Title: Support

Summary: takes place directly after hail and farewell. Harm and Mac support each other during a difficult time in their lives. A H/M shipper story.

Rating: PG13 I think

Spoilers: everything up to and including 'Hail and Farewell'

Disclaimer: don't own them, never did, never will, wouldn't mind owning Mikey Roberts though.

Feedback: Nice to get but not expected or required. Feedback to

Chapter 3

The next morning Harm woke up before Mac. He looked over at the clock on her nightstand, it was 0817 and Mac was still dead to the world.

'She must have been complete exhausted,' Harm thought.

He decided to have a shower and make breakfast before waking her. By 0900 he was showered, dressed in a sweat suit he found in Mac's closet (must have been Clay's) and was making breakfast. He was just buttering the toast when Mac wandered into the kitchen in her PJs.

"Morning sleeping head," Harm greeted her.

"Morning," Mac replied, "is that bacon I smell?"

"Yep," Harm replied. He placed a plate of bacon, eggs and toast on the table. "How's your back?"

"Better than yesterday but still a little sore," Mac answered, "aren't you going to eat?"

"I have to go home to get my dress uniform," Harm said, "I'll eat when I'm there. I'll be back in a little while to take you to Clay's ceremony. Are you going to be ok here?"

"I'll be ok," Mac replied before digging into her breakfast.

Harm dropped a kiss on the top of her head before heading out the door grabbing his dress mess uniform on the way.

When Harm got home he was surprised to find Mattie eating breakfast in his apartment.

"You're up early for a Saturday," Harm said as he came in the door.

"Oh hey Harm," Mattie said, "Ya I have a paper to write so I thought I'd get up early. Dad and I are supposed to go out later today. I thought you were staying at Mac's?"

"I had to come home to get my dress uniform for Clay's star ceremony," he explained as he hung up his mess dress in the closet.

"What's a star ceremony?" Mattie asked.

"The CIA has a wall of stars," Harm explained, "one for every agent lost in the line of duty. They're putting up Clay's star today. Mac and I are going to attend."

"You're going to support Mac?" Mattie asked, "Can I come too?"

"Yes I'm going to support Mac but also because Clay was my friend too," Harm answered, "and no you can't come, you need clearance to get into Langley. You can go to the funeral tomorrow though, that's not at Langley. I know Mac would appreciate it. Besides I thought you had a paper to write?"

"Ya, I do," Mattie said, "give Mac my condolences and tell her I'll be there tomorrow. Are you going to stay at Mac's again tonight?"

"I don't know, it depends how she's feeling," Harm replied while making breakfast for himself.

"There's more to this than just her losing Clay isn't there?" Mattie asked.

"Yes there is, but it's not my place to tell you what it is," Harm replied, "Mac will tell you when she's ready."

"Ok, I guess I can accept that." Mattie said, "I should get started on that paper."

"I'll call you after the ceremony to let you know what's going on." Harm said.

"Ok, I'll see you later Harm," Mattie said as she headed toward the door.

"Later Mattie," Harm said as he finished off his breakfast.

Harm got into his dress whites and headed back to Mac's apartment. When he got there he found her already showered and dressed in her dress blues.

"You ready to go?" Harm asked.

"Ya," Mac nodded, "We'd better get going the ceremony starts in an hour and 23 minutes and it's going to take us an hour and 10 minutes to get there."

"Let's get going then," Harm said as he held the door open for her.

The ride to Langley was spent mostly in silence. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence though, just one of reflection. Both Harm and Mac spent the drive thinking of the times they had spent with Clay. He really was a good man even if he did have a habit of nearly getting them both killed. They arrived at Langley and showed their IDs to the guard at the gate. He waved them through. When they approached the wall of stars they noticed that Porter Webb and Catherine Gayle were already there. Catherine, who was holding her son was comforting Mrs. Webb who was clearly distraught.

"Mrs. Webb, I'm so sorry for your loss," Mac said as she approached the older woman.

"Thank you my dear," Clay's mother responded, "this can't be easy for you either Sarah, he loved you very much."

Mac just smiled and nodded, she didn't want to lie to Porter Webb and say that she loved the grieving woman's son. She continued talking to the woman about Clay.

In the meantime Harm approached Catherine, "Catherine, it's been a while, how are you holding up?"

Harm was one of the few people who knew that Clay was the father of Catherine's son. Clay hadn't even known. Catherine didn't want her child to grow up with a spook for a father. Her son deserved more than a man who wandered in and out of his life and could get called away at a moment's notice. She had seen what it had done to other children and she didn't want that for her son.

"I'm ok," she said with a slight hiccup, "but now I'm kind of wishing that I had told him the truth. He deserved to know."

"It's too late for shoulda, coulda, woulda's now," Harm said, "but you can honor him by making sure Christopher knows what a brave and patriotic man his father was."

"I will," Catherine nodded. She glanced over a Mac, "How's Colonel MacKenzie holding up?"

"As well as can be expected," Harm said, "She's dealing with some other stuff right now too. It's been a pretty hard week."

"Ya, I heard admiral Chegwidden was retiring," Catherine said.

"It was kind of a shock," Harm replied, "the first we heard of it is when he asked Coates to book the O club."

"Any word on who the new JAG will be?" Catherine asked.

"No," Harm answered, "the board met last week but we haven't even heard who was up for it. I guess we'll hear more on Monday."

"Anybody you hoping for?" Catherine asked.

"As long as it isn't Krennick I'll be happy," Harm said with a hint of a smile.

"Krennick?" Catherine asked.

"Captain Allison Krennick," Harm said, "she was the admiral's aide years ago, before Mac came to JAG."

"You didn't like her?" Catherine asked.

Before Harm had thought up an appropriate answer Director Kershwin came into the room.

During their conversations more of Clay's colleagues had arrived for the ceremony. Clay may not have had many friends but he was a greatly respected agent. At exactly 1330 hours Deputy Director Kershwin began the ceremony. Mac grabbed Harm's hand and he gave it a reassuring squeeze for support.

"Welcome everyone," Kershwin began, "we are gathered here today to honor the life and commitment of a very good agent. Clayton Webb was a patriotic man who would do anything for his country. He was one of the best agents we had, even if he did have a tendency to almost get himself killed. He seemed to have a thousand extra lives, this week those lives ran out. Clay will be missed at the agency; he was an excellent officer and a good man. Like the others represented on this wall he died before his time but he died fighting for the country he loved. As you all know for every agent that falls in the line of duty we mount a star on this wall. Today Clay joins many other great agents as a member of that club."

Kershwin then uncovered the newest star on the wall. He picked up a smaller star from a nearby table.

"Mrs. Webb, please accept this star in honor of your son from a grateful nation." Kershwin said as he handed the star to Porter Webb.

"Thank you director, it will be hung in honor next to his father's." She accepted the star and laid it on her lap.

"That concludes our ceremony," Kershwin said, "Thank you for coming. I'm sure I'll see some of you at the funeral tomorrow."

Harm was surprised that Kershwin would be attending the funeral, to have the DDCI attend Clay's funeral would be close to admitting he had worked for them. Mac didn't react to the statement, Harm wasn't even sure if she had heard. Her head was down and she seemed to be fighting back tears. Harm gently took her elbow and led her toward the parking lot.

"It's alright to cry Sarah," he said softly, "let the tears go."

Mac did just that as soon as they were safely in the car and out of the sight of prying eyes.

TBC