Hello again! Normally I don't like to post every day, two days in a row or even twice in one day. But becausee you guys are so nice with your comments I figured I'd be nice and post again, even though it is a bit soon.

Thanks again for your comments, I make sure to read them every day and I'm trying to comment back. Once I figure out how to do so you'll be hearing from me. Hope you like this...

Grandma Sarah's Farm

Bellevue

0713 (7:13 local)

Mac sat up in her bed with a book on her lap debating between going downstairs and just waiting in her room until Harm woke up. She didn't feel comfortable walking around the house, seeing as how she hadn't even known the owner for twenty-four hours yet. But if she were to wait for Harm, she'd be in her room till noon.

After a few more moments of debating with herself, Mac decided to just stay in her room with her thoughts. It shocked her a bit to see Grams and Trish getting along so well, she wasn't expecting them to be that close. Yes, Harm Sr. had been Grams' son and Trish's husband, so they were related at one point in time, but Mac assumed they didn't have a close relationship. She was expecting there to be a slight amount of tension in the air. After all, Trish had remarried so she wasn't technically related to Grams anymore; the only connection the pair had was Harm. Apparently her assumption was wrong.

Another thought that passed through Mac's mind was last night before she went to bed. She knew Harm would make an appearance before he went to bed for the night but she wasn't expecting to end up in his arms. Not that she minded, no she didn't mind that one bit. What she did mind, was not being able to fall asleep because she could still feel his body against her. His chest to hers, her head on his shoulder, his arm around her waist; she felt him all over and it was a bit disconcerting. Never in her life had she felt so much comfort with one person, and been so afraid to give in to those feelings at the same time.

A light knock on her bedroom door pulled Mac from her reverie. Looking up at the sound, she couldn't help but smile.

"Good morning. You're up early." Harm smiled back at her before walking into the room and sitting at the foot of the bed facing her.

"Good morning to you too. I always get up early when I come here because I know Grams is going to put me to work. So I get up early to get the work done and still have time for myself. Well in this case, have time for you." Harm smiled lovingly at Mac while she smiled back in return.

The two sat on the bed for a moment before Harm stood up and extended his hand towards Mac. "C'mon."

She looked at him skeptically before asking, "Where are we going?"

"I'm going to give you the full tour before mom and Grams get up and steal you for the day."

"Harm, I'm not even dressed yet." Mac motioned with her hands at her attire. She was wearing a pair of black pajama bottoms with a plain white t-shirt.

"So, neither am I." That was the first time Mac noticed Harm was still in his pajamas also. "You have to get the tour early in the morning in order to get the full farm affect."

Mac finally agreed and scooted across the bed to where Harm was before putting her hand in his and allowing him to pull her up.

Once they both had their shoes on and Harm grabbed a sweater in case Mac became cold, they headed down the stairs, through the living room and out the front door. The fresh morning air filled their lungs, waking them up more than any Marine grade coffee either of them had ever drank.

The pair walked side by side while Harm showed Mac the wrap-around porch that lead from the front of the house to the back door which led into the kitchen and a small set of stairs, by-passing a few chairs and a porch swing.

After the couple walked down the stairs, Harm led Mac down a path leading to the barn.

"Do you like horses, Mac?" Harm looked at Mac questioningly. He may be her best friend but that was one thing her truly didn't know about her; how she felt about farm animals.

"Um…I guess so. I mean, they're kind of cute. Why?" Harm didn't bother answering her.

Instead, he led her into the old barn, which held stables for all of the eight horses on the farm. The barn wasn't colossal in size, big enough to house the horses and their feed along with a small path, which led from the front of the barn, right down the middle of the stables and out the back door of the barn.

Mac walked over to the only pony in the barn and started to scratch his mane. Harm smiled at the sight in front of him, Mac being ever so gentle with the little pony like you would with a small child. He draped the sweater he was carrying over the fence, grabbed some sugar cubes from a bag by the entrance, and then slowly crept over to where Mac was standing in an attempt to scare her.

"Nice try, Sailor." Mac turned around with a playful smile on her face. Harm liked it when she smiled, not the fake smiles she would give him when she just wanted to be left alone and he was being persistent about something. No, he was referring to the full blown Mac smiles, the ones that reached her eyes, the ones she would give him when she was feeling totally and completely happy about something. And Harm was glad to see her smiling more often, especially when it was because of him.

"Can't blame a guy for trying." Harm replied jokingly. "Do you want to feed him?" Harm stood behind Mac with his empty hand holding onto the stable to brace himself, his chest just within a millimeter of her back, and the other hand in front of Mac so she could get the sugar cubes.

