Title : When You're Ready...

Author : Jaggie 107

Disclaimer : JAG characters belong to DPB, CBS and Paramount. I hope all parties will allow me to have fun for a little while, and replace them all when I'm done. Thank you.

Rating : G to PG-13 (Just in case!)


A/N - I think I've found a format for this story, by taking the last scene of each succeeding episode of Season 10 and using the contents of the scene as the basis for the chapter. I hope it works, and I hope you like it!

Thanks to all the readers/reviewers shown who undoubtedly wanted more! This is for you all! Thanks for your support, and I hope you like this chapter.

cbw; cool cat; froggy0319; Lisa Brown; ryne'smom; anna7; harmsgirl-03; Dana; suz573; Grace; jaggurl; Nikki; Kirsty; kirsten; ss; Arian04; GuitarVixen; iammusic; JennaTripped; JagFan; starryeyes10; Kavi Leighanna; SarahRabb705; BrokenSkye; NavyCB; SailorGirl; moe


Harm's Apartment – North of Union Station

Harm was working on the extra paperwork Sturgis had landed him with, just as he had told Mattie he would be. His thoughts briefly touched on her being out with her father again, but then her words and her parting gesture were enough to ease the ache he had felt for a while when he believed he was losing touch with the teenager. He knew he had succeeded in getting her to reconnect to her father, which was as it should be, but he had felt that he had lost Mattie in the process, which was something he hadn't planned on, nor the feeling of devastation at that loss. Now he was sure that he would have her in his life for a long time to come, and that made him smile as he bent his head to his work again. A short while later there was a brief knock at the door of the apartment and he put down his pen and stood up from the desk.

"Mac..." Harm's response wasn't quite what Mac had been expecting, and she hesitated slightly at the expression on his face.

"I...I can come back, tomorrow, if you're busy?"

"No!" Harm's voice cracked slightly on the denial, and then he smiled as he put out a hand to Mac. "Please, come on in. I just wasn't expecting you, that's all. You said you were planning a night in with the books..."

"Just like you, I see," Mac replied, noting the pile of papers and books on the desk. Harm nodded.

"Yeah. I even turned Mattie's invitation down so I could get stuck into this lot and try to make some headway before tomorrow."

"Is it working?" Mac's voice was soft, and Harm turned his eyes back from the desk to the woman standing in front of him. It dawned on him that while she was casually dressed in jeans and a sweater, he was still in his uniform, albeit that the shirt was unfastened and pulled out of his pants, and his t-shirt hung over his belt.

"Not really. I get about as far as the first paragraph and then my mind starts wandering."

"To Mattie?"

"Nope. Actually, I've been thinking about us."

"So've I," Mac admitted, "and that's why I had to come over. I know it's late, but I have to ask you something, Harm."

Harm swallowed nervously, but hid it (or so he thought) as he turned away from Mac to close the apartment door behind her. Indicating for her to take a seat, he stood for a moment, undecided as to where to sit. On the couch with her, or across from her. He settled on the edge of the coffee table as Mac changed tack and took a seat in the chair.

"Okay, what was it that you wanted to ask?"

"You remember last week? When we talked about my ending things with Webb, and that I promised you the relationship was over?"

Harm nodded, not trusting himself to speak, as thoughts careened around his mind. He had stayed over at Mac's that night, and they had talked well into the early hours of the morning, before Mac had fallen asleep on the couch and he had gently lifted her and carried her through to her bedroom. Now he had a sudden vision that Webb wasn't out of the picture at all, and he felt a cold shiver down his spine. Mac's next words allayed that fear.

"I don't want to wait anymore, Harm, for us..." Mac looked at Harm to gauge his reaction, and while he remained silent his eyes darkened as his pupils dilated. "We talked about a lot of things, Harm, like this condition, and having a baby, if we were able to, and..."

"Having a relationship," Harm supplied quietly, and Mac nodded.

"Having a relationship," she echoed. "I want that so much, and I...I...oh, heck, this was supposed to come out so much easier." Mac muttered under her breath, and Harm laughed softly.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one feeling like a gawky teenager here, no offence to Mattie..." Harm added the last, and Mac grinned.

"At this moment she has tons more confidence than either of us!"

Harm nodded, and then surprised both himself and Mac by leaning in and brushing his lips lightly over Mac's mouth. As he sat back he watched her face.

"I'm not going to apologize for that, Mac. It just felt right," Harm told her, and was pleased when she smiled at him, tilting her head slightly.

"Yes, it did, and I'm only sorry you stopped," Mac offered, waiting for his reaction.

Harm paused for the slightest of moments, his mind searching for and finding a hint of déjà vu, a past memory when he had heard the words before, from another dark-haired woman, but it was Mac that was saying them now, and it was Mac that he was intent on spending the rest of his natural life with, however it might come about. If this was the start of that life, he was ready too!

