Hey gang! Thanks for the reviews, they've been fun :) This was originaly two parts, but I slammed them together to wrap this part up quickly. Don't be too angry at Mac, she needed some time to herself. :)

Enjoy!
Jackie

PART 3 – Why Are You Running Away?

Next Day
1620 Zulu
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia

"Enter." Admiral AJ Chegwidden called out, as he received message that the Colonel urgently wanted to see him.

Mac walked in, took a deep breath and handed a piece of paper over to her CO. "I was checking the TAD board sir and there is a needed JAG on the USS Guadalcanal. . . They are out in the Indian Ocean now." The night spent in Harm's arms were, somewhat the start of a healing process for Mac. A process that she realized wouldn't come full circle, I she didn't get away. She loved Harm, more than any other man in her life, but she needed time to think, time to herself without worrying about what co-workers would think about her. She needed time to process what had happened between her and Mic and make sure it wouldn't happen to her and Harm. Most of all, she needed him to know that he wasn't the fall back guy, but that every other man she's been with since she met him had been just that.

AJ was shocked by Mac's request. Running his hand over his head, he sank back into his chair and took a look at the paper. "This would be a step back, and with Rabb gone, we're already short one senior attorney."

"With all due respect, sir. I need this opportunity." It was her voice that did AJ in. He knew that Mac wasn't the type to plead, but she seemed about to do just that if he didn't agree. AJ studied her for a moment, her normal Marine demeanor was in check, but it was her eyes that gave her away.

AJ conceded, from his own failed relationships he knew that sometimes people need to get away. "Alright, take the Gunny with you."

"I can take care of myself, sir."

AJ agreed and then grinned. "It's the other Marines I am worried about, dismissed."

Mac came to attention, seemingly relieved. "Aye, sir. . . Thank you, Admiral." She left the office, closed the door and walked through the bullpen, telling Gunny the news.

1700 Zulu
Mac's Apartment
Georgetown

"Mac?" Harm called out as he raised himself out of her empty bed. He stayed quiet for a moment, trying to listen for any sounds that she was inside of her apartment, but there were non. Wincing, he slid off the bed and, there, on the nightstand, he saw it. The note was propped up and in big red letters, the front said 'Harm.'

There was that icky feeling in the pit of his stomach as his fingers ran over the note. It couldn't be a good sign. Summoning up courage, he opened it up.

"Harm,

Thank you for coming last night, it means to me more than I am able to express to you. I am sorry what we went through flying home for the wedding. I am sorry that I never told you 'good luck.' Trust me, I'll never do that again.

I am mostly sorry, because, first chance I get, I am leaving Washington for a while. No, I am not following Mic out to Australia. He was right about one thing, I was with him because I didn't want to be alone. Please, if you care for me, even if you don't understand, don't try to stop me. I need to do this.

Take care flyboy.

Mac."

Harm shut his eyes quickly as a wave of vertigo knocked him back onto the bed. "Oh no." He said, as he sat there and read the letter again. There were no 'I love yous.' No mention of the relationship that he wanted from her. 'Don't try to stop me.' He sighed deeply and let out a frustrated groan. "Fine." Harm said, angrily stuffing the note into his pocket and heading out to grab her phone and call for a cab.

One Week Later
1320 Zulu
Harm's Apartment
North of Union Station

Harm grabbed his phone and patched in a call to Mac at the USS Guadalcanal. He'd been pacing for a little over an hour, trying to fight the right words to tell her. He needed to talk to her, he wanted to know what was going on with them. It was now or never.

"Lieutenant Colonel MacKenzie." Mac spoke into the radio, as she descended into the bowels of the Vessel.

Harm had to smile when he heard her voice. He took a deep breath and spoke. "It's Harm."

Mac stopped in mid stride and closed her eyes. She wasn't ready for this, she wasn't ready to talk to him. "Hey."

He frowned at her uninterested tone. Maybe he should have called sooner? "How are you doing?"

"Fine." She told him coldly as she started moving through the ship and towards her quarters.

"You didn't have to run away you know?" He said with a deep sigh. God, why was it so hard?

Annoyed, Mac stopped again and glared at the equipment in her hands with disgust. "Are you calling for something?"

"Why DID you run away?" He asked again, needing some sort of reason for her actions. When she wanted time, he expected maybe a few days or a week. But, this assignment, would likely have her out of the office for months. "I mean, if you needed space, I could have given that to you here."

"I needed time to think. . ." She said, happy to have reached her quarters.

Harm sighed, his voice was flat. "Oh."

"Look, I have to go, I'm pretty busy at the moment." Mac lied, but she needed a reason to let him go. She still couldn't talk to him. Hell, she could barely stand herself for being so weak in the first place.

"Oh, okay. . .Take care Marine."

"You too, bye."

Harm hit the 'off' button on his cordless and looked at it with confusion. What the hell happened and why the hell was it happening to them? "I'll go to her." He said out loud as he stood and dressed in order to meet the review board.

A Few Days Later
1420 Local
USS Guadalcanal
Indian Ocean

Harm sighed for the billionth time since he had stepped into the helo. He couldn't wait to get to the ship and stretch out. More so, he couldn't wait to see her. A lot of things had happened since she had left on the assignment overseas. Harm had met up with the review board and after much scrutiny, managed to keep his wings. Upon his return to JAG, he was happy to see Commander Sturgis Turner, an academy friend of Harm's who was a submariner or bubblehead, as Harm lovingly called him, join the crew. Harm had literally hovered over the Admiral and finally landed as defense to a Marine Major that Mac would be prosecuting against. Finally, he would get to see her.