"Can I?" She turned her head to look at Harm to see if she was serious

"Of course you can." Mac turned around facing the pony after Harm answered her and listened intently while Harm told her how to do it. "Some horses will just eat whatever is in your hand, but not Toby." Harm tenderly ran his fingers down Mac's left arm until he reached her hand. He picked up her hand slowly while whispering softly in her ear, telling her the best way to get Toby to eat.

"First you have to pat him, he won't eat until he feels comfortable with you." Harm took Mac's hand and began to gently pat Toby's side. Mac couldn't stop the goose bumps from forming on her arm at the close contact she was having with Harm. But maybe it was a good thing she had goose bumps while Harm was next to her. Maybe now he would realize the affect he had on her.

Harm did notice the raised hairs on Mac's arm and smiled knowing he had them too.

"Once you pat him for a few seconds, you take a sugar cube and put it in your hand. Then you put your hand under his nose so he can smell it. If he wants it, then he'll eat it. If he doesn't want it he'll push your hand away with his nose." Harm paused for a moment so Mac could take in what he just told her. "Try it."

Harm removed his hand from Mac's and placed it on her hip, holding her to him. Mac picked a sugar cube from Harm's hand, rolled it into her palm then placed her hand under Toby's nose while she continued to pat his side. At first he pushed her hand away but Mac was persistent about it. She kept patting his side for a few seconds before putting her hand back under Toby's nose. He sniffed the cube a few times before licking it out of Mac's hand. She couldn't help the giggle that escaped her mouth at the feeling of his tongue on her palm and the sound of her giggle made Harm smile. She hadn't laughed or giggled out of happiness in quite some time and it was like music to Harm's ears.

Mac looked back at Harm to see if he was paying attention to her and Toby; the smile on his face answered her question. She faced Toby again and started to feed him the rest of the sugar cubes.

"You did good, Marine. It's nice to see you smiling again." Harm whispered into her ear before placing a soft kiss onto her shoulder. He took his arm and wrapped it around Mac's waist for a brief moment, holding her firmly against his chest. Mac closed her eyes and rested the back of her head on Harm's shoulder, just enjoying the tranquility of the moment. But with the calmness came confusion. Her emotions had been in constant conflict and she was getting extremely tired of it. She knew she had to do something about them soon; it wasn't fair for Harm to be waiting around for her to be ready when she didn't even know when that would be.

Mac exhaled in frustration, louder than she thought, and opened her eyes, knowing that their tender moment was over. Harm knew she was still working through some of her issues, so he opted to not ask if she was okay.

"You ready to see the rest of the farm?"

When Mac nodded in response, Harm released her from his embrace and led the way out through the entrance of the barn after grabbing the sweater, leading them back onto the path coming from the front of the house.

They walked for a few feet in total silence, with what felt like a mile of space between them for Mac. She wrapped her arms around her waist, missing Harm's warmth after only a few short minutes without him at her side. Harm noticed and draped the zip-up sweatshirt over Mac's shoulders. She smiled to herself at the considerate thought he had before putting her arms through the sleeves and zipping it up half way. Even with the sweatshirt on, Mac still felt cold, but it had nothing to do with the temperature.

So choosing to live in the moment and making a bold decision, in her eyes anyway, she stepped closer towards Harm and wrapped her hands around his arm, hugging it to her side. She waited a moment to gauge his reaction only to find he didn't have one, not even a flinch. He acted almost as if it were an everyday occurrence, like he knew it was going to happen. At least Mac knew he was comfortable with how close she was standing to him.

Harm nodded with his head toward the right of the path. "A few feet ahead are the cows…they tend to smell so you might want to block your nose." Harm nudged Mac's side playfully, getting a smile in response.

Once they passed the fenced in area with the cows, Harm led them to the left of the road, where the bend is. After they walked a few more feet, Mac's hands began to itch, almost like they were becoming impatient, wondering when they were going to move to their next destination. Mac decided she had to go for it…now. She just had to see what it felt like, to see if it would feel different than the other times they had done it.

So before Mac gave herself the chance to change her mind, she took one hand from Harm's arm and put it in her sweater pocket while she slid her other hand into his, intertwining their fingers together.

Now that was easier than she thought it would be, it wasn't uncomfortable or awkward in anyway. On the contrary, it felt…natural, like her hand belonged in his. This time, it definitely didn't feel like any of the other times they held hands. They weren't shaking hands with each other for business reasons, and they weren't holding hands to comfort each other. This time they were holding hands to express their emotions in a way that didn't require words. It told Harm that she was almost ready to start something with him, and it told Mac that maybe she was making a bigger deal out of this than she needed to. It made Mac realize all she had to do was reach out and grab onto whom she wanted.

While they walked Mac started to analyze their entwined fingers and they way they fit together like puzzle pieces. Whether they were entwined tightly or loosely, the digits still fit together like a glove, almost as if they were made for each other and each other only.

