Divine Intervention

Disclaimer: I don't own them. I promise to give them back when I am finished.

What I think it is going to take to get Mac and Harm together. What might happen after Christmas Eve.

I waited until the finale to post this. I thought we shippers might need a lift but we got a happy ending after all. So here is the last chapter. Enjoy! Feedback is appreciated.

Chapter 10

One week later

Mac's room – Bethesda

1115 ZULU (0615 EST)

Mac's recovery had been just short of miraculous. She still had very little stamina and was easily winded, but she had improved enough for the doctor to allow her to go home today, as long as she had someone there to watch out for her. Harm had quickly volunteered and she had accepted eagerly.

Mac had been surprised though that almost all of her friends had promised to look after her as well. She wasn't exactly sure how families worked because of her experience with her own family, but she was sure that what she had with her friends at JAG came pretty close.

Even the Admiral had called from Italy, just to check on her. Mac had been so touched by his effort on her behalf that she could hardly keep the emotion out of her voice. AJ had sensed as much and had let her off the hook somewhat by joking about the fact that she couldn't take too much time off because Cmdr. Rabb needed someone to keep him out of trouble.

She had chuckled with relief and thanked him for his call, but he had turned serious as he said his goodbyes. "Mac, you hold a very special place in my heart. I have been praying for your recovery since I got word of what happened to you. Francesca and her mother have lit candles for you and have prayed for you as well. Always remember Mac, that you are a wonderful person and that your being on this earth has had a positive effect on a lot of peoples lives. You are loved Mac, and you would be sorely missed by all of us if we lost you. Speaking of love, I understand that you and a certain Cmdr. have finally come to a realization?"

Mac's voice was so choked with emotion that she could hardly manage a "Yes sir."

"It's about time. I expect an invitation to the wedding," AJ said jokingly.

Having recovered somewhat Mac responded, "Of course, sir. I had hoped you would still be willing to give me away."

"Of course I will Colonel, I would still be honored." Emotion was now affecting AJ, and he decided to end the call. "You take care of yourself, Colonel. Just let me know when and where about the wedding."

"Yes sir. Thank you again, sir," responded Mac

"You're welcome Colonel. Goodbye, Mac"

"Goodbye…AJ," choked Mac.

That had been two days ago and now Mac was anxiously awaiting Harm's arrival. She had already showered and dressed in a warm loose fitting workout suit. Harriet had been kind enough to go to Mac's apartment and pack a bag for her.

Mac felt Harm coming down the hall rather than heard him. "Come in," she called just as he raised his hand to knock. As they entered Mac realized that Sturgis was with him.

Smiling at them both she said, "Hi, guys. Are you here to spring me?"

Harm laughed softly, "Mac, it's just after 0600. I think we should at least wait for Dr. Booth to make her rounds, don't you?"

Feigning disappointment Mac sighed, "I guess."

Sturgis had been out of town on an investigation for the last five days. He was staring at Mac so intently it was beginning to make her feel uncomfortable. "What?" she finally asked.

Embarrassed, Sturgis stammered a bit, "I'm sorry Mac. You…uh…just look so much better than you did the last time I saw you. After what you have been through, I…uh…I guess I am just amazed at your recovery."

"Yeah well, I have had a lot of help and support from my friends," answered Mac reaching out for Harm's hand.

"Do you remember much of what happened?" Sturgis asked. He had always been curious about the recollections people had after near death experiences.

Mac seemed to be searching her memories of the last week or so. So much of it was fragmented. Images floated through her mind, those of Harm being tortured, and then he didn't answer her after she had shot the terrorist. His tender words as he cradled her in his arms just before the ambulance arrived were what had given her the strength to hold on until help got there.

She hadn't discussed with Harm the visit she had with his father but she was pretty sure they weren't ready for that little revelation. Then the young woman she had met, in what she assumed was the emergency room, came to her mind. "Actually Sturgis, I met someone in the ER that knew you a long time ago."

"Does this person work here in the hospital?" asked Sturgis obviously interested.

"No, she said she was here in the hospital to take care of some old wounds. She told me that she attended the Academy with you and Harm, and that the two of you were very close," Mac said with a smile.

"Wait a minute Mac," interrupted Harm. "I've been with you since you came in and I haven't seen anyone from the academy. When did you meet this person?"

Mac thought for a minute, "It must have been in the emergency room, right after I was brought in."

"Did you catch her name, Mac?" asked Sturgis.