Once onboard and after meeting with the skipper and his client over the case, Harm headed to Mac's stateroom. When he arrived, he stood outside, watching her work diligently on something. He smiled and a second later, her eyes met his.

"Harm?" Mac was surprised to see him and it was completely evident by her voice. "Wha-what are you doing here?

Harm walked into the small room and placed his cover on the top of the bunk beds. "I'm defense council. . . And I thought we could talk."

Mac turned in her chair and watched him for a moment before it all sunk in. "You asked the admiral to send you out here so we can talk?"

"I missed you." He confessed, coolly leaning against the bunk. "I just wanted to make sure you are okay."

Mac looked at him once more and then turned around, going back to her paperwork. "I'm okay."

"Doesn't look like it to me." He moved across the quarters and stood next to her, his fingers tracing circles on the desk, hoping that she would look up at him.

All Harm received was a sarcasm. "Okay, mom. . .I'll be fine."

Harm sighed. "Are you planning on going after him? Brumby I mean." The question was tentative. He almost expected her to say yes, but instead he got silence and that deer-in-the-headlights look that only Mac could give him. "I don't get it, Mac. When Brumby left you asked for my help."

"I'm handling it." She said smoothly, her eyes still not meeting his own.

Harm snorted at her response. Was that what she called handling it? "Halfway around the world?"

"It seemed like the right thing to do."

Harm studied her again, this time not able to read her eyes. He hated when things came to that. "You're running, Mac. What's going on?"

"Nothing." She answered quickly, standing up and moving a few steps away from Harm. Tension started moving through her body, she knew she was a few steps away from the breaking point.

God, how he wanted just to wrap his arms around her, but it was impossible. He saw her turn away from him and his heart broke. "Let me in. Tell me what you're feeling."

"Pressured. Why are you doing this?" Mac asked, turning around to glare at him. "Because I said I would. . .because I don't want things to move the wrong way because well. . . you have to admit it was a bit awkward the night before you left." Awkward, but wonderful to have her in his arms, even if they were just sleeping.

Mac rolled her eyes. There was nothing awkward about that night, except that the moment she awoke in his arms, she knew she had to leave. She wanted him, yet, she couldn't be with him. Not yet. "So you are doing this now because, according to you, things were too awkward the other night?"

"Yea, I guess.. . and we never got to talk much..." He added a flyboy smile to try and soothe the situation, it didn't.

"What would we have talked about, Harm? Huh? How many failed relationships we have between us?" Mac's words hurt him. He didn't want to talk about failure, he wanted a future, with her.

"We would have talked about us." But, his comment was too self assured, too much for two people who hadn't exactly come to terms with whatever they had.

"Is there an us?" She asked softly, her voice cracking slightly from the emotion.

"We seemed to be moving in that direction yes."

"You can't determine that over a night when I was vulnerable and not thinking straight." Mac jabbed at his chest and then moved away, leaning against her desk, hoping to God she would be rid of him soon. She couldn't take much more of the conversation, not now. Not when she barely had time to think about them. "Besides, you're engaged."

Harm was hurt. "So when you told me that you loved me? That was bullshit?"

"Yes. . . No. . .I-I don't know." Mac brought her hands to the sides of her head and rubbed circles on her temples.

Harm stepped back a bit, giving them both space to breathe. How did things spiral so far out of control? Why did he bother coming after her? He let out a shaky breath. "What is it that you want from me Mac? If you wanted the words, I've said them to you. . . what more do you want?

"What are you willing to give up to have me?" The question hit Harm like a scud missile. He felt himself falling from the skies and slamming into the ground bellow. "Mic gave up the Navy and his country. . . what are you willing to sacrifice to have me?"

"You're testing me?"

"Well?" She continued to drill him, ripping apart whatever bit of resolve he had left.

Harm hesitated. "I don't understand. What's left to give up?" He had, of course, forgotten that he never actually told Mac that he'd ended it with Renee.

"Answer the question." Mac drilled once again, hoping that the direct approach would break off the rest of his walls.

"As long as you answer mine." Harm said with his back turned to her.

"I'm so sick of this dance." She shuffled out of the room and down the corridor.

Harm shouldn't have hesitated, but it was too late. "What do you want me to give up, Mac? My wings? If it means having you. . . you can have them." Turning around, he saw her gone, his shot was blown. Still, he managed to run after her and catch up. "You can't leave it like this, Mac. . . we need to finish talking."

"What makes you think we ever will." She accused and was luckily cut off by Gunny before Harm could answer.

Gunny walked protectively over to Mac. "Sir, Ma'am. . ." He nodded at Harm and turned towards Mac. "The captain would like to see you in two hours."

Mac nodded and gave a half-hearted smiled to Gunny. "I am going to my quarters to take a nap." With that, she turned and walked back to her room.

Harm sighed. "I'm gonna take a swim. Maybe take a header off the bow." Sighing again, he turned and headed off to his own quarters. Unfortunately, even after the case was over, he wouldn't get a chance to see Mac again. Even as he headed towards the helo, Harm searched for her. He didn't want to leave things the way they were, but he had no choice. What he didn't know was that as the helo lifted off, Mac was watching him from Vulture's Row, praying that he returned home safely.