AN - Underlined means on the phone

...Till Death Does Us Part Chapter III – Part 16/24

Disclaimer - See part one for all important information

Alexandria, Virginia

6:10 PM

Mac wasn't sure she should have come here, but she had to. She resisted coming here while Harm was still in town, and the past two weeks had passed so quickly. However, her anger was still there and she needed to get some answers. She was going to get them tonight, even if she lost a friend in the process.

She knocked on the outside door and waited for it to be answered. She heard a muttered 'I'm coming' from the other side of the door. The door opened and a very much disheveled Clayton Webb answered.

"Sarah, how nice it is to see you! Please come in," Clay said in a welcoming voice. Mac took a step into the house and Clay closed the door behind her. "So what brings you by?"

"I have a question for you," Mac said as she put her keys into her pocket.

Clay looked at her. "What is it?"

"Why did you go to the SECNAV about my marriage to Harm?" Mac asked, as she smelled the stenches of alcohol on Clay's breath.

"What?" Clay asked in surprise.

Mac glared at him. "You know what I'm talking about, Clay!"

"Sarah, I have no idea what you mean. You and Harm are married? Congratulations. I guess the better man won," Clay snidely said to Mac.

Mac took a step towards him. "Don't play stupid, Clay. I know you had a hand in this."

"I don't know what you are talking about, Sarah," Clay lied, and placed his hand on her shoulder. "You're tense, would you like something to drink?"

Mac was fine, until Clay touched her. She grabbed his arm and spun him around. Then she shoved him into the wall with his arm pulled behind his back. "What the..." Clay started, before Mac added more pressure onto him.

"Shut up! Just shut the hell up, Clay! How could you do this? Do you like to destroy other people's lives? Does it make you happy?" Mac asked as her anger grew.

"I don't know what you are talking about, Sarah. Could you please let go of me!" Clay tried to struggle with her, but it was in vain.

"I'll let go of you, when I think it is time to let go of you. And don't play dumb with me, Clay. I know you were the one. You gave the SECNAV the information about my marriage to Harm. I would really like to know why you decided to try to destroy us like this. What did we do to you that made you so bitter?" Mac asked.

"What you did? You really want to know what you and your dearest Flyboy did? I'll tell you." Clay paused and took a deep breath, which was hard considering the wall he was pressed against. "Rabb can screw up as often as he wants and he always gets out of it. And you, as soon as your Harm was ready, you threw yourself on him. You dropped me like a hot potato. Is that the way to thank me for what I did in Paraguay, Sarah?"

Mac let go of him and took a few steps backwards. Her face covered in shock at his words. She thought about her words carefully as Clay turned around and looked at her. He held his arm to himself and rubbed it.

"You want me to thank you?" Mac asked as emotions she had buried started to steep to the surface. "There is nothing I could say or do to thank you for what you did in Paraguay. I've never forgave myself for putting you through everything down there. I was the one who wanted to go after Victor, but you shouldn't have. It was my decision, and I have to pay for it every night. Every time I close my eyes I hear you scream. I still have nightmares about being there and seeing you so full of pain. I can see you fighting against the pain." Tears rolled out of Mac's eyes. "Believe me, if I could make up for it, I would. But there is nothing I can do. I love you, Clay. I do, but only as a friend."

Clay looked at Mac and felt the pain in his heart grow as he saw her emotions. Part of him realized that he ruined her life three weeks ago. "There was never a chance for me, was there?"

"No. I'm sorry."

Clay knew he had hurt her, but he needed to know something. "You really love him, don't you?"

Mac looked at him. "Yeah, I do. I love him so much, that I know I have to let him go. He nearly lost everything because of me once before. I can't let that happen again."

Mac walked over to the door and opened it. Before she walked out, she turned to Clay and looked at him. "Alcohol isn't the right friend to help you, Clay. Please don't throw your life away like this. There are friends, who want to help. But you have to let them in. Goodnight." Then she walked out and closed the door.

Clay looked out the door as Mac got into her car. A tear fell down his cheek. "Goodnight, Sarah."

