Sorry I took so long to post this chapter, but it took a while to write and my life sort of got in the way. Thanks for all the reviews and feedback I really appreciate it. I hope you like this chapter. It is heading more towards that H/M interaction you all want so badly. Enough talk, go read and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own or have any ties to Bellasario Productions or the characters of JAG.

Bethesda Hospital

Room 2811

Bud had watched his senior officers' dance around their feelings forever. He had watched them hurt each other, love each other, but most of all run from each other. He may be quiet but he wasn't as oblivious as everyone thought. He knew their feeling for each other and he knew their mistakes.

They had helped him through so much and now it was his time to be in control. He would be asking the questions and he was going to get some straight answers. He was going to get Mac to see that she had to be the strong one now. It was Harm's turn to be weak and Bud was going to make sure that Harm had someone to pick up the pieces of his shattered soul.

Bud pulled Mac over to the side of the corridor. Now would be his time for answers.

"Ma'…Mac I am about to tell you something's that you may not like, but please promise to hear me out." Mac looked concerned, but motioned Bud to continue.

"Commander Rabb has been my friend, as long he has been yours, so I have gotten to know him just as well as you have. Now I know Harm loves you and I am pretty sure that you love him but I can't watch you to hurt each other anymore. You both have helped Harriet and me so much, and now it's my turn to repay you. Harriet and Admiral Chegwidden may have forgiven you for your behavior on the phone, but I need to make sure that you are here for the right reasons. Before you knew Harm was hurt, you were quite willing to tell him to go to hell. Now I know that a lot has changed in the last 24 hours, but you can't be here out of obligation or friendship. Harm needs you to love and accept him, for all his flaws and secrets. You haven't accepted his decisions ever before, but you have to accept him now.

The Robert's family can not lose either of its extended family members, but I can't watch you break each others hearts again." Bud was upset that it had come to this, but he knew that Harm wasn't all to blame for the convoluted relationship between his two mentors. Harriet and the Admiral had forgiven Mac on sight, but Bud needed to know she would stay for eternity.

"Bud, thank-you for your concern, but you need not doubt me. I will stand by Harm, whatever happens." Bud's words had angered Mac, how could he not trust her?

"I need to hear you say it Mac. I need all the reasons you will be here. It was the best lesson you taught Harriet and I. Communicate and clear the air, before embarking on a new journey. I need to make sure that you will be there to catch Harm this time. Because I think you realize by now, that no one is ever there to be strong for Harm."

Bud was guilty over what had happened, Harm had treated him like a brother, but he had been so caught up in his own world to notice his friend. This attitude had come to and end. After walking in to Harm's apartment and seeing his lifeless lying on the couch surrounded by empty whiskey bottles strew all over the coffee table, Bud had made a promise. He would be there for Harm; he would watch his back and help his oldest friend pull himself out of the hell hole his life had become.

"Bud, I think you are starting to get a tad personal. Most of these things I haven't even told Harm yet, so I don't think I could tell you." Bud's concern for Harm was touching, but Mac didn't feel his concern was necessary.

"Mac, I don't want to do this, but I will not let you into Harm's room until you can tell me all the reasons why you will stay. If you can't tell them to me as a friend, pretend I am Harm and tell these things to him. I need to know that you can say it and that you mean it." Bud knew he was overreacting but, if Mac couldn't admit out loud that she loved Harm, how would she be able to tell Harm.

"What do you want me to say Bud? That I love him? I do, I love him with all my heart and soul. I didn't realize it until I was faced with the real prospect of losing him, but he is my heart. I couldn't survive without him." Mac had started to understand what Bud wanted her to say, but why did she have to pour her heart out to Bud, why not Harm.

"Thank-you Mac, but I need more. If you letter was anything like mine, it was pages upon pages of Harm's mistakes in relation to us. I need to hear your mistakes. You need to acknowledge your part in this. I am not blaming you for anything. You both share equally blame for you relationship of lack thereof. Equal blame, therefore you need to admit you mistakes so that you can try not to make the same mistake again.

I know you view admitting your mistakes as a weakness, so I am not asking you to bare you soul to me. I am simply asking that you show remorse and regret for the past and a willingness to change." Bud knew he was getting to her. She needed to say this as much as he needed to hear it.

"Okay Bud. I sort of understand where you are going with this. I do share the blame for what has happened to our relationship. I know I come across as the ice-queen, mega-bitch but that is not who I am. I do feel, I do cry, I do bleed. Harm is the only person that has ever seen me like that. Every time I fell down he picked me up, dusted me off and got me going again. I don't think I ever stopped to thank him for that. Actually I don't think I ever stopped to thank him at all."

