So I'm finally back! sorry, i've been away travelling for a while! am now jetlagged and can't sleep so i thought i'd get writing again!

Thanks so much to all of you who reveiwed, i really appreciate hearing your thoughts! hope you like this next bit! chapter 3 is started, so will post as soon as its complete.

"I know I asked you this the other night, but why aren't you together?" Donna glanced over at the brunette walking beside her. At her silence she ploughed on, "You know he was watching you the whole time the other night? Especially when you were talking to Will. He was jealous." Mac rolled her eyes at her new friend.

"The thing between Harm and I is complicated." She replied.

"Not from where I'm standing!" Donna exclaimed enthusiastically. "You both clearly love each other. It's like a fairy tale! You met in the Rose Garden for God's sake!" Mac couldn't help but laugh. She had learnt pretty quickly that Donna tended to get over excited about things. Especially things related to love.

"Trust me, It was hardly a fairy tale meeting." She replied, "He looked as though he had seen a ghost." At Donna's questioning glance she shook her head, "Don't ask" she replied, grinning slightly as she added, "he did look good in his dress whites though!"

"Why did he look like he had seen a ghost?! Donna asked curiously. Mac hesitated, Even for her it was a weird story, one she was still not entirely comfortable in telling. Thinking about Diane tended to awaken the little voice in her head that told her that she wasn't good enough for Harm, an that the only reason he would ever want her was because she looked so much like his former girlfriend.

"I look very similar to an ex-girlfriend of his." She admitted finally, "She was murdered shortly before Harm and I met. He was the JAG who investigated her case." Donna looked shocked,

"Poor Harm!" she exclaimed, "Poor you!" she carried on, "It must have been so strange for you when you learnt that." Mac shrugged her shoulders in response,

"It's just another in a long series of strange events in Harm and my relationship." She paused again, smiling impishly, "Anyway, let's talk about you and Josh!"

Something flickered in her companion's eyes: sadness and resigned acceptance mingled with a childlike hope.

"There's nothing to tell, "Donna replied, "Like I told you the other night: Even is he did feel the same way, he's my boss. There's nothing we could do about it. The administration has had enough scandals over the years don't you think?!" she smiled, bitterness marring her pretty face.

"Can I asj you something?" Mac asked hesitantly, carrying on at Donna's nod, "When Josh found out that Harm was a Naval Officer he looked like he had been slapped in the face." She paused, thinking back to the incident in question:

Shortly after the group had introduced themselves, they had agreed to share a booth. Harm had ended up sitting opposite Mac between Donna and Will, with Toby, Josh and CJ sliding in next to Mac. CJ, Will and Toby were involved in some intense discussion about something, she had never found out what, which had left the two 'couples' to chat together. Donna had been laughing at a joke Harm had made when Josh had started asking where they worked. At Harm's response he had gone very pale, and Mac had noticed CJ, who had since joined their conversation, shoot him a sympathetic glance as if she knew exactly what was bothering him.

Mac forced herself back into the present, continuing, "Why?"

Donna looked at her, surprise evident on her face. "It obviously had something to do with you," Mac continued gently, "he was watching you laugh with Harm looking so worried I didn't know what to say to him,"

Donna hesitated, "My ex-boyfriend was a Naval Officer" she replied softly, wondering at the possible significance of Mac's words.

"And you still think there's nothing between you?" Mac asked. Donna flushed slightly.

"I used to think there was. Now I think his ex-girlfriend is back on the scene, which means I really don't have a chance."

Mac frowned. She understood how Donna was feeling, she'd never though she could compete with any of Harm's ex-girlfriends either.

"How long have you been working for Josh?" she asked curiously, not knowing what else to say.

"Since the first campaign." Donna replied, smiling at the memory: Josh looking so confused at finding her in his office, then flashing his dimples at her as he handed her his pass. They had been a great team back then. Maybe they still were, she wasn't sure. Now Amy was actually working in the White House, and since Zoey, their easy banter, which had fully returned since inauguration, had started to fade away again. "I sort of walked into his office and hired myself!" she continued with a grin, "As I understand it, well according to Sam anyway, he had frightened a fair few interns before I showed up!"

They were interrupted by Mac's phone ringing.

"Lt Colonel Mackenzie," she said into the speaker, "Hey Harm, what's up?

Donna strained to hear the voice that was floating out of the speaker.

"I'm shopping with Donna at the moment. What time are you planning to go?"

"Sure, I'll pick you up at six thirty?"

""Will do. See you later Flyboy." The nickname slipped out before she could stop it. Seeing Donna's questioning glance as she hung up the phone she added, "A friend of ours was injured while on duty in Afghanistan. Harm and I are going to visit him later."

Donna looked shocked.

"What happened?" she asked

"He trod on a landmine while trying to get a little boy out of the minefield, He lost his leg." Mac replied sadly, "He and his wife work with us at JAG. The atmosphere in the office has been pretty awful since it happened."

"That's awful." Donna replied sympathetically, "How is he coping?"

"It's hard to tell. He's being incredibly brave about everything. Harriet too, but they both must be devastated."

