Disclaimer: I don't own them…

A/N: I apologize but midterms are dominating my life. Oddly enough, my exams/essays are spread out over three weeks, which is good in that I'm not cramming all my courses at once, but bad in that I have an unending stream of work. Anyhoo, this one's longer than the last, so happy reading!

Chapter 20:

Harm woke up to find his left arm tingling and numb. When he saw the source of his discomfort, he could not help but smile. Lying fast asleep on top of his arm was one Sarah MacKenzie. Wearing a pair of his boxers and a Navy t-shirt, she looked serene and comfortable nestled up against his chest. The previous night had been amazing, but not in the way one would expect given how he had woken up. Yes, they made out like teenagers, but both of them pulled back before it would go too far. It was not that they did not want to, because they did, it just would have been too much, too soon.

Those three magic words held great power, but they were not a miracle cure. There was a lot of history between them, both good and bad, and it would take a lot of effort to work through it all. What those three words did do was to provide them with a powerful tool: each other. Now that Harm had her, he was not about to let Mac go. No matter how hard the battle for their relationship would be, Harm was not about to surrender.

The night before, Mac had told him that he was different from every other man in her life, and the same applied to Harm. Never had he met someone as complicated as Mac. From the first case they worked together in Arizona, he knew that she would always keep him guessing. And she did keep him guessing. Just when he thought he understood what made her tick, she would chase him into Russia and willingly impersonate a gypsy, offer herself as a bartering chip for Bedouins in the Iranian desert, mention that mysterious tattoo of hers, or disappear halfway around the world only to return three years later. The final surprise had been her showing up and admitting that she loved him.

Through all those complications, Harm was able to believe in those words above all else. For all of their layers, Harm knew that those words were true, because he could feel the love just as real in his heart. They definitely were not at their fairytale ending, but they were definitely on their way. He looked down at Mac, whose brown eyes were slowly opening, and smiled, "Morning."

"Good morning," she smiled back, breathing in the smell of his t-shirt.

"Did you sleep well?" he gently rubbed her arm with his free hand.

"Mmhmm," she settled back into his chest.

"You going back to sleep?" he watched her eyes close.

"Mmhmm," Mac responded without opening her eyes.

"Do you mind if I move my arm first?"

"I'm sorry," she immediately shifted her body until she was no longer pinning his arm, "You woken me up sooner."

"I didn't want to," he pulled her next to him.

"Why not?"

"Because you looked to much like an angel to move."

"And you sound like a country music singer," she teased.

"Hey, I thought you like cheesy romance," he teased back, "What about your Hallmark moments?"

"Those aren't cheesy! They're…"

"This?"

"Yeah," she sighed contentedly.

"Where's Mummy?" Nat asked Chloe for the third time that morning.

"Same place she was twenty minutes ago," Chloe sat at the table giving Talia her bottle, "Now be a good boy and eat your Cheerios."

"Where's that?" Nat took a bite of cereal and scrunched his face thoughtfully as he tried to remember what Chloe had told him.

"At Uncle Harm's," she smiled inwardly, while the little boy was frustrating, he's was undeniably adorable.

"Oh yeah," he slapped his forehead dramatically, "For the sleepover right?"

"Yes," Chloe grinned, "For the sleepover."

"Coming," Harm called, racing to the door of his apartment, wondering who would be knocking on a Sunday morning, "Mattie?"

"Good morning, Harm," she smiled broadly.

"Since when do you knock?" he stepped to the side to let her walk in.

"Since now," she lingered in the hallway.

"You coming in?"

"Nah," she shrugged, "I just wanted to say good morning."

"What's going on?" he was immediately of suspicious.

"Nothing," she answered quickly, "Where's Mac?"

"Shower, but…" he realized what she had just gotten him to say, 'Smooth, Mattie, very smooth."

"Thank you," she grinned triumphantly.

"How did you know she was here?"

"I have my sources," she answered cryptically.