"Now this, this is my favorite part of the entire farm." Harm, who had been relatively quiet throughout the tour, spoke up. He pointed with his free hand toward a small, stone two-tiered waterfall. The water fall making up the top tier and the bottom being a fishpond. Off to the right rested a hammock being held up by two large pine trees. The duo stopped long enough for each to enjoy the sight of it before continuing on the tour.

Once they walked a few more feet, Mac noticed the fenced in grassy area, where she assumed the horses went, and the back of the barn where the horses currently were. She was kind of sad, knowing that their tour and peaceful time together was almost over.

Harm and Mac walked about fifty more feet until they reached the front door to the barn. Harm turned and faced Mac, hands still enclosed together. He stared deeply into her eyes, trying to read her thoughts and emotions, before coming to a conclusion. Mac changed, or so he thought. To him, Mac wasn't just his partner at JAG; she wasn't just his best friend and the godmother to his godchildren. She was Sarah, the beautiful brunette woman who stole his heart almost nine years ago. She was his recent past, his present and his future…she was his everything.

Feeling over-come with emotion, Harm leaned down and softly placed his lips on top of hers for a short but sweet kiss. Not long enough to scare her away or make her feel pressured, but long enough to let her know he was still hers for the taking. All she had to do was grab on to him. Harm took his hand from Mac's, releasing their entwined fingers, and brought it up to brush a hair out of her eyes before framing her face.

Mac, a bit dazed, asked, "What was that for?"

Harm replied softly, "I just wanted to kiss you." Mac looked into his eyes and knew he was telling the truth. He didn't have a hidden agenda, he just wanted to express his emotions to her.

Mac leaned up to give Harm a kiss but stopped short when the front door opened.

"Well good morning you early birds. I was wondering what happened to you." Grams smiled brightly at them, knowing she just interrupted something they wished they could've finished. She moved aside so Harm and Mac could step into the house then shut the door. Trish come in from the kitchen and kissed Harm on the cheek.

"Morning dear."

"Morning mom." He tried to sound normal but he wouldn't have been surprised if it wasn't. He was too busy thinking about what would've happened had Grams not opened the door.

"Now Harmon, why did you have Sarah out so early in the morning. You knew I was going to take her into town with me this morning to get food for the Mother's Day dinner tomorrow."

"I was just giving her a tour of the farm, Grams. Besides, the store is open all day."

Grams just gave him a knowing smile. "A tour…so that's what you kids are calling it these days. Back in my day we called that neckin'!"

Mac started to blush heatedly. She looked up at Harm and said, "I think I'll go change now." She walked quickly to the stairs attempting to hide her blush.

"Feel free to use the shower, dear!" Grams yelled. She thought about telling Mac to make it a cold one but she didn't want to embarrass her too much, Grams hadn't even had the chance to get to know her yet.

Trish grabbed Harm by the arm and said, "C'mon Harm, help me feed the cows." Harm's last thought before being dragged out of the house was 'Oh no…"

Part 8

Grandma Sarah's Farm

Bellevue

0804 (8:04 local)

Harm walked up the dirt path past the horses and toward the cows, his hands in his pockets staring at the ground in nervousness. He was a grown man, been in situations where nerves weren't allowed, situations that only required action. But this wasn't one of those situations; this situation was going to require answers. Some he had and some he didn't, but the answers would make his nerves go into over-drive. Not because of the questions he knew were coming, but because it was his mother that would be asking them.

Sure, he had a close relationship with his mother, he could tell her anything. And she could do the same; it was more of a best-friend relationship rather than a mother-son relationship. But when it came to Harm and women, well that was one aspect of his life that he didn't like to share with her. Not because he was afraid of her opinion of these women, but because to her, these women wanted to come and take her son away from her and she just wasn't going allow that. To Harm, that was the reason for her being snippy and semi-mean towards the women in his life that she did meet. And that was why he was nervous about talking about Mac to his mother. But Harm knew this was a conversation they needed to have, especially if Mac was going to remain in his life.

Trish knew why Harm was nervous and she really couldn't blame him for that either. She also knew Harm was mentally preparing himself for the talk they were about to have. She could've told him that he was making a big deal out of nothing but it was more fun for her to see him get himself worked up. Evil yes, but she knew Harm wouldn't mind because he'd probably do the same to her.

Trish took advantage of Harm not paying attention and just continued to walk, by passing the cows and veering towards the bend in the road. They could feed the cows the next time around for now it was time to talk.

"She seems to be special to you." Trish's voice wasn't laced with sarcasm, negativity or any of the other feelings Harm was sure she would have. Instead, she sounded interested in the role Mac had in her son's life.