"Yes…uh…Angela…no Angelique. Angelique Hawkins. She was a Captain in the Marine Corps. She said she was a helo pilot."

Sturgis was visibly shaken at this announcement. He studied Mac's face very closely before loudly saying, "Colonel, if this is your idea of a joke it isn't funny."

Harm broke in, "Come on Sturgis, Mac wouldn't do that to you. She can't possibly know about Angel anyway."

Barely able to contain his anger, "No, but you do. Did you put her up to this?" he asked Harm.

Trying not to appear as hurt as he was feeling, Harm simply said, "You know me better than that."

Thoroughly confused Mac could only ask, "What are you talking about? What happened between you and Angelique?"

Sturgis tried to calm himself before responding, "Mac, you could not have met Angel a week ago. She was killed in action almost fifteen years ago, during the first Gulf War."

"What? That's impossible. She was talking to me from the other bed. She told me all about your break up. She even left a letter for me to give to you," explained Mac.

Shaking his head Sturgis tried to maintain his composure, "Mac, you must have been hallucinating. Your body had just been through a traumatic shock."

"Yeah Mac, you were pretty out of it when they brought you in," explained Harm.

"How would I know about her? I've never even heard either of you talk about her, and how do you explain the letter she gave me?" asked Mac.

Harm interrupted, "Where is this letter Mac?"

"The nurses put it in the bag with my personal belongings I came in with," explained Mac. "It should be on top."

Harm made his way to the cabinet Mac had indicated and opened the bag. Sure enough, there on top was a letter in a manila envelope lying on top. Taking the envelope from the bag, Harm read the name 'Sturgis' written in a very familiar handwriting. Handing the letter to Sturgis, Harm said "Isn't that her handwriting?"

Snatching the envelope from Harm and ripping it open, "I'll get to the bottom of this." Sturgis then pulled the contents out and began to read the letter. Tears began to form in his eyes as he continued reading.

Mac's attention was drawn away from Sturgis as she noticed Harm bend over to pick up something that had fallen from the envelope. "What's that?"

Harm looked at her sadly, "It's a Marine Corps flight suit patch. It looks like her flight wings but it's hard to tell for sure. It's been burned pretty badly."

Sturgis looked up from the letter and carefully took the fragile piece of material from Harm. "That's what it is. The letter said she wanted me to have them." Tears were beginning to fall as he spoke again, "She said she didn't need them anymore…she had gotten a new pair."

"Sturgis are you alright?" asked a very concerned Mac.

Looking at his friend, "Yes…No…I've got to get some air." Sturgis quickly turned and left the room.

"Harm, I'm sorry. I had no idea," pleaded Mac.

"I know Mac. He'll be alright. He just needs some time to come to terms with it," explained Harm.

"You seem to have accepted my encounter with a ghost pretty easily," she stated somewhat confused.

"Uh…well Mac. The truth is that I may have had my own encounter, so to speak."

Looking at Harm in surprise, "What do you mean Harm?"

Harm was feeling very uncomfortable now, "The morning that you woke up…I…uh…I had a dream that my dad came to see me. He told me that he was watching over me and that everything would be all right. He also told me that he loved me…and that he was proud of me."

"Oh God, Harm. He came to see me too, just after you first told me you loved me. I thought that I was dying and he was coming to take me away from you."

Harm sat on the side of the bed and quickly wrapped her in a warm embrace, "I thought you were dying, too. I asked him to bring you back to me…and he did."

They sat on the bed holding on to one another as the realization of what they had experienced sank in. After a few minutes Mac broke the silence, "Harm, can you tell me about Angelique? About what happened to her?"

Harm pulled out of the embrace and took hold of Mac's hand as he smiled at the thought of his old friend. "She was a great friend, Mac. Angel was like a little sister to Keeter and me. Whenever we had a problem with a girl, she would set us straight. If it hadn't been for Angel I never would have gotten my first date with Dianne. I still talk to her sometimes, when something is bothering me that I can't talk to anyone else about."

Mac laid her head against Harm's shoulder, "that's what she told me. That you talked and she listened. She said that she thought you just needed to hear your own thought out loud, before they made sense."

Chuckling softly Harm said, "That sounds like Angel."

"What happened to her Harm?" a curious Mac asked softly.

"She was on a supply run. It was a humanitarian mission to a remote village that had been damaged in one of our bombing runs. She and another helo were on there way back when they heard a mayday call. A helo that was picking up a SEAL team was taking rifle fire and it was going down."