"Let me guess," he paused for dramatic effect, "Chloe Madison."

"How did you know?"

"I have sources of my own," he chuckled, "And I've known Chloe for over five years, so I know how she operates."

"Oh," she heard the shower stop, "Well I need to get back to my place. I left something cooking."

"Okay," he smirked, "Goodbye Mattie."

"Bye Harm," she waved as he closed the door. The second she heard the door close, she pulled out her cell phone, "Hey Chloe, it's Mattie."

"Do you always cook like this?" Mac walked into the kitchen after her shower to find Harm making omelets.

"I believe you once told me that men always make you breakfast after they spend the night with you," Harm thought back to that night in Appalachia. He had almost lost her that trip and it was then that he realized how special she truly was.

"Well, thank you," she gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"You're welcome," he drew her in for a longer kiss.

"Hey," she pulled away when she heard the stove sizzle, "Don't burn my omelet."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he laughed to himself at her ability to make something as mundane as an omelet seem sexy.

"Can I do anything to help?" she offered.

"Um," he looked around, "You can do toast, if you think you're up to it."

"That might be a challenge," she rolled her eyes, "But if I can balance a six-month-old on my hip while making chocolate chip pancakes, I think I can handle a toaster."

"You put chocolate chips in pancakes?"

"Of course," she pulled the bread from the bag and popped it into the toaster.

"That sounds disgusting."

"It tastes delicious," Mac shot back, "You should try it sometime, Stickboy."

"Well, you'll have to make it for me," he challenged.

"How about tomorrow night?"

"Pancakes for dinner?"

"Don't tell me you've never been to IHOP and done breakfast for dinner," she pulled the bread from the toaster and put it on a plate.

"Do you have any idea how much fat and grease are in the food from those places?"

"That's not my point," she shook her head, "I'm saying that there's nothing wrong with breakfast for dinner, especially when you're feeding a picky toddler."

"Nat's a picky eater?" Harm looked surprised; every time he'd eaten with them Nat had gobbled down his food like his Marine mother.

"He goes through phases; there was a period where he would only eat orange and brown foods."

"What's his phase now?"

"Nothing, knock on wood," she knocked on his cabinets, "I'm hoping he's growing out of it."

"I'm sure he will," Harm added the omelets to the plates she had put the toast on, "Just in time for Talia to start."

"Thanks," she glared at him as they sat down.

"You're welcome," he looked down at his toast to find it unbuttered. When he looked across at Mac's plate, he saw that hers was. He held up his dry piece of bread, "Did you forget something?"

"No."

"Mac," he shook the piece of toast dramatically, "There's no butter."

"I know."

"Yours has butter."

"I figured you'd like it that way," she carefully picked up her toast and took a bite, "It's healthier."

"Maaaaaaac!" Chloe raced to the front door when she heard it open, leaving Nat and Talia in the family room, "You have got to spill…oh…hey Harm!"

"Hi, Chloe," he greeted amused at how Mac's cheeks turned slightly pink.

"Hi Sweetie," Mac smiled and glared at the same time.

"Unca Harm!" Nat raced to the front door, preventing further awkwardness.

"Hey buddy!" Harm picked him up into a hug then threw him over his shoulder.

"Hi Mummy!" he smiled looking over Harm's shoulder, "How was the sleepover?"

"It was fun," she gave him a kiss.

"Good," he smiled, "Unca Harm, let's go play!"

"Sure thing," Harm carried him off to the family room, knowing that Mac would want to chat with Chloe in private.

"Sleepover?" Mac questioned Chloe the minute Harm was out of earshot.

"Would you have rather I told him you were bong-shaka-bon-bon," Chloe asked, doing her best imitation of cheesy porn music.

"Chloe!" Mac swatted her arm.

"Well?"

"We didn't do anything."

"Seriously?" Chloe said more to herself than to Mac, "Because Mattie…"

"Mattie what?" Mac's eyed Chloe suspiciously.

