Disclaimer: Big surprise – I own nothing.

A/N: This will be the final chapter, hope you like it. I just had to get Mic's side of the story in. I have a friend who went through a similar situation from that unfortunate side, so even though she won't read this, I dedicate the first part of this chapter to her...

Feedback is more than welcomed. Again, thank you thank you thank you to the wonderful reviewers, you guys make this more fun than it already is.

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Someone up there must really hate me. Harm just had to call at the most inconvenient time with both the Admiral and Singer, of all people, in my office listening intently. It was good to hear his voice, though.

Now I'm home. I'm bored, it's late, I'm not tired and there's nothing good on TV. I can't call Harm. Who knows where I'd catch him and I really don't want a replay of our last conversation with him being formal.

I wonder how Mic's doing. Poor man, gave me everything and got the door slammed in his face. I really should talk to him, apologize at the very least. No time like the present, after all it's past noon in Australia.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Mic."

"Sarah?"

"Yeah, it's me. How was the flight back?"

"Miserable." Not one for sugarcoating things, that Mic.

"Mic... I'm sorry."

"I know, Sarah, I'm sorry my love for you wasn't enough."

"Oh, Mic..." I'm crying silently now. Bless him, the man isn't even bitter. He deserves so much better.

"Hey, no crying over the phone, it's a known rule!"

And now I'm crying and laughing together.

"I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry. You deserve much better than me."

"Don't even think that. You'll be alright."

Why does everybody keep telling me that! "How do you know that?"

"He'll wake up and love you and you'll never be alone again."

I'm shocked into silence.

"Goodbye, beautiful."

"Thank you, Mic."

He hangs up and I'm left staring at the phone. He was talking about Harm, right? Or was that a general statement? I've got to stop second guessing myself.

And I'm back to square one. I am bored. Too bad there isn't a time difference between me and Chloe, I need to talk to her again. I hate having her mad at me, even if she's right. Whatever happened to just being happy for me no matter what? Besides, she was the one who told me I was in love with my partner back when Mic wasn't even in the picture. Should've listen to her back then – would've saved a lot of people a lot of pain. Then again being smart in retrospect is always easier.

I'm about to launch into another debate when a knock at the door saves me from myself. Oh please, oh please, oh please let it be him.

"Coming!"

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Finally, finally, finally home.

I'm standing in front of her door, have been for the last couple of minutes. I went to my apartment, threw my stuff on the floor, took a shower and was out the door.

So now, like some 15 year-old I'm trying to calm myself before knocking on her door. Maybe I should've waited till tomorrow at work... maybe she's asleep already. Oh, for Pete's sake, she's my best friend! I finally knock.

"Come in!"

Was that 'come in' or 'coming'? Oh well. I open the door and find her walking from her bedroom in her pajamas, phone in hand. Are those tears she's wiping away? My thoughts screech to a stop at the brilliant smile that lights up her face when she sees me.

"You're back."

Suddenly she's in my arms and holding on to me for dear life. Admittedly I'm doing the same. The urge to kiss her is back in full force.

I pull back a bit, just enough to lean my forehead against hers without breaking any contact between our bodies. The feel of her fills me to the brink and I take a deep breath.

"Harm..."

It's her voice that does me in and my mouth is on hers in a not so gentle kiss. Mac's not one to be idle and as her tongue meets mine I sigh into her mouth and tighten my hold on her. The kiss softens and breaks to short sweet ones. Her hands are in my hair, I can't think straight. Now they're moving to my chest. She's pulling away, but I'm not ready to have any space between us just yet and I follow her to catch her lips with mine. I can feel her smile and her hands moving to cup my face. This time when she pulls back I just sigh and open my eyes to find hers, glistening at me.

"I've been dying to do that since I left." I admit.

She gives a short laugh then takes a deep breath, her eyes downcast as she whispers, "Thank god..."

Did she have doubts? I lift her head to look in her eyes.

"You're not sure?" I meant to say weren't, but that seemed to break something in her because she broke away completely and started walking the other way.

Suddenly cold without her against me and not just a little confused, I reach out to grab her, but she's a quick little Marine.

"Mac. What's wrong?"

"Damn it, Harm!"

What did I say? What did I do? Maybe I'd better shut up and wait patiently, if I open my mouth I just might get myself kicked out.

She's staring out the window, arms wrapped around herself.

"I did love him, you know?"

Just shut up and nod. She's not even looking at me, though.

"At least... I think I did... I don't even know anymore."

I step closer, but not too close, I don't want to startle her and I do believe this is going somewhere.

"He said that I just didn't want to be alone..."

Suddenly she turns to me and I can see the tears. I've seen her cry this week more times than I have since I met her. Damn you, Brumby. I'd punch him in the face if I could.

