AN: Well, well, just in time for the weekend...here's another chapter. Know you've been waiting for it!

Disclaimer: Give me an N, Give me an O, Give me a T, Give me an M-I-N-E ! Sorry, no idea where that came from. Oh well...

On we go...

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Of course the last part was easier said than done. After consulting with the Admiral, he'd been given permission to use the staff-meeting for his obviously startling news.

Monday morning came soon enough. He'd decided not to call Mac again until he'd told their coworkers about her upcoming return and learned their reaction. And as much as his heart ached for his girl, he couldn't deny their friends their anger at her departure, nor their doubts or even reluctance upon her resurfacing.

If Harriet or Bud saw the barely hidden nervousness of their superior officer and friend, they didn't comment upon it, though Harriet quietly poured a cup of steaming coffee for him, which he accepted with a nod of gratitude.

At the arrival of their CO, the meeting started with the usual arrangements of new cases and updating others, after which everybody was ready to file out and start working on whatever it was that was on their to do list. A sharp voice interrupted them.

"Everybody. I'd like you all to stay a while longer. Commander Rabb has some important news to share with us. Commander…"

Harm nodded to his CO, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. This was it. After this morning, nothing would ever be the same again.

His voice was a little hoarse at first, until the encouraging nod from AJ nudged him forward.

"People, I have some surprising news for all of you. Unnerving too, but hopefully you'll consider it happy news too. At least I did."

Another deep breath. Come on, Rabb, be a man, be an officer. You can do it.

"On my last assignment to San Diego, I ran into someone…someone we've all been missing for a year now."

He didn't have to elaborate any more information. It was instantly clear who he was referring to.

This time the gasp came from Harriet, who sat there, stunned, her hand covering her mouth as she startled herself with the noise she made.

Bud had grown pale. Nobody said anything.

"Sir…"

Harriet normally dreaded speaking up in staff meeting, but she had to know. Besides, somebody had better break the silence, as it was grating on her nerves.

When Harm didn't react the first time, she tried again, a little louder this time.

"Sir...Commander. Was she, I mean, is she okay?"

The obvious, almost motherly concern laced in her voice, brought Harm back to reality and he wanted to hug Harriet for her kind question.

"Yes, Harriet. She's fine, physically at least. On any other account, a lot of things have happened to her, though I won't get into any details. They're not mine to tell."

"Just…cover the basics, Sir."

Harriet's nudging was enough to make him tell the story, though he left out more in this version than he did two nights before at the Admiral's house. Both men had talked about it that night as well as over the phone the day before and they'd come up with an agreement about what to tell and what better not.

It remained silent for quite some time after he was done, all of them taking time to digest this news, with all it's angles and implications. A lot was left to think about.

"So…now what?"

The question, popped out of the blue in the hue of complete silence, was almost comical for it's implied simplicity. Even if the answer certainly wasn't. The fact it came from Bud, didn't surprise Harm at all. Well, this was certainly a time for revelations, might as well hand them another one while we're at it.

"She wants to come back."

They all nodded, and Harm wished to God he knew if this meant approval or just an acceptance of this expected answer.

Bud again, cleared things out.

"I wish it were as easy as it sounds, Sir."

Harm kindly grabbed his friend's shoulder, formality all but gone and certainly not appropriate considering the subject of their conversation.

"So do I, Bud. I mean, we have to stick with reality here, and the fact is, Mac has been out of commission for a year now, as well as out of touch of all our lives."

He looked around him, silently trying to read the minds of the people in the briefing room. Their faces were friendly enough, but Mac wasn't here now and they could easily keep up the spirits for his sake instead of Mac's.

He hoped that by telling them that he, the one who'd undoubtedly suffered the most from her disappearance, had made his peace with her (and a bit more than that), the others would give her some leeway.

"I know nobody can ask from any of you to welcome her back with open arms and act like nothing has happened, and she doesn't expect you to. But as your friend I ask you not to forgive her without questions asked, but to give her a chance. Meet her halfway."

"Have you, Sir?"

Harriet clearly dreaded to ask the one question they all wanted to ask, but, as usual, her curiosity got the better of her.

Harm smiled at her forwardness, not at all upset or mad. In fact, he felt so good about finally having Mac in his life, his heart, where she belonged, he'd longed to tell them this part of his revelation. Fingers crossed they would be happy for him.

"Yes, Lieutenant. I've had some long conversations with her and we're fine. More than fine. We…I decided not to ever give her another reason to run again. I told her I loved her a year ago, years before that even and that I love her still…"

Harriet, in an attempt to hide her glee at seeing her friend lucky in love at last, became beet red with suppressed giggles. Harm remained serious, though, indicating just how deeply these feelings cut within him.

"That's why I asked you to give her a chance. She's more than just a friend to me now. She means the world to me and I'm not about to jeopardize my chances again. If you turn her down I can understand that. So can she. But from now on she's the most important person in my life, please consider that too."

Bud, having been silent since his last remark, now hastily searched for words to back up his friend.

"We won't turn her down, Harm, Sir, I mean…"

As usual, he didn't know how to choose between the formal rank or the informal first name. Harm let it slip, knowing Bud's intentions were all that mattered.

Bud tried again.

"Nobody here is gonna turn her down. But we're gonna have to get used to having her around again. With everything that happened to her she must have changed. And so have we. Things have happened while she was gone. I'm just saying that there's more to her homecoming than picking up where she left off…"

"I know that, so does she. But right now, all I need, all we need to know is whether or not you're even remotely positive about her return."

Harriet now stood up to be able to give him a hug, which effectively pushed any leftover propriety and or normal protocol out of the window. AJ allowed it silently, knowing this was not any given day. And they were not any given officers for certain.

"Of course we are, don't be silly, Harm. We missed her, we all love her. Yes, it might take some time to get to know her again, rebuild a friendship. But that friendship is a strong one, Harm. It was never broken beyond repair. We'll meet her halfway, we promise. Tell her she has nothing to be afraid of. right guys?"

Again, everybody nodded their agreement, seemingly forgetting that all of them except maybe for Tiner and Gunny outranked Harriet. But as she stood there, hugging her superior officer, who was now all but crying with relief, the whole situation was so far from reality that nobody even dared to contradict her. Nobody felt the need to do so anyway.

"Where is she now, Sir. When will she be back?"

"She's with my mom and stepfather in La Jolla. I'll go pick her up there as soon as the Admiral has more information about the possibilities of her return."

He looked at his CO for the remainder of the answer. AJ was quick to understand Harm was exhausted and done with the subject for now. He addressed his staff.

"That'll take at least until the end of the week. I'll keep you all informed. Now, this meeting has gone on long enough and though this subject warrants the time already spent on it, I believe we all have some work to do…so, dismissed everybody."

They all stood at attention, than left the room, chattering about their lost and found friend.

Harm sat down at his desk, at once relieved and drained. There was a lot of work piled up on his desk and he resolutely put all thoughts about Mac out of his head for the time being. He would think about her later.

Chapter seventeen to follow...