…Till Death Does Us Part Chapter IV (The Conclusion) – Part 9/12
Disclaimer - See part one for all important information
Friday October 28

U.S. Air Force

Andrews AFB, Maryland

4:12 PM

Harm could already hear the plane in the distance. Just a few more minutes and he finally would be able to hold Mac in his arms again.

A shiver ran though his body as he recalled the phone call two days ago. It felt like a lifetime ago. He picked it up and was greeted by Clay's words of 'We found her.' Clay couldn't tell Harm much about Mac's condition, just that she was alive and a fighter. Clay also informed Harm that as soon as Mac was rescued the SAR team had brought her to the Seahawk, where she was examined, before transporting her to the Air Force Base in Ramstein, Germany.

Ty bounced in Harm's arms and brought him back to reality. Ty had an exited look on his face and was babbling at all the sights around him. It was very clear to Harm just how much his son liked it at the base. He enjoyed watching all the planes as they took off and landed.

Harm chuckled as he remembered a conversation he and Mac once had. He'd told her that Ty would be a pilot and his call-sign would be 'BAT', short for Benjamin-Andrew Tyler. Mac had only shook her head and told him to just wait and see.

"Mommy," Ty called and pointed at yet another landing aircraft.

Harm followed Ty's sight and started to smile. "Yeah, Buddy. I think there comes mommy."

Together with family members of the pilot and the co-pilot from the crashed helicopter they watched the plane begin its descent. While Harm, Ty, and the pilot's family were happy to see their family member again, the co-pilot's family was mourning over the death of their son, brother, and husband. It was weird just how tight delight and woe lay together.

Harm was holding Ty even closer when he saw the honor guard moving closer to the now parked aircraft. He had to swallow when he saw the large door of the plane open and a casket, which was draped with a flag, was carried off. Harm and every military man and woman snapped to attention while the family of the co-pilot couldn't hold back anymore and made their way to the casket.

A few seconds later Harm watched as four marines carried a stretcher with a wounded marine out of the aircraft, fearing it could be Mac on the stretcher. He took a closer look and could see that it wasn't Mac. Therefore, it could only be Lt. Andrews; the pilot.

The four marines immediately brought the injured marine to the awaiting ambulance, followed by his family.

Harm moved a little closer to the plane. "Daddy?" Ty looked unsure at his dad. "Where mommy?" He asked, sounding a little disappointed.

"I'm not sure, Ty. I think mommy is still in the plane," Harm told his son, trying to sound confident, but fearing at the same time that maybe she wasn't as okay as he hoped she would.

Suddenly Ty started to squirm in Harm's arms, trying to get out of his embrace. "Mommy. Mommy. Mommy," Ty called loudly, holding his arms open as he saw his mother getting out of the plane at last.

Mac was talking with a marine when she heard the calling of her son. Immediately she stopped the conversation and looked around, finally seeing Harm and her son.

A huge smile covered her face and she slowly got down on her knees while Harm finally had no choice but to let go of his son, letting him run to his mother.

'She looks so beautiful,' Harm thought as he looked carefully at the scene in front of him. Her face was scratched a little bit, her left arm was in a plaster cast and when she got down on her knees he could see how sore she was. However, all that couldn't let her beauty vanish.

Harm and Mac laughed as they saw a giggling Ty running to his mother. He wanted to be faster than his feet would let him and fell more than once, but it didn't stop him until he finally flew into his mother's arms. "Mommy. Mommy. Mommy." Ty threw his arms around Mac's neck and as strongly as his little arms could, he embraced her.

Mac suppressed a moan when Ty threw himself at her and Harm could see how she bit her lower lip. Mac was hurt, that was clearly visible, but she couldn't have cared less. To have her son in her arms again was worthy every pain.

"Mommy missed you so much, Ty. I love you," she told him and kissed his forehead three times before getting up on her feet again. "Hello, sailor," she said softly with a smile when Harm got closer to her.

"Hello, Sarah," Harm responded tenderly, giving her a short sweet kiss before hugging her gently. "We missed you like crazies."

