A/N: Here it is! The end of 'Fair Winds and Following Fate'. Thank-you so much to everyone who left a review throughout the journey. JAG fans are awesome! If you're interested in reading more of my work, I've posted a few fluffy and light stories for CSI. This was the only one I ever wrote for JAG.

Warning: Some historical canon may have been harmed in the making of this chapter… readers beware!

Smiling, Andsowego

Fair Winds and Following Fate

Chapter X

Mac's apartment
18:40

Mic sat impatiently in his rental car on the street outside Sarah's apartment. He'd stopped at a flower shop on 43rd street on his way, hoping to buy her some sort of bouquet peace offering to ease the impending tension. The flowers were nice, but not so nice as to suggest an ulterior motive, or at least he hoped so.

Checking his watch for the third time, he realized it was still too early to go in. Not that he was nervous, but he just didn't want to appear too eager to see her. He was getting married soon to a wonderful woman and didn't want to make things more difficult for Sarah. Sighing, he stepped out of the car. 'Might as well get this over with' he thought, early or not.

It was like deja-vu all over again as he entered the building and walked down the hallway towards her front door. Thankfully, he hadn't had to ring the buzzer, as some other tenant had been leaving just as he was arriving. Now, standing outside her door for the first time since their emotional good-bye all those years ago, Mic wasn't sure he could follow through on what he had planned. How was he going to explain his being there, without upsetting her? Well, he'd just have to go with the honesty route and hope she didn't freak out. There really was no other way to go about it.

Knocking on her door, he breathed deeply and shifted his feet. It felt like an eternity before the door opened.

Rabb.

Rabb opened the door.

Mic stood there silently, with what was an obvious look of shock on his face as one Harmon Rabb Jr. invited him inside. Stepping into the apartment, Mic looked around. It was just as he remembered it, only it no longer felt like home, and Sarah was nowhere to be found.

"So, Mic... are those flowers for me?" Harm joked.

"Uh, actually, I brought them for Sarah... as a sort of peace offering for intruding on her day in such an unexpected manner." He'd somehow offered a logical explanation in spite of the fact that Rabb had answered the door and had uncharacteristically invited him inside.

"Have a seat Mic. Can I get you something to drink?" Harm asked in his best 'I'm really not bothered that you're here voice'... 'easy sailor', he reminded himself... 'the only way to find out what he wants from Mac is to make him feel comfortable on your terms.'

"Not that it isn't nice to see you again Harm, but... is Sarah here? I was supposed to meet her here at 19:00 hours to talk. I have some rather pressing news that I need to share with her, and it really can't wait. I'm only in town for a few days, and then I have to head out."

"She'll be here any minute. You are early, and surely you know about Mac's uncanny sense of timing" Harm stated, as if it needed explaining.

"Oh. Well, I guess I'll just wait then. That is, of course, unless you two have other plans tonight? Mic inquired.

"No, it's not a problem Mic. Mac told me today at lunch that you were planning on dropping by, and she asked me to be here. I mean, you haven't seen her in years, then you suddenly call her up at work out of the blue and insist on seeing her without even asking if it's convenient. She's a friend, Mic, and she went through a lot when you two ended things. I didn't want her to do this alone. I'm sure you understand don't you?"

Harm waited.

"I do understand Rabb. More than you realize. Look, I'm not here to make things difficult for her, nor do I have any interest in revisiting the relationship we once had. I just need to ask her a favour. As her friend, I'm sure you won't mind giving us some privacy?" Mic wasn't about to back down on this one. He really needed to talk to her in private, and there was no way he was going to have that particular discussion with Rabb hanging around like a protective older brother.

"As her friend, Mic, I certainly don't mind you chatting with her... but as her fiancé, I do mind." Harm wasn't about to give Mic the upper hand on this one. Mac felt the need to ask him to be there, and until he was sure that she wouldn't be hurt or taken advantage of, there's no way in hell he was leaving her alone.

Mic's jaw dropped at the word 'fiancé', as he took in the situation before him. Sarah didn't trust him enough to be alone with him. He should have known Rabb would be here. They probably got together right after she was rid of him. Right after they almost got married. Right after their marriage was called off because Rabb was more important to her than he was! Mic hated himself for being so angry about it. It's not like it had happened yesterday, and now he was getting married to someone else, but it still brought up a lot of bitterness.