"Did she try to rescue them?" interrupted Mac.

"Yeah, they were only a couple minutes away and the ETA on any other helos was over ten minutes," explained Harm. "Angel sent the other helo in to pick up the SEALs and she tried to distract the shooters by flying between them and the other helo." Harm took a deep breath before continuing, "I talked to the pilot of the other helo afterwards. He was just starting to lift off with the SEALs, when he saw someone raise a hand held rocket launcher and aim it right at them. He said that Angel must have seen it too, because she flew between them and right at the guy with the rocket launcher." Harm had to stop to clear his throat as his emotions were beginning to affect him.

Mac tried to comfort him by gently rubbing his back, "Harm, it's okay, you don't have to go on."

Biting the inside of his lower lip Harm took a deep breath, "No. It's okay. She was a hero, Mac. Her biggest fear was that she wasn't good enough to follow in her father's footsteps. She was afraid that she couldn't be a 'real Marine' because she was just a girl." With a sad chuckle, "She proved everyone wrong, Mac. She was hit head on with that rocket. They barely found enough remains to get a positive DNA match. But she saved everyone on the other helo. They even gave her a medal. Of course, she never got to see it. Sturgis had to accept it for her. That was hard for him, because he never forgave himself for the way they parted."

"Harm, I'm so sorry. If I had known I never would have brought it up," explained Mac.

With a small smile, Harm looked at the woman he loved more than anything and said, "Mac, everything happens for a reason. Maybe this will help Sturgis find some closure and move on. I know it has helped me figure out what is really important to me." Pausing for effect and looking deeply into her eyes, "You," he added softly.

Mac laid her head on his shoulder and hugged him tightly, before asking, "Harm, what if I can't give you a child?"

In a reassuring tone, "Mac, as badly as I want to have children with you, I want you more. If we can't have children, at least we will have each other. I love you, Mac. You are the most important thing in my life. I meant it when I said I never wanted to lose you."

Holding back tears, "Oh Harm, you have no idea how badly I needed to hear you say that. I love you, so much."

Harm placed a tender kiss on the top of her head and held her. They were still holding one another when the doctor came in to release her. Harm had gone to find Sturgis while the doctor made one last exam on Mac. She was sitting in the wheelchair with her bag on her lap when Harm and Sturgis came back into the room.

Grinning, Harm looked at her, "I take it your ready?"

Returning his grin, "I'm a Marine, Harm. I'm always ready."

Walking to the back of the wheelchair and taking hold of the handles, Harm responded "Well then, let's go Colonel."

Before he could start out of the room, Mac reached up and took Sturgis' hand, "Sturgis, I'm sorry. I had no idea. Are you alright?"

Giving Mac a small smile, he said, "Actually Mac, I'm better than alright. I don't understand how this happened, but the letter helped me see things in a different light. She forgave me. The letter said that she loved me and she forgave me. I dind't push her away. Her going over there was all about her. Something she had to do. She had to prove something to herself. I still miss her, but the letter helped to alleviate a lot of the guilt I've been carrying around."

Squeezing his hand in support, "I'm glad Sturgis. She wouldn't have wanted you to feel guilty."

"No, she wouldn't," replied Sturgis.

Harm decided it was time to go. "Let's get out of here," he replied as he pushed Mac's wheelchair out into the hallway. They were so wrapped up in their conversation that they didn't notice the two officers walking toward them until the two raised their hands in salute. Instinctively, Harm and Sturgis returned the salute as the Navy Lieutenant and Marine Corps Captain passed them.

Harm and Sturgis stopped to look at one another as if to confirm what they thought they had seen.

Turning to look down the hall, Harm and Sturgis spoke simultaneously.

"Dad!" whispered Harm.

"Angel!" stated Sturgis.

The hallway was empty. Sturgis quickly walked down the hallway trying to find where the two had disappeared to.

Mac was reminded of a lyric from her favorite song. She looked up at Harm and said, "If the Army or the Navy ever looks on heaven's scene, they will find the streets are guarded by United States Marines."

Releasing his grip on her chair, Harm leaned down and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pressing his mouth to her ear he responded, "I'm just glad my Jarhead doesn't have to pull guard duty anytime soon."

Relaxing against Harm's firm chest and reaching back to lay her hand on his cheek, Mac said, "I'm just glad to know that they let Squids in, too."

The End.