"I missed you guys, too."

"Maybe I should take Ty, before he starts hurting you by accident," Harm said quietly, trying to get his son out of Mac's arms.

Ty only shook his head and tightened his hold on Mac, not wanting to let go of her.

Harm and Mac chuckled at his behavior. "It's okay, he won't hurt me. Let's go home, sailor."

"Yes, Ma'am," Harm said and took her bags before leading her to the car.

Harm and Mac's House

McLean, Virginia

6:12 PM

Ty was asleep by the time they got home and while Harm got him ready for bed, Mac took her place in the rocking chair in Ty's room. She sat there and watched her two favorite boys. At least she tried to, but after a short while she fell in a slightly slumber herself.

Harm gently woke her up. "Hey, sleepyhead. Maybe you should follow Ty into dreamland," he told her softly.

Mac chuckled quietly. "Sorry, I guess I fell asleep on you guys. But there's no need to call it a night yet. It's only quarter after six. However, I would do anything for a nice hot bubble bath right about now."

Harm only smiled and held out his hand. She put her right hand into his larger one so he could help her get up from the rocking chair. Then he turned on the baby monitor and took the second one with them.

Slowly they walked out of Ty's bedroom and made their way to the master bathroom.

Harm turned on the hot water before looking at Mac's left arm that was encased in the cast. "Hold on for a minute," Harm told her. He quickly exited the bathroom and a few minutes later returned with a box of plastic wrap and two rubber bands. Mac gave him a soft look as he explained. "We can't let the water get in the cast."

"You're so thoughtful." Mac laughed as she started to have problems getting out of her top because of said cast.

"Here, let me help you," he softly said before starting to unbutton her shirt.

As soon as Harm pulled off her shirt and her T-shirt he sharply took in a breath. Mac's upper body was covered with bruises and scratches. "Oh my god," he whispered before slightly touching her wounds with his fingertips. Then his lips softly replaced his fingers.

"It looks worse than it is, Harm," Mac quietly told him before closing her eyes and only feeling his warm lips on her. "I missed you so much. I love you."

Harm looked up at her, smiled and then kissed her softly. "I love you too, Sarah," he said before helping her out of the rest of her clothes, only to uncover more bruises and scratches.

Finally the bathtub was full of water and Harm put Mac's favorite scented bubble-bath. Then together they wrapped the cast in the plaster wrap. It was a little too tight, but it had to be to prevent water from getting into the plaster, which would cause it to smell badly after a while.

Mac carefully moved into the tub, taking in a deep breath when the hot water hit the scratches. "That stings," she told Harm with a chuckle.

Harm took a seat at the edge of the bathtub and gently took Mac's left foot into his hands.

Mac sighed deeply. "This feels like heaven," she whispered when Harm started to massage her foot while she lay with closed eyes in the bathtub.

"I'm glad," Harm tenderly told her. "You scared the shit out of me, Marine."

Mac opened her eyes, looked at him deeply and smiled. "I know. It scared the shit out of me as well."

"I'm not sure what was worse. Fearing that AJ would tell me you were either the dead or the injured marine, or when he told me that you were missing."

"I can imagine," Mac only answered, knowing too well how it feels to not know where the love of your life is, and if he's still alive. She had to go through it once while Harm was missing at sea. Granted, it happened a long time ago but she would never forget it.

"Do you remember what happened?" Harm wanted to know, slightly increasing the pressure of his fingers on her foot.

Mac moaned in pleasure and closed her eyes again. "No, not much. Due to the concussion I have no clue how I got from the wreckage to the cave."

"Clay called and told me they had found you. He said because of the darkness they were already calling off the search for the day. That's when he and the pilot found you."

Mac looked at Harm and nodded. "I know, he told me the same thing. However, everything between the crash and the night I woke up on the Seahawk is a blank."

"You're here, that's all that matters." They smiled at each other before Harm gently kissed the bottom of her foot.

The next few minutes were spent in a comfortable silence. Harm continued to massage her left foot before switching to the right one, while Mac closed her eyes and let the hot water relax her muscles.