"I guess congratulations are in order then mate? If I couldn't make her happy, I'm glad that you could. Let's face it Rabb, you and I both know that Sarah and I were never meant to be. Fate always had her eye on the two of you. If you're man enough to have asked her to marry you, just be man enough to keep her. She deserves everything good that's coming to her." Mic lowered his eyes to the floor and breathed out a sigh of relief. Clearly, talking to Sarah about his problem wasn't going to be an issue. She'd moved on. With Rabb, but at least she'd moved on.

"Mic." Mac emerged from the bedroom, having heard the entire exchange between the two men.

"Sarah." Mic stood up from the couch in time to see her cross the room and put her arms around Harm.

"Listen, Sarah, I'm not here to cause you two any trouble, I just have something personal I need to talk to you about before I leave the country again."

"I know Mic, I heard. Harm, would you mind giving us some privacy? Why don't you take a short walk? I'll be fine here." She gave him a reassuring look as he picked up his jacket from the hook by the door. "I'll be back shortly Mac. I'll leave my cell on if you need me, okay?" Harm asked.

"Okay. See you in a bit."

Closing the door, Harm stood in the hallway. She may have wanted privacy, but there was no way he was leaving the building! He slowly paced the hallway, wondering just what could be so important that Mic had come all the way to DC to talk to her in person.

He could barely hear their voices from the hall. Harm trusted her fully. She knew what she was doing, and if Mic gave her any trouble, she could take him out with one of her swift marine-moves. Still, he felt uneasy as the minutes crept by.

Sensing that he wasn't alone in the hallway, Harm turned quickly, only to find P.O. Coates standing there with a terrible look of concern on her face.

"Jen... what are you doing here? Is everything okay? You look like you just lost your best friend!" Harm grasped her by the shoulders for fear that she might pass out right there in front of him.

"Oh Harm, I'm so, so sorry! I just couldn't let this sit any longer. I care about you, more than anything, and I just want you to be happy. There's something you need to know, but I couldn't find you at your apartment. I came here because it seemed like the next logical place to look... plus, there's something going on with the Colonel tonight that you need to know about. Please don't hate me for telling you, but she's meeting with Commander Brumby!" Jen's eyes filled with tears as she sank to the floor against the wall.

Sitting down on the carpet next to her, Harm put an arm around her shoulders. "Jen, I know that Mac's meeting with Brumby... in fact, they're in there now talking. Mac asked me for some privacy, and well, here I am, out in the hallway. Why on earth are you so upset?" he asked.

"It's just that... well... I saw them together at Sydney's for lunch on Saturday... and I thought that maybe... well, you know... that maybe Mac might not have been completely honest with you... and then, I started thinking about how much you love her, and how much Mattie loves her, and I didn't want either of you to be hurt by the whole thing... are they getting back together?" Jen blubbered.

"No! Of course not... Mac and I are still getting married, and are very much in love Jen. Besides, Mac didn't meet with the Commander on Saturday, she met with Harriet. Why would you think otherwise?" he questioned.

Suddenly, a wave of realization hit her. She hadn't actually seen them together. True, Commander Brumby was outside the restaurant, and yes, Colonel Mackenzie was sitting inside alone, but Jen hadn't stuck around long enough to see them actually sit down for lunch together. This was an awful mistake! How was she supposed to know that they were at the same restaurant but had not seen each other there?

"Oh my gosh Harm... I've made a terrible mistake!" Jen squeaked. "I did see them both at the restaurant, but I never actually saw them together! The Commander could've been meeting anyone there for all I know! Can you please forgive me for being so stupid?" she pleaded.

"Look, Jen, there's nothing to apologize for here. I know how much you care about Mattie and me, but you just need to send that overactive imagination of yours on holiday for a while! Mac would never do anything to hurt me like that... you must know that by now."

"I know Harm, I really do. I don't know what I was thinking, I was just so worried."