Leaning back in, meeting Mac halfway, they kissed again. And again...

The sound of knocking at the door sometime later brought Mac up short. Harm was in the shower and she was making them some coffee, dressed only in a dark blue t-shirt with Go Navy written across the front, and very little else. Like a deer caught in headlights she wavered between opening the door and hiding in the bedroom. The uncharacteristic hesitation cost her time, and as Mattie used her key to open Harm's door Mac had to settle for diving behind the island counter, hoping against hope that Tom Johnson wasn't with his daughter!

"Harm, I'm back...oh, Mac...hi!" Mattie cautiously pushed the door open further, looking around it and unsure when she didn't see Harm. It was soon obvious where he was though. The shower was running, and he was singing.

Singing! Mac didn't know who was blushing the most – her or Mattie.

"Erm...Harm wasn't going to come out to eat with us. I guess he had other...plans," Mattie's words held a hint of reproach, and Mac caught a breath as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Harm didn't know I was coming over, Mattie."

"Oh? I didn't think you...and he...that you were getting on too well. Y'know?"

Mac nodded her head, knowing that Mattie had asked Harm before about their 'non-relationship'. Deciding to tell Mattie just exactly where their relationship was at, Mac realized that it was so much simpler going with the flow, and giving straight answers to questions. No more dissecting words.

"We're together now, Mattie, but taking it one day at a time. I guess you're the first to know...if you're okay with that?"

"Being the first to know? Or even knowing at all?"

"Both, I guess..." Mac watched Mattie's face, and was amazed when the teenager came around the island and gave her a big hug.

"I think it's great that you're together, and I think it's even better that I'm the first to know! Thank you for telling me, Mac."

"You're welcome," Mac responded, returning the hug.

"Did I miss something?" Harm's voice brought the pair of them out of the hug, but Mac's arm remained over Mattie's shoulder as the teenager reached out for Harm.

"I'm so happy for the two of you!" she squealed, and Harm shared a look of surprise and delight with Mac over Mattie's head. As Mattie pulled back to look up at Harm he broke eye contact with Mac and smiled at Mattie.

"I was a little miffed when I came in. I thought you'd ditched my dad and I because you were expecting Mac, but she told me it was her idea to come over here. That's okay, though, 'cause you two worked it out, I guess. It's just so cool!"

"Well, we're glad you approve, but we'd appreciate it if you kept it low key for a little while. We're taking this one day at a time," Harm said, and then almost choked at Mattie's next words.

"Sure, no problem. So, when are you getting married?"

"Mattie!" Both Harm and Mac cried out together, but Mattie remained unrepentant, grinning widely at both of them.

"Please, just tell me it's not going to be another nine years before you do that?"

Harm looked at Mac, and was amused to find her eyes on him, waiting for his response. Smiling widely, he shook his head.

"No, it's not going to be nine years, but it's not going to be tomorrow, either." Harm's reply seemed to be okay for Mattie, but Mac remained looking at him, and he added softly, "Maybe the day after?" and they both laughed.

"Can I tell Jen at least?" Mattie begged. "I'm not going to be able to go in there and not tell her something! She'll know, anyway."

Mac nodded, and Harm spoke for the two of them.

"Okay, you can tell Jen. But that's all. Mac and I will decide when to tell the others at work. Deal?"

"Deal!" Mattie agreed quickly, dropped a kiss on Mac's cheek and hugged Harm again before heading for the door. "By the way, Mac...if you're wearing Harm's shirt, does that mean he has to wear one with the USMC on it? Bye!" Mattie was out of the door before either of them could respond to her comment.

"Do you think our children will be influenced too much by their big sisters?" Harm asked conversationally, and at Mac's silence Harm turned to face her. "What?"

"This is really happening, isn't it, Sailor?"

"If you mean you and me, then yes, it's really happening...in fact, all things considered, and with the decided lack of protection used recently, we could already be looking at a rather large development in our relationship in the very near future." Harm moved over to stand in front of Mac and rest his hands on her shoulders, pulling her closer as she lifted her arms to wrap them around his waist. "I think we've gone past the point of no return, Mac."

"Well, since you put it that way, and seeing as it is bedtime, you want to go push a little further past the point?"

Mac giggled as Harm went to pick her up, and he paused briefly.

"What?" asked Mac, wide-eyed innocence in her gaze, but not for long. The throaty chuckle she ended on brought Harm back to earth.

"You giggled."

"Marines don't giggle."

"Maybe Mac doesn't, but Sarah does!"

"Hmm, maybe she does, but only on certain occasions...and this is one of them."

There were no more words spoken as Harm picked Mac up and walked back to the bed. What came after that was no-one's business but theirs!


To be continued

- The sense of 'deja vu' was from Someone To Watch Over Annie

- Although Chloe hasn't been heard of for a while, she is still Mac's little 'sister', and therefore for my story, she's part of the 'family''-to-be!