"What if he's right?" She asks me and for a moment I have no idea what to say. Then I reach for her and she willingly steps back into my embrace.

"Hey, it's alright to not want to be alone, ninja-girl." She smiles sadly at me and I flash her a bright one back. "It's even perfectly normal for some people."

I kiss her briefly, unbelievably relieved when she doesn't back away.

"Besides, this... between us, is so much more than that. Don't you feel it?"

My heart's on my sleeve. God, please let her want this as much as I do.

Her eyes drift shut and she presses closer still, burying her head in the crook of my neck. She's taking deep breaths and logically I know she wants to gather herself so she can answer me honestly and without any doubt but it's killing me slowly.

I'm still trying to calm myself and convince myself to stay put when I feel her nose nudging mine and a second later our lips meet. "I do feel it." She has a knack for catching me off-guard.

My relief is tangible and I kiss her for all I'm worth then lift her off the floor and spin us around. She breaks into laughter and it's the sweetest sound I've ever heard.

I lead us to the couch, as my knees are starting to protest. I sit down and she moves to sit beside me but I pull her down to my lap. There's no way I'm letting her as far away as next to me when this is so much more comfortable.

We just sit in silence for a few minutes. Suddenly she straightens to look me in the eyes.

"How's Rene?"

I knew this was too good to be true. My hands tighten on her unconsciously as I send my second prayer for the evening towards heaven.

"As well as can be expected, I guess." Deep breath. "She stayed with her family and her ex-boyfriend." She's nodding her understanding and waiting for more. "I told her I had to get back to a certain brunette." I say with a grin. To which I get smacked.

"Harmon Rabb, you did not." She's trying to stay serious but there's a smile tugging at her lips.

"Well, no, but she wouldn't have noticed if I had."

"Somehow, I find that doubtful. Seriously, Harm..."

I know what she's trying so hard not to ask, so I plunge in. The sooner we get this over with the better. "I couldn't say anything, I will when she gets back" My heart is pleading with hers to understand, "But it's been over for a while in any case, we both knew it."

She silences me with a finger to my lips.

"I understand."

I heave a sigh of relief and she smiles.

"It was all your fault, you know."

Mac throws her hand to her chest and opens her mouth in mock hurt, "Me!"

"Yeah, Rene just couldn't get past this thing with us." I repeat her words from the night Mic left.

After a long, slow kiss I get my response, "Maybe that's because we couldn't..."

"Couldn't?"

"Couldn't." kiss "Can't." kiss "Won't ever."

Mac's pulling me to her and leaning backwards and I move so that she's now lying on the couch and I'm on top of her. I simply can not get enough of her mouth, and she's just as eager to explore every surface of mine. I feel like I'm melting into her. I'm surrounded by her.

"Harm.." She manages to whisper between kisses.

"Yeah?" the 'conversation' is paused in favor of a few more kisses.

"For the record... I've wanted to do this since I saw you at the hospital."

I pause to look at her, and she's smiling that lopsided smile of hers.

"If only they had left us alone for five minutes..."

I suddenly have a metal image of Mac kissing me senseless at Bethesda. And I just have to tease, "I wasn't breathing that well back then, you would have killed me with your enthusiasm." I throw a wink for good measure, then duck my head before she can reply and press a trail of kisses along her collar-bone and up her neck to her ear. "Then again, I would've died a happy man..."

Her strong hands pull my face back to hers. "A very happy man." She stresses and laughs.

Unexplainably, I'm unable to control a yawn that escapes me. I really haven't slept well recently, what with nightmares of the crash and day dreams about Mac keeping me from a good shut-eye. Of course, this has Mac laughing at me, "Come on, Flyboy. Off to bed with you."

But I don't want to leave, the five year old inside of me is whining. That must've been evident on my face because I get another laugh as she scrambles to get up from under me and then offers me her hand, "That is, off to my bed with you." I don't think I've never been this happy to go to bed.

Mac finds some cloths of mine that I left here sometime and locks up.

Finally in bed, I gather her close to me, fitting the sheets around us.

I kiss her head and close my eyes. Home at last. "Good night, Sarah."

"It is now..." I hear her sigh.

Her leg wraps around mine and I just have to kiss her again. I find her lips in the dark and kiss her very slowly, almost lazily. Mac responds and I'm thinking I have to file this memory and cherish it because something this perfect can't possibly happen twice in a lifetime. When we finally pull apart I can see beyond the Marine, beyond Mac, beyond Sarah, to the woman that is all of that and so much more.

"We'll get it right, Sarah, I promise."

"This is definitely a good way to start, Harm. Most definitely."

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I really think I can call this The End now. All's well that ends well, right?