"Why don't you head home and relax for the evening? There's no reason why I need to tell Mac about this... it was just a silly misunderstanding. I'm sure everything's fine in there" he reassured her.

Harm walked Jen to the front door of the building and gave her a quick hug before she got in her car and drove off, headed for home.

According to his watch, it had only been eight minutes since he left Mac alone in the apartment with Bugme. Harm decided to bite the bullet and actually go for a short walk. There was nothing that could be accomplished by standing around in her hallway, except maybe scaring her neighbours.

Inside the apartment, Mac moved to the kitchen after the initial pleasantries. "Can I get you something to drink Mic?" she asked.

"Funny, Rabb asked me the same thing. No, I'm fine. Look, I really just need to ask you about something. It can't wait Sarah... I'm getting married."

The silence that filled the room was unexpected. He at least figured she'd be upset by the announcement. If not upset, then maybe happy for him... he really couldn't judge her reaction with her back to him.

As Mac turned around to face him she spoke quietly.

"And you're here to ask for my approval, or something equally archaic I assume?" she asked with just a hint of sarcasm.

"No, Sarah. Actually, I'm here to ask for my ring back."

His ring? What the hell was he talking about? Mac was thoroughly confused as she listened to him speak.

"Sarah, I really feel terrible about this, but the ring I gave you that night in Australia is very special. I had it made using the gold from my grandfather's tie pin, and the jewels from my grandmother's engagement ring. It was meant to be given to the one woman I knew that I'd spend my life with. At the time I gave it to you, I thought that it was fated to be on your finger. Since meeting Melanie, I know that it's for her. I want to honour the memory of my grandparents by giving it to the right person. I was hoping that you wouldn't be offended if I asked you to return it."

Mic held his breath as he waited for her reply.

"You mean to tell me that you came all the way here, to announce that you're getting married, and that you want your engagement ring back? Why didn't you just call me Mic? It's not like I have a need to keep the ring anyway. It's been in its original box since the day you left here."

Reaching into her top desk drawer, Mac retrieved a ring box. "Here. I'm happy to return it to you. If you feel like you've finally found the right person to share your life with, then far be it from me to stand in the way Mic. I only ever wanted you to be happy, I just knew that I wasn't the one meant to bring you that happiness."

Just as she finished her sentence, Harm reappeared in the doorway. The attempt at taking a walk had been futile. Somehow he'd ended up back at her apartment, and just couldn't stay out in the hallway any longer.

"Is everything okay in here Mac?" Harm asked.

"Actually, yes. Mic is getting married Harm. He needed his ring back from me, and thought it best to discuss the matter in person."

Mic approached her and slipped the ring box into his pocket. "All I ever wanted Sarah, was to see you smile. Rabb, make sure that you spend the rest of your life appreciating what you've got here. She deserves a chance at real happiness you know. I hope you realize what you've been given, and if you feel even half as strongly about her as I once did, I know that you won't waste it."

Giving Mac a quick hug, Mic left as quickly as he came.

Closing the door, Harm turned to face her. "Well, that certainly was a first for me... being in the same room as Brumby, at your apartment no less, and not feeling the overwhelming urge to inflict bodily pain on him!" Harm laughed uneasily.

"Thank-you for being here Harm. I know that this couldn't have been easy for you, but I just knew that I couldn't face him alone after all these years. I hadn't even thought about him moving on until now, but I really do hope he's found the right person this time around. He's not a bad guy you know... he's just not the right guy for me."

"I guess you've also got to give the guy credit for coming all the way here, just to ask for his ring back. It was actually quite considerate of him not to ask you about it over the phone. How did he even know that you'd still have it?"

"Well, you know what they say about women and their rings Harm!" she smiled.

"Yeah, it's all about the ring isn't it?" he joked.

"Oh you know... that, and the perfect guy!"

"So, you think I'm perfect do you?" he teased as he pulled her into his arms.

"Very funny fly-b..." she was cut off as his lips found hers in a passionate, definitely not office-appropriate kiss.

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That's all for this fic! Thanks again to everyone who stuck with me. All final reviews will get a response, and homemade chocolate chip cookies. Oh wait, still can't send those through the internet yet can we? LOL

Cheers, Andsowego