Mac was on a roll. Bud was pretty sure she wasn't talking to him anymore. Rather she was simply voicing her thoughts out loud.

"He was always right behind me, ready to pick up the pieces. He never even asked for anything in return. I threw myself at men who blatantly showed that they wanted me. I needed to make Harm see what he had to do to get me. I didn't realize until too late that I was changing Harm into something else, someone else from the man I had fallen in love with. He was always apologizing to me, always expecting that he was in the wrong. Sometimes he was, but I never took responsibility for my actions. I blamed my responses on anyone other than myself. I never stopped to think about what I was doing.

I am going to change Bud. I can't let him take responsibility for all the hurt. I have finally got to become the marine I have been trying to be. I will not back down from this. It will be painful and I know I am going to need your help to get us through, but I am going to stay with him. I will be the one that picks up the parts of Harm's broken heart and slowly pieces him back together." Mac was shocked at her openness, but she realized how right Bud had been to make her say it. She had a battle plan and she was going to stick to it without fail.

"Thank-you Mac. I believe we all needed to hear it. We have along road ahead of us, but for the man lying in that hospital room we need to walk it together." Bud had finally got to say his piece to his mentor and friend. He knew that somehow, someday they would all be able to look back on this event as one of hope not despair, but that day was still a distant dream.

"Bud, you have grown. I will never be able to look at you the same. Thank-you for opening my eyes to my own mistakes, I promise I will not let Harm walk into his future alone." Mac had underestimated their young charge. He was now a fully-fledged man, who had accomplished much more personal success than herself and Harm combined. They had a lot to learn from the happiness of the Roberts family.

Mac and Bud moved away from the corner of the corridor in which they had been talking. Harriet and A.J had been talking to the nurses and now they turned to the two incoming officers.

"We are able to see Mr. Rabb singly for five minutes each, while he is unconscious. When he wakes from the surgery, we will have to be with him constantly. That should happen in a couple of days as he is currently being sedated." A.J knew they would all have a long journey ahead, but it was their chance to finally make peace with Harm.

"I will go in first so as to check on his condition, I would then like Harriet to visit, then Bud and finally Mac. This is so that you two can spend a slightly longer time with Harm." A.J then left is officers at the nurse's station and walked in to see his brother-in-arms.

Mac watched as Bud exited Harm's room. She knew it was her time to see him. The first time she would lay eyes on him in six months and it was yet again in a hospital room. She had promised Bud, Harm and herself that she would do this, and she wasn't about to break that sort of promise.

Bravely she pushed through the door. Seeing him so helpless almost broke her heart. He had a tube down his throat and he seemed to millions of wires connecting him to myriad of different machines.

"Hey Flyboy, I know you can't hear me but I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I bet you never thought you would hear me say that but I'm sorry. I'm sorry for ever doubting your love or your commitment. I'm sorry for leaving you, for not believing in you, for lying, for running but most of all for forgetting. I let one incident blind me from all the good things. I let one broken promise, destroy all the times you had stood by me. I'm sorry for everything.

I am not leaving you again Harm. You may rant, rave, scream, cry or not say anything at all but I won't leave. I have hurt you too many times to walk away. I have let you fall every time. You have saved me from myself so many times. Now it is my turn.

I am not pretending to be prepared. I'm scared shitless about the future, but there is another three people outside this room that will help you help yourself. You may never trust me again and I don't see why you should, but just give me one more chance and I will prove my worth. I need you Harm, I never told you that before but I do. You are my heart, my soul and I have finally realized your importance in my life.

I love you Harm! I always wanted you to say it first, but I guess I never gave you a chance to. I never gave you any reason to believe your feelings were reciprocated. I only opened up to you when I knew we were in no position to have a relationship together. And I accused you of only pursuing me when I had a foot out the door!

I'm here now Harm and I love you! I am going to prove that I am worth it. I'm going to show you that we can have the happy ending we dreamed of. I will help you put the pieces of you heart back together."

With that Mac turned and exited the hospital room. She would wait out in the waiting room until she could see him again. She wasn't leaving, not this time and she knew she would have good company while she waited. Harm may have not realized it but, there was three very concerned military officers waiting for him.

Waiting to help the man that had been their anchor, hoping to give some strength back to their love.son.brother.mentor.guide.saviour…friend.