Harm had just turned around and caught sight of Mac in the doorway. Mac hadn't entered the kitchen and instead turned around and disappeared somewhere else. Sturgis had noticed Harm staring at the doorway and turned around just to catch the last glimpse of Mac. Harm wasn't sure how much Mac had heard of the discussion and how much she had understood and if that had been the reason for her to walk away. It was also possible that she hadn't heard what they'd said, but just felt like she was interrupting a private conversation. He started to motion to go after her, but Sturgis stopped him.
"Harm," he grabbed his arm so he wouldn't disappear. "If," he stressed the little word "If you're going to talk to her about that, tell her what you sort of just told me, I think you should do it somewhere in private, especially without Isabelle, so you have a chance to really talk things through. Do you understand?" Sturgis had let go of his arm.
"You don't think I should tell her …" he was interrupted by the other Mackenzie who actually did walk into the kitchen.
"Uncle Sturgis, can we have the ice cream now?"
"Yep, can you carry the bowl of whipped cream with you out to the dining room?" Sturgis gave her the bowl. She left the kitchen and before Harm and Sturgis followed her Sturgis turned back to Harm "Be careful with Mac, Harm. I would hate to have to kick your butt," he said both deadly serious and jokingly.
"I'm glad she has you, Sturgis," Harm said completely serious.
"And I'm glad I have her," Sturgis paused "We've been there for each other through so much that it doesn't feel like we're just friends anymore. We're more like family. I guess you can say that we're like brother and sister."
Harm smiled, he thought about the time Mac had accused him of dancing with her like she was his sister. She had never been like a sister to him.
They enjoyed dessert and the nice atmosphere from earlier was kept up. Mac's behavior didn't let on to Harm if she had heard anything of his and Sturgis conversation. If she had, she didn't let on at all.
Isabelle was getting more and more tired and eventually fell asleep with her head resting in her mother's lap. Harm and Mac then decided to leave so she could be put to rest in her own bed.
Before they were out the door Sturgis gave Harm a heavy bag with books. Harm looked surprised at them wondering what it was all about.
"I want you to be up to speed when you get back to work. I put high standards on the people who serve under me. Especially the senior officers," Sturgis said and Harm looked into the bag and realized that those were law books.
"I thought we had decided on no shop talk, Sturgis," Bobbie said.
"So you're the JAG now?" Harm asked and looked at Mac wondering why she hadn't told him that before.
"I meant to tell you that, but it kind of slipped my mind," Mac said berating herself. She realized that it was probably rather hard for Harm to find out even more things that he had lost because of his absence. It probably wouldn't be long until Harm got promoted, but career wise he had still fallen far behind the people with whom he had used to be at an equal stage with.
On the way home Mac turned to Harm and asked him if he thought he was going to have a hard time serving under Sturgis considering he could have had that position if things had been different.
"At first it seemed a bit strange, but thinking about it now. You know, despite all I wouldn't want to have Sturgis life. I mean I'm sure he's happy with his life, it's just that even though I've only known Isabelle for a few weeks I couldn't imagine my life without her. I already missed so much and I don't want to miss any more time with here."
"I know I would never be able to combine that position with having children," Mac agreed with him.
Harm hoped that he would soon have a chance to talk to Mac about what she may or may not have heard earlier in the evening. He had decided to tell her how he had felt about her eight years ago, so that they could finally be on the same page about that.
TBC