"I can't imagine how he must be feeling. That's just awful. It must be hard knowing that you could just be shipped off to a place like that." Donna replied, feeling a tiny bit guilty that she worked for the administration that sent these people to war, even though she knew it wasn't a decision the President took lightly.

Mac shrugged her shoulders, "It's what we sign up for. We all understand the risk." She replied, "But it is pretty tough, especially when it affects something so close to you." She shook herself slightly. "Anyway, you were telling me about Josh and you?"

Donna smiled slightly, "I've been working for him ever since. He's become one of my best friends."

"Who you're secretly in love with." Mac prompted with a grin.

"Who I'm secretly in love with." Donna agreed.

"And who's clearly secretly in love with you." Mac added innocently. Donna just looked at her in amusement, saying nothing.

"Colonel, you will be taking over Lt Singer's caseload now that she has left to complete Lt Roberts' TAD assignment." Admiral Chegwidden said, looking round at the table at his staff. It was odd to see the table without both Bud and Harriet. Mac and Harm both looked tired. He knew they had been doing their best to spend as much time as possible with Bud, as well as helping Harriet with little AJ. It reminded him once again just how much like a family they were.

"Yes sir," Mac replied quickly, exchanging a quick smile with Harm.

"Commander, the White House has requested that someone from JAG brief the President on the legal ramifications of the two friendly fire incidents that have occurred recently in Afghanistan. You are expected at 1300." Harm's eyebrows raised in astonishment, but he nodded, reaching out to take the file that Chegwidden was handing in his direction. As their CO started addressing Sturgis, Harm exchanged a bemused look with his partner, who looked just as surprised as he felt. True, he had met the President twice before, but he had never been called to brief the White House!

Once they were dismissed from staff call, he headed for his office, wondering what to expect from his meeting with the President. He started reading through the briefing material, before a knock sounded at his door, and Mac's grinning face appeared before him as she slipped through the door, closing it behind her, and slid gracefully into the seat opposite him.

"So Mr Presidential Briefer," she began lightly, a mile lighting up her eyes with amusement, "Are you nervous?!"

He flashed her a Flyboy grin in response, "Of course not!" he replied cockily,

"That's a pretty big assignment you pulled there partner!" she said with a chuckle, "Are you sure you don't want to trade?"

"Thanks, but repairing any damage that Singe may have done to the reputation of the JAG core, while trying to defend these people isn't exactly my idea of fun!"

Mac rolled her eyes at him, although her lips curved once again into a smile.

"No." she said teasingly, "I guess some of us are just destined for greater tings." He shrugged his shoulders inn mock humility.

"Well.. you know!" he replied, ducking slightly as she threw something at him.

"Well I suppose I better get started on Singer's cases." Mac said after a few minutes, "Do you want to grab lunch later?" You can tell me how the briefing went?"

"Sure, do you want to meet me in D.C? or shall I come back to Fall's Church?" Mac paused for a moment, considering her options. She only had paperwork planned for the afternoon.

"I'll come and meet you. We could go to Potbellies?" she replied hopefully. Harm chuckled,

"Sure. See you at 1500?"

"Sounds good. Good luck sailor!" Mac replied with a grin, getting to her feet and heading back to her office.

"Harm watched her leave, a thoughtful smile on his face. Up until Bud's accident they had been settling back into their usual pattern. Things had been getting back to normal after the fiasco on the JAG-athon. Well as normal as things ever were between us, he mused. He still hoped there was a imagine a future without her in in it, and there was definitely no-one else he could imagine as the mother of his children. So what was is that always prevented them from moving forward? Was it just fear? Or was it something else?

For him at least, there was no uncertainty. He would marry her tomorrow is he thought she would have him. Harm sighed softly. If he really thought about it, he knew exactly what the problem was. He knew deep inside him that Mac was the only woman he could ever marry; the only one he could picture growing old with. And he was honest to God terrified that he would screw up and she would leave him for good. He knew that in the past strangers had mistaken them for a couple. And, since most of their friend were military and therefore knew it was against regulations, he was sure that some thought they were carrying out a relationship in secret. He had caught enough of the office scuttlebutt after Mac and Brumby split to know that the general opinion was that Mac had left Brumby for him. He himself could only dream that that was true.

He thought back a couple of weeks to when they had found out that Bud was going to be ok. Sitting outside the medical bay, simply holding her hand, he had felt an overwhelming sense of peace wash over him, and it had taken all of his willpower and countless efforts of reminding himself of where they were, to stop himself from pulling her into his arms and kissing away her tears.

Harm wasn't stupid, he had recognised that just before and after Bud's accident, they had moved into a familiar stage in their relationship: the joking and nicknames were back, along with the flirting, and the inherent sense of fear that came along with them. To put it simply, they were back to just before Sydney, with even less of a chance of escaping from who they were for even a moment.

He shook himself from his thoughts and tried to turn his attention back to his work: For the moment, his incredibly messed up life would have to wait.

well? was it any good?!!! will you read more??

all reviews - good or bad - appreciated!!!