
"He's right you know," Mac turned around and found not only Jimmy, who had just spoken, but also Marilyn and Zachary also in the kitchen. She hadn't heard them enter.
"Rabb isn't the man I would choose, but..." Zachary started off.
"You don't get a vote," his mother interrupted him.
"Now that we've cleared that, maybe we should return to the party," Jim concluded the conversation.
"Thank you," Mac said and looked at her whole family one after another "I really needed to hear you say that."
"I know and the fact that you did means a lot to us," Marilyn said and led her by the arm back out to the living room.
As soon as Zachary and Jimmy had entered the room they searched out Harm and practically pushed him into the guest bedroom. Except for Mac, Jim and Marilyn no one else noticed what had happened.
"What is that about?" Mac asked no one I particular, but her mother who was still standing beside her stopped her from going after them.
"Just something brothers need to do. Let them have their five minutes. Supposedly it will make them feel better and I'm sure Harm will survive," Marilyn answered her trying to calm her down.
At the same time in the guest bedroom Zachary started talking to Harm "If you ever so much as think a hurtful thought towards our sister..."
"We will hunt you down and once we're finished with you, you will wish that you were dead..." Jimmy finished off his sentence and to intimidate him more he stepped closer making that little height difference that were between them to Harm's disadvantage seeming even greater.
"Is that understood?"
The fact that it was rather funny that a Petty Officer and his legal weenie brother threatening the Navy Commander didn't enter the heads of anyone in the room.
"Yes, that is understood," Harm said with the outmost seriousness. He thought that they would soon also make him promise that he'd stay away from her from now on. That was something Harm wouldn't be able to do.
"I do hope you plan on making her happy," Zachary said and it wasn't lost on Harm what he meant by that.
"I'll never stop trying," Harm realized that they weren't 'asking' him to stay away from their sister, but making up the terms of him getting closer, if that made any sense.
"Good, "Jimmy surprised Harm by reaching out his hand and Harm of course took it and shook it. Zachary did the same and then they left the room. A minute later, after Harm had gathered himself from the shock, he followed them.
All in all there were some 20 to 30 people in the room, but Harm had no problem searching out the person he looked for. Like controlled by magnetism, one positive and one negative pole, they neared each other.
And when they stood just beside each other, Harriet and Bud approached Mac to say goodbye, since they were leaving early because of AJ. Mac said goodbye and Harm pretended that he had just ended up there on her left side by accident. His right hand was so close to her left hand that even though he couldn't quite touch it, he could still sense the warmth radiating off it. He couldn't stop himself from moving a little closer so that the backs of their hands were really touching. Suddenly he felt Mac release the contact between their hands, but before he could retreat his hand he felt her soft hand in his and his fingers braided with hers.
They thought that no one had noticed, but Harriet had of course seen their exchange however decided to wait with the questioning until she could ask Mac about it in private.
"We need to talk," Harm whispered in Mac's ear once Bud, Harriet and AJ had left.
"We're done talking. This is where feeling starts." She took his hand up so he could feel how fast her heart was beating. Harm soon countered by moving her hand over to feel that his heart was beating just as fast.
"Later... After the party... Stay?" Mac wasn't quite able to form coherent sentences and struggled to regain control, but she wasn't supposed to remember the rest of the world.
"Yes."
The End
AN: And that was the end to this story. I want to thank everyone who reviewed the story. Also many thank yous to Cria for taking time to beta it and to jagfan85 for allowing me the opportunity to write it. Thank you!