A/N: I am an Australian, and damn proud of it, although yet again, I'd like to point out that Trevor Goddard (actor that plays Brumby) was not really Australian, and therefore does not have a real Australian accent! I will try hard not to use such Aussie sayings such as "flat out like a lizard drinking", or "dry as a dead dingo's donger", but I can't promise anything ... nah, i'm not pissing in your pocket, i will try my best!!

Bold song lyrics

Italics thoughts

Italics> evil conscience

Songs are "When You Walk In The Room" by Paul Carrack, and "Always" by Bon Jovi (one of the best songs of all time!).

Enjoy.

Baby, it's a dream come true
Walking right alongside of you
Wish I could tell you how much I care
But I only have the nerve to stare

Over and over, Harm told himself all the reasons why they wouldn't work. Convinced himself yet again that there was a reason they were apart. But it was getting harder and harder.

Because no matter how many reasons he conjured up, he still knew the truth. Once he made love to Sarah Mackenzie, there would be no going back. Harm knew that after Sarah, he could never be with another woman. And that terrified him. What if she didn't feel the same way? For Harmon Rabb had decided when he was a little boy that he would never let anyone close, never let anyone hurt him the way his father's disappearance had hurt him.

But everytime she smiled that heart-melting smile, or leaned close enough for Harm to smell her sweet perfume, Harm fought the urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless. Regardless of all his barriers, Sarah Mackenzie had snuck into his heart, and without him realising it, he had given his heart freely to her.

Now your pictures that you left behind
Are just memories of a different life
Some that made us laugh, some that made us cry
One that made you have to say goodbye

He looked around his apartment. It was filled with pictures of him and Mac together, some with little AJ, others taken at various functions and parties. But they were just memories now. She was with Brumby, and Harm felt his heart breaking when they were together, when he saw her smile at him … It should have been me! But because of his stupidity, she was going to marry Brumby, and have little Brumbies … and there was nothing he could do.

What I'd give to run my fingers through your hair
To touch your lips, to hold you near
When you say your prayers try to understand
I've made mistakes, I'm just a man

This is driving me insane! He wasn't eating, he wasn't sleeping … everytime he did, he was tormented by her face, taunting him with what he couldn't have. If only he'd got his six out of his arse in time to tell her how he felt, to tell her how much he cared …

When he holds you close, when he pulls you near
When he says the words you've been needing to hear
I'll wish I was him 'cause those words are mine
To say to you till the end of time

Watching Mic Brumby tell her he loved her at the airport broke Harm. As he watched, he knew it was over. All the times he told himself that there was time, the baby deal … it was all over. He would never again feel her lips against his, or find out what she looked like out of that uniform. Never. It was like a death sentence to Harm. How could he live without her? She'd been part of his life for so long … and Harm knew that Brumby would do all that he could to keep Harm and Mac apart. God I hate Brumby! He's not good enough for Sarah! An inner voice taunted him, And I suppose you are? No woman has ever stayed with you … you've hurt her too many times for her to ever trust you again!

If you told me to cry for you
I could
If you told me to die for you
I would
Take a look at my face
There's no price I won't pay
To say these words to you

Suddenly the phone rang, startling him out of his increasingly depressing thoughts.

"Rabb."

He heard Mac, sobbing as she stuttered his name into the phone.

He asked worriedly "Mac? Mac, are you ok? Hold tight Marine, I'm coming."

When he got to her apartment, she threw herself into his arms and cried into his chest.

"Mac? Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

She raised her tear-streaked face to meet his worried eyes. "Mic, he … he" she trailed off as a new set of tears left her eyes.

"Did he do something? Sarah?" If that jumped-up Aussie had hurt her, he'd kill him …

"No … it was a dream. But it was so real … he sounded just like my father," she whispered.

"What happened?" he asked.

"He was yelling, and he hit me …" she unconsciously raised her hand to cover her cheek. "He said he, he said he owned me, and the kids … they were growing up just like me, w-watching their father hit their mother …" she hid her face in his shirt.

Harm just stroked her hair as she slowly fell asleep in his lap. After a while he gathered her in his arms and took her to her bed. Making sure she was settled, he left the bedroom to leave her apartment, only to find Mic Brumby in the lounge room.

"What the hell are you doing here mate?" he yelled at Harm.

"Shhh, she's asleep. She just had a little bit of a bad time, calm down." Harm said lowly.

"Calm down?! Calm down?! I come home to find my fiancé's partner coming out of her bedroom at midnight, and you tell me to calm down?!" Mic raged.

Harm realised he'd been drinking. "Look, you can talk to her in the morning, she'll tell you."

As he passed Mic to leave, he smelt cheap perfume on him. Wait, was that Renee's perfume? He also noticed a smudge of lipstick on his collar. Harm asked evenly, "Seen Renee recently, Mic?"

At Mic's look of surprise also came arrogance. "So what if I have? Can't stand anyone else to touch your woman? Well let me tell you something, Renee says I'm a hell of a lot better in the sack! What do you think of that hotshot?" he said victoriously.

Harm was just about to punch him, when a soft firm voice spoke from the bedroom door where Mac had been standing unnoticed.

In a deceptively calm voice laced with anger she said, "I'll tell you what I think Mic. I think you should leave right now, and if I ever see you again, I will make sure you can never "get in the sack" ever again."

"Sarah! Honey! I didn't mean that, I was just joking …" he walked toward her, still making excuses, when Mac's fist met his face with enough force to snap his head backwards and to make him reel on his feet.

"Get out Mic. Don't ever try to contact me again."

As he left, clutching his broken nose, Mac sat down heavily onto a chair.

"So. That's a hell of punch you got there Marine," Harm said.

Mac attempted a watery smile.

"Oh sweetheart, I'm sorry," he whispered, sitting on the couch and opening his arms. "Come here Sarah."

And with that, for the second time that night, Mac sank into Harm's arms and cried.

I can hear something pounding in my brain
Every time that someone speaks your name
Trumpets sounding; I hear love in bloom
Every time that you walk in the room

A year later, Mic and Renee were well and truly gone, and Mac and Harm had been seeing each other for many months. He had finally told her what he'd been dying to tell her for 6 years … that he loved her, that he couldn't live without her. But tonight was special.

He set up his apartment with candles and romantic music, and made a special meal. Afterwards, he led her to the living room, and put on some more music. As they swayed to the sound of "Always" by Bon Jovi, Harm rested his head on top of hers, and yet again thanked God for giving him this wonderful gift. At the end of the song, he lifted her chin and sang to her the chorus of the song.

And I will love you, baby - Always
And I'll be there forever and a day - Always
I'll be there till the stars don't shine
Till the heavens burst and
The words don't rhyme
And I know when I die, you'll be on my mind
And I'll love you – Always

As the guitar rift played at the end of the song, he reached into his pocket, bent to one knee, and pulled out the most beautiful diamond ring she had ever seen.

"Sarah? Sweetheart? Will you marry me?"

"Oh Harm. I'll love you always, forever," she gasped. "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you."

And with that, Harm swept her into his arms and kissed her, a tender kiss so full of love it made her cry. "This is for forever sweetheart," he whispered. "This is for eternity."

A/N: Awwww, a big soppy one. I just had to get Mic and Renee together, cos I hate them, and I truly believe we would all be better off without having to see them on the TV … makes me physically ill. I swear it does!