A/N: I don't do song fics, but I've been dying to use this song in a fanfic, so here it is. The song is The Sky Is Crying by Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble. In my opinion they should have used this one instead of Empty Arms last season (even though Empty Arms worked very well too).

A/N 2: If you're wondering how many parts there are, so am I. ;-)

From Chapter 3

And with that he was through the door, moving as quickly as he could without running to the stairwell. He hated himself for being weak, for being selfish. As the stairwell door closed behind him, he stopped and leaned against the wall and closed his eyes again. He could feel the tears that raged against his eyelids screaming to be let free, but he fought against them, trying to keep them contained. With a shuddering breath, he opened his eyes and pushed away from the wall, his resolve firmly back in place. She might not see it right now, but his leaving was what was best for her, of that Harm was completely sure.

Chapter 4

"Will you always be there?"

The words echoed over and over in Harm's head as he packed everything in his apartment into cardboard boxes. Tomorrow he would place all his belongings into storage, and then hit the road.

"Will you always be there for me?"

"Yes."

Harm was proud of the fact that he had never broken a promise in his years as an adult, but could he keep this one? Was the price of standing by her side, always just out of reach, too high? With a sigh, Harm reached over to where his bottle of beer sat and took a short pull, making a face as the now-warm, bitter liquid slid its way down his throat.

"Well, that's apt," he muttered to himself. After all, everything else tasted bitter now, why shouldn't his beer? Heaving a sigh, Harm tipped the bottle, and finished off the rest of the beer. He knew what he was doing was right; it had to be. He couldn't believe he'd leave Mac for anything but the right reason. And really, wasn't that what he was doing when you got right down to it? Leaving Mac? Sure, he was leaving JAG, and Bud, and Harriet, and the boys, and the unborn twins. But at the root of it all was one brown eyed, brunette Marine Lieutenant Colonel who had stolen his heart when he wasn't watching.

Looking around Harm suddenly wished he hadn't packed up his stereo and CDs already, it just seemed like the perfect moment for something out of his blues collection. As his eyes scanned over the boxes remaining to be filled and taped shut, he spotted his guitar leaning up against the wall.

The next thing Harm knew he'd moved through the piles of boxes to pick up the guitar and had started to strum one of his favourite Stevie Ray Vaughn songs. He hadn't heard the song in forever, since he was a crop duster in fact, but the song just spoke to him on so many levels, and he knew he'd never get it out of his head.

The sky is crying
Can't you see the tears roll down the street?
The sky is crying
Can't you see the tears roll down the street?

I've been looking for my baby
And I wonder, where can she be?

I saw my baby early one morning.
She was walking on down the street.
I saw my baby early this morning
She was walking on down the street.

You know how to hurt me, hurt me so bad.
Made my poor heart skip a beat.

I got a real, real real, real bad feeling
That my baby, she don't love me no more.
I got a real, real bad feeling,
That my baby don't love me no more.

You know the sky, the sky been crying, yeah.
Can't you see the tears roll down my nose?

As his hand slowly left the strings and the last notes of the song echoed throughout the apartment he heard a familiar clearing of a throat. Without looking up he knew who it was, knew why he'd come.

"AJ, come on in," Harm said softly, the music still running through him. "There's warm beer by the fridge."

Without a word Harm's ex-CO closed the door and moved over to open one of the 'warm beers'. Only after he'd taken a long, thoughtful hit of the amber liquid did he look up at his one time protégé. "I've always thought that was a beautiful song, but you know, she's not the one leaving."

"Figured you would have heard by now," Harm slowly unwrapped his hands from the instrument and placed it back against the wall. "Honestly, I thought you would have made an appearance earlier."

Frowning, AJ took another swallow of his beer and then slowly shook his head. "Didn't think it was true. Not even you would be stupid enough to try and leave the Navy again. But, looks to me like I was wrong. That, or you had a sudden urge to donate everything you own to Goodwill."

For a minute Harm just sat there looking at the older man, and then, he simply couldn't hold the low chuckle inside any more. "Damn it AJ, that's the first time I've laughed all week."

"Good, you looked like you needed it. Now you want to tell me what this idiocy is all about?"

Ruefully, Harm shrugged one shoulder. "Same story, new chapter AJ."

"Mac?"

"Isn't it always?"

"I thought you two were finally making some progress, at least that's what you said the last time we spoke."

"I thought we were too. But you know AJ, I just realized all I was doing was holding her back."

AJ reflected on Harm's words a moment. "How so?" Sometimes he just wanted to take the two of them and smack their heads together, but for now, he was willing to hear Harm out.

"She was happy with Webb, AJ. I know it wasn't perfect, and he did lie to her, but he gave her a reason to smile," Harm laughed bitterly. "Do you know how long it's been since I've given her a reason to smile? Mac, more than anyone I know, deserves to be with someone that makes her smile."

"What makes you think you can't be that person?"

"I haven't been yet. What if I never can be? What if by taking that chance I prevent Mac from having the real thing? I can't do that to her AJ…I just can't. So, I'm leaving."

"You're leaving, and you think that's going to make Mac happy?"

" She said pretty much the same thing. But you know what they say AJ; if you love someone, set them free. She's free."

"There's a second part to that saying son. 'If they come back they love you too.' Are you ready for her to come after you? Because you know she will."

"I don't think she will, not this time," Harm admitted with a catch in his voice. Part of him wanted her to come after him, part of him just wanted her to forget him so she could be happy.

Finishing his beer AJ stood up and looked around the bare apartment. "Need a hand with anything?"

"No, thank you though, AJ. I just need to finish packing up the rest of this stuff and then it's all going to the storage facility tomorrow."

"Where are you going to be heading?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure, sir. Just need to get out of town for awhile, to give her some time to find someone. To try and figure out how I'm going to get on without her," Harm answered slowly. "I guess I'm going to start by heading out to the farm. There's always stuff I can do out there."

AJ was silent as he stopped at the door and then turned around to look at the younger man. "Harm, don't take this the wrong way because I understand what you're saying, and I have to admit in some convoluted sort of way it makes some sense. But you're choosing to leave a lot of things behind you; a lot of people who care about you, care a great deal. Even though I know you can't seem to connect, I believe in my heart that Mac loves you as much as you love her, and that love isn't going to let her just watch you walk away. Don't be surprised when she comes after you looking for an accounting, and if she does son, take it for what it is. You let her go free, and she made the choice to find her way back to you."

Harm nodded without saying a word. What could he say?

As AJ opened the door, he paused before leaving to look back over his shoulder one more time. "If she hunts you down, son? Don't screw it up this time; for once you need to get it right."