"Mac?" Harm whispered, thinking she had fallen asleep.

Mac opened her right eye and grinned at him.

"I thought you were asleep."

"No, I simply enjoyed your massage. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Why don't I wash your hair before we get you out of the tub?" Harm asked and got her almond-scented shampoo from the shelf next to the bathtub.

Harm moved from the far edge of the tub to a spot right next to Mac and started to wet her hair with the showerhead. Then he took the shampoo and started to spread it into her hair.

Mac groaned in discomfort when Harm touched a certain spot on the back of her head. "No, don't back away," Mac immediately told him when she felt Harm pulling away his hand. "It just took me by surprise. I forgot I had that lump there."

"Okay," Harm said and gently continued his task. "Do you have a headache?"

"No, I took some medicine."

Once he was done lathering her hair, he took the showerhead again to wash the shampoo out of Mac's hair, before helping her out the tub. When she was wrapped in a fleecy towel he took her carefully into his arms and kissed her lovely.

"Do you want something to eat?" Harm asked after he broke their kiss, taking the baby monitor into his hand.

"Not really," Mac replied softly and took Harm's other hand into hers. Then she opened the bathroom door, leading him out of the bathroom.

"Do you want to sleep?" Harm wanted to know while he followed Mac to their bed.

Mac knelt onto the bed. "No, not really," she told him huskily and took the baby monitor from Harm to set it down on her nightstand. Then she moved back to Harm and started to unbutton his shirt with her right hand. It took her some time to get the first button open, but she soon figured out the right technique.

Harm's eyes followed her hand. "What do you want then?" He asked heatedly.

"I want to give you your belated birthday gift."

"My belated birthday gift?" Harm gave her a confused look.

"Yes." Mac paused her unbuttoning to give her husband a sultry look. "I could go out and buy you something. Like a nice shirt or something for your vette. Or."

"Or what?" Harm asked as he started to understand. They'd celebrate his birthday with the help of the web cam and messenger, but due Mac's crash he'd forgotten all about it.

"Or." Mac opened the last button of his shirt before she started to kiss her way up from his bellybutton to his lips. "I could make love to you," she told him sweetly before slowly pulling his shirt from his shoulder.

Harm's fingers slowly unhooked the towel Mac was wearing before pulling it off of her and throwing it to one corner of the room. "Now that's a belated birthday gift I would love to have," he said with a smirk. Slowly he pushed Mac down on the bed before following her, trying not to hurt her in progress.

Mac gave him a soft chuckle. "Happy birthday, Harm." Their lips caressed each other with a passion they sorely missed as their hands quickly became reintroduced to each other's bodies.

Their lovemaking was gentle and passionate at the same time. That night they made love for three times before finally falling into an exhausted sleep and wrapped in each other's arms.

End Part 9

Shoe- Gum, what are you doing?

Gum – (looking in the newspaper) Looking for a job.

Shoe – Why?

Gum – I think Michi and Carol are going to let us go.

Shoe – Why would you think that?

Gum – (folds paper and looks at Shoe) Well, soon enough TDDUP will be over and they have been working on TTEOAS.

Shoe – Yeah.

Gum – Well, with TDDUP ending, so does our run with the angst. And TTEOAS has no angst. We will no longer have a job, man!

Shoe – (sits down) You think they'll let us go?

Gum – Why would they keep us around?

Shoe – They love us.

Gum – Yes, they do. But with their newly found marshmallow hearts I don't think they will use us to our best potential.

Shoe – (thinks for minute) I think you might be right. (picks up the newspaper) What did you find so far?

Gum – I would say waitress, but I don't think we're people-persons.

Shoe- How about this one? I think we would be good bikini models.

Gum – Not to sure, but there is a third world nation that needs a new ruler.

Shoe – Should we tell Brain?

Gum – Nah. Let's just keep looking. The girls haven't fired us, yet.

Shoe – Well, maybe they'll just severe us.

Gum – Hey, look the CIA's hiring!