Friday March 18

USS Patrick Henry

Indian Ocean

6:04 PM

Harm never thought he would see the day where he would actually sit on his computer and wait for e-mail. But he was. He had another four days on this boat, and then he would go home to his family. Home to his son and to Mac. She had been really good for the past few weeks. Everyday there was an e-mail from her with something always about Ty. Pictures decorated his cabin and one of the walls in the JAG office. Skates stopped by daily to get what she called the 'Ty Daily.' Even the Captain was impressed to see Harm turn into the doting father. He welcomed him to the club by showing him a few pictures of his three kids.

Every morning there was a new e-mail from Mac. He loved the one from a few weeks ago; it had two pictures attached in it. One had Sturgis holding Ty and the other one had Ty spitting up on Sturgis. He had to laugh. Harm e-mailed Sturgis later with a note that read, 'that's what you get for telling a baby you're wearing a new shirt.' Sturgis sent him a note back that read: 'Damn kid, doesn't listen to orders. He must be your son.'

Harm was about to send an e-mail to Mac when the phone rang. "Commander Rabb."

"Hey, Harm." Mac smiled.

A smile grew on his face from ear to ear. "Hey. How are you?"

"Good. You?" Mac asked as she sat back in her chair.

"Great, I was just getting ready to e-mail you."

"Really?" Mac asked.

"Yeah, but talking to you is better. How's everything going?"

"Pretty good. I've got someone here who wants to talk to you?"

"Really, who?"

Mac moved her phone to the little baby boy, who was sitting on her lap. She whispered, "Say hi to Daddy." Ty giggled and buzzed into the phone.

Harm laughed at Ty's little sounds. "Hey, there, Buddy. Do you miss me?"

Ty looked up at his mother, who made a funny face, and he squealed into the phone.

Harm looked up at a picture of Ty and Mac, which sat in a frame next to his computer. "Yeah, I miss you, too. You're being good for Mommy, right?"

Ty squealed again and laughed. Then Mac took the phone from him. "Harm."

"What's Ty doing at the office?" Harm asked.

"There was a flu outbreak at the daycare, so Uncle AJ gave permission for Ty to come to work," Mac explained. "Harriet offered to take Ty for the day, but I decided to bring him in. I'm doing paper work all day."

"I'm glad you brought him in." Harm smiled, knowing this was a great way to end his day. "I can't wait to come home."

"We need to talk once you get home, too," Mac stated, mentally hitting herself for bringing the topic up.

"I know, and we will. I'll be home on Tuesday. Skates is flying back for leave. She said she can give me a ride to the house," Harm told Mac.

"Okay, so I'll just meet you at home then. Do you want anything special for dinner?"

"Meatless meatloaf," Harm joked.

"Sure I can get you a Beltway Burger, no problem," Mac joked back to him.

Harm thought of something he wanted to ask her. "Have you talked to Clay recently?"

Mac bit her lip. "About two weeks ago, why?"

"Nothing, he just e-mailed me and told me not to do anything stupid. He said, I had two very good reasons to get home safely," Harm told her. "He just surprised me, that's all."

"Yeah, well you know Clay."

"Once you got him figured out. He goes and does something nice."

"Yeah."

Harm opened his mouth to say something when there was a knock on the office door. "Hang on, Mac." He then looked at the door. "Enter."

Skates walked in. "Hey, Hammer. You interested in flying tonight?"

Harm stared at her in minor shock. "Tonight?"

"Yeah, the CAG thought you might want to get a few hours before you leave us," Skates explained with a smile.

"You're going to RIO for me?"

"There's no one else brave enough to risk it with you." She chuckled. "We take off in an hour."

Harm grinned. "I'll be there."

"Great, I'll get my 'Ty Daily' then," Skates added, before she left the office.

Harm lifted the phone to his ear. "Mac?"

"Don't do anything stupid while you're up there, Harm," Mac told him.

"I promise. I won't. I have two very good reasons to come home safely."

Mac closed her eyes for a second. "That you do, Sailor."

Harm looked at his desk. "I'll e-mail you when I land tonight. So don't worry."

Mac chuckled. "You in the air and me worry? Never."

Harm laughed, knowing Mac worried every time he was in the air. "I'll be fine, Mac. I better get going."

"Okay," Mac said. But first, she brought the phone to Ty's head. "Say bye-bye to Daddy." Ty squealed.

"Bye, Buddy, I love you. Be good for Mommy," Harm said to his son.

Mac lifted the phone to her ear. "Bye, Harm."

"Bye, Mac," Harm said before the call ended.

End Part 16