"Nothing," she bit her lip.

"Chloe."

"Just consider us you're personal cupids," she grinned.

"I don't believe you two," she laughed, "Although, oddly enough I'm not surprised."

"Anyway, back to Harm. You talked, right?" her joking manner suddenly became serious, "You didn't just avoid the issue, like you always do, did you?"

"No."

"Thank God!" she collapsed dramatically onto the stairs, "So?"

"So what?"

"Did you talk about your feelings," Chloe said in a goofy whisper.

"Yes."

"You did?" she practically squealed and Mac nodded, "And it was reciprocal."

"Yes."

"I know it!" she clapped, "I…" she trailed off when she noticed another car pulling into the drive, "I forgot to tell you something."

"What?"

"The admiral called and he's coming to visit."

"When?"

"Uh, now," Chloe shrugged and started to make a quick exit, "I'm going to go check on Talia. You know, just to make sure that Harm can handle the fearsome twosome."

"You do that," Mac sighed turning to the door.

"The admiral gone?" Harm asked when Mac joined them twenty minutes later. Chloe sat on the floor playing a dramatic game of Memory with Nat, while Talia happily sat in her swing.

"Yes," she sat on the floor next to Harm, who was leaning against the side of the couch.

"What'd he want?" Chloe asked.

"He wanted to know if I felt ready to return to active duty at JAG."

"Are you?" Chloe asked, while pretending to be upset over her 'inability' to find a match.

"I think so," she sighed, "I really miss it and if Harriet can manage it with her kids, I'm sure I will be able to do the same."

"Definitely," she nodded, "When do you have to decide?"

"I'm meeting the admiral Monday morning," she answered, "It's up to me if I'm wearing a uniform or not."

"Personally, I hope that you do."

"What do you think?" Mac glanced at Harm, who had been oddly quiet.

"I'll support you whatever you choose," he smiled.

"That's very sweet, but it's not an answer," she smiled back, "I want to know what you think."

"I really think you should do what you want, Mac. There's no need for you to comprise yourself for anyone," he told her sincerely, "Even if this may complicated things."

"I know," she glanced at Chloe, who was trying to look like she was intensely focusing on her game with Nat but was obviously eavesdropping, "And the admiral raised the same concern."

"He did?" Harm looked surprised.

"He's very perceptive," she shrugged, "Anyway, the position would be on the bench so creative scheduling should prevent conflicts."

"Then I say go for it," he smiled, "If you want to, of course."

"Of course," she stood up.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I need to get my uniform out of storage."

A/N: I know that this was all fluff and such, but it was fun for me and hopefully fun for you! Please review…you know you want to!

Nix707 – I'm an overachiever, what can I say? Actually I just felt it was time because in my realm they've both grown up and are actually somewhat mature…somewhat. As for posting delays…I barely notice them thanks to my own busy schedule, so they don't bother me!

ColonelSarahMackenzie – That's what I thought…thanks!

TV Angel – Thank you very much and sometimes even I have to be nice.

Janlaw – Thanks so much for your help with the details. I wanted her to go back, but I wasn't sure how to make it work. I'm also not sure if my "resolution" with her in the judiciary works, but this is my AU and I'm going to make it happen!

Lani – Thanks for taking the homework break to review!

JamieAKAaclassyone – Well, nothing could ever go smoothly with HM…the only way it works if one of them will just shut-up and listen. And I'm going to have to remember the doctorate in procrastination…I like that!

Radiorox – Was that better:::ducks into closet to find suit of armor to protect her from knife wielding reviewers:

Prinnie – You deserve marks for creativity…it's a very, very important skill!

MiDushiNoSushi – Yeah, it was very easy…but I think my stress of school is releasing itself through fanfic. If I can make that world happy and perfect…maybe all my homework will magically complete itself…or not…but I can dream.

BrittanyLS – Thanks!

Starryeyes10 – Thank you much!

Judy52sa – Well, if you say so…thanks!