Disclaimer: Nothing has changed. I still only borrow them. Sadly.

Thanks to Karen and Arian, as always.

„Harm, let's take a test, ok?"

Suspicious, Harm looked up from the file he was working on. Mac was sprawled on his sofa staring holes in the air. Or so he thought. Maybe she was just thinking up new ways to torture him. Like only dressing in one of his shirts, making it almost impossible for him to work on this damn file.

"What kind of test?" He didn't like the sound of it.

"Dr. McCool gave it to me. It has to do with association. You know, I say a word and you answer with whatever pops into your head. We went through my test and she explained my responses to me. I just would like to do it with you. Maybe we can make sense of your answers together, and if not, I will take it to McCool with me."

Always ready to help Mac deal with her issues, Harm agreed to do it. At least it was no Cosmopolitan test on his faithfullness. Mac copied the words from her own test on a new sheet of paper, and gave it to him.

Harm looked at the first word and had to smile. Maybe this wasn't going to be half bad.

A few minutes later, Harm looked up again, only to see Mac sitting on the edge of the sofa, obviously awaiting his test result anxiously. Handing her the sheet of paper, Harm leaned back in his chair to watch her response.

Mac looked at the answers, only to get slightly angry after noticing that they were all the same, except for the first three.

Not quite able to hide the hurt in her voice, Mac looked at Harm. "I thought you would take it seriously, not make fun of me."

"Aww Mac, I wasn't making fun of you. I honestly wrote down the first thing popping into my head when I read the word."

"But the answers are all the same!"

"I have a one track mind. Can you blame me? Why don't we go through it anyway, maybe I can clear some things up for you." Harm came over to sit next to her on the couch.

"Ok, the first word was sex."

"Yeah, my answer was 'best I ever had'. I think that's self-explanatory."

"Is it true?" At his confused look, she elaborated. "Is it true that the sex we have is the best you ever had?"

Harm gave her a glance that made her toes curl. "Definitley, want me to show it to you?"

"Later," Mac whispered, trying to get back to the test results.

"The second word was love. You answered: 'reason for #1'. I don't get it."

"Honey, although we are great in bed, I think it's actually because we love each other, and are madly in love with each other, that my answer to number one was 'the best I ever had'. I'm sure you've heard that making love and having sex are two different worlds altogether?"

"Oh, ok. Now we get to where your answers stop to make any sense. You answer to 'red' was Mac. What do I have to do with red?"

"Red reminded me of the red dress you wore last weekend. Or the set of lace underwear you have in red. Or your lips after I kiss them. See, red – Mac."

Swallowing hard, Mac gave him a shy, insecure smile. Turning her attention back to the sheet of paper, she got the idea about all his other answers.

"Morning"

"'Sarah', I love to wake up next to you, especially when you are sleeping. There is no trace of the hard, gungho Marine yet, there is just Sarah."

"Time"

"'Mac', every watch I see reminds me of you, your ability to tell time. And everytime I take a look at my watch, I calculate how long until I have you again all by myself, until I can kiss you."

"Girl."

"'Sarah'. I want a girl who looks just like you, but without all the pain and bad memories shining through her eyes. I want to give our daughter the childhood you never had, and maybe replace your memories with her experiences."

"Home"

"'You', I feel at home when you are near by."

Harm leaned forward, kissing away the tears running down her cheeks. Slowly, Mac turned her head, searching for his lips with her own, only to receive the most tender kiss she ever had. Holding tight onto Harm, she let him draw her onto his lap, both sitting on the couch, staying curled up for a long time.

No one noticed that the sheet of paper by now had landed on the floor. A last ray of sunlight lit it up, enough to read some more.

'Happiness – Mac

Future – Sarah

Marriage – will you?'