Harm looked up at his mother to see if he was hearing things. When she just smiled reassuringly at him. Well this was different; she wasn't being at all judgmental.

He nodded his head then responded, "Yeah, she is."

"Then why is it that you two aren't together?" Ah, the million dollar question. The question both Harm and Mac knew the answer too but for the longest time couldn't seem to do anything about it. It was a good thing they were starting to change that.

After clearing his throat, he replied. "Well, for starters there's work. It's against the rules for two officers in the same chain of command to have a relationship. So if we were to become romantically involved one of us would have to give up their careers."

Trish nodded her head in understanding at the dilemma the couple faced. It's hard having a regular relationship nowadays, never mind trying to have one with someone in the military.

"Well what if work wasn't an issue?" Harm just looked at his mother questioningly. Trish was involved with a military man once, so he assumed she would know work would always be an issue. Whether it was because of the traveling, war, the missions or the cases, there was always something…

"I mean, just pretend for a second that it was allowed for two officers in the same chain of command to date. Would the two of you be 'romantically involved' as you put it?"

Harm thought about his answer for a moment. If it were up to him he and Mac would've gotten together a long time ago. But he knew that the both of them had way too much baggage to work through before they could even think about a relationship with the other.

However, once Harm finally got over his past, he knew he couldn't have a future unless Mac was involved. Now it was up to Mac to finish working through her issues before they could start anything.

"I know, with a doubt, that I want to be with Mac. And I hope that she wants to be with me too. It's just…she's been through a lot over the past year and she has some things she needs to deal with. I told her when she felt ready to start something all she had to do was come find me, and I'd be ready too."

The pair walked in silence for a few moments, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. They walked past the back of the barn before walking up towards the house when Harm noticed Mac standing on the passengers side of the station wagon, waiting for Grams to reach over and unlock her door. Mac looked up and caught his gaze, sending him a soft smile before getting into the vehicle.

Trish noticed the smile Mac sent to Harm and couldn't help but smile herself. Her son was so in love with this woman it made her want to cry out of happiness. Every mother waits for the day their child comes home to say they found the one person they want to spend the rest of their lives with. For Harm, he didn't have to say a single word, his mother already knew.

"You know I'm still going to have a chat with her, right?"

Harm looked down at his mother in nervousness, only to find playfulness shining in her eyes. The questions he was expecting about Mac's deep, dark secrets and issues from her past never came up. For that he was thankful.

"I know. Just go easy on her, she seemed to be kind of nervous about meeting you." Harm told his mother with a tone that meant he was serious. He didn't want Mac to run for hills after her talk with Trish.

Trish just smiled playfully before looping her arm through Harms and said, "C'mon Harm, lets go feed those cows."

Grams' Station Wagon

En Route to Sam's Market

0857 (8:57 local)

Mac sat with her hands fidgeting nervously in her lap. She wasn't sure what came over her. This morning while she was touring the farm, she felt comfortable and relaxed. It seemed so natural for she and Harm to be holding hands and when he kissed her, even though it was just a short peck on the lips, she felt so completely and utterly…happy.

That was until the lady in the drivers seat whipped open the door and ruined the moment. Had Grams not interrupted them, she would've kissed Harm and it definitely wouldn't have been just a peck on the lips.

But this one woman evoked so many emotions in Mac it was unbelievable. Grams made her feel nervous and scared; like she was about to take a final exam without having had the opportunity to even open the book to study. Grams also had a wholesomeness to her that made Mac feel like she'd known this woman for years and they were the best of friends.

"Sarah dear, it seems to me you've caught the interest of my grandson." Grams tone was nothing but pure interest. She was happy that Harm had found someone, especially a beautiful someone. And it helped that her name was Sarah, too.

Mac, not sure about where the conversation was going, answered the question in the safest way she could think of. "You think so?" Of course she already knew the answer to that. That's what makes her such a good lawyer; she only asks the questions she already knows the answers too.

Grams smiled at the tactic Mac used. You see, Grams was married to a lawyer so she knew rule very well.

"Oh, I know so." Her voice dropped the playfulness tone when she replied tenderly, "He's different when he's with you Sarah, almost like you make him better in every way possible." Grams paused a moment, partially for dramatic affect and partially so Mac could take in her words. "He's much more caring and gentle when he's around you."

"When he comes up here by himself he exudes this macho persona, like he's the man of the house. But this time he's reserved, and careful. Like he wants to make sure you feel comfortable with everything before being himself."

Mac didn't know what to say. Yes, she had noticed the difference in Harm's behavior but she just chalked it up to his 'revelation' about wanting to be with her. She didn't read as much into it as Grams did.

"I'm not sure I know what to say." Mac paused before saying the only words that seemed right to her. "I'm sorry if you think I'm trying to change him because I'm really not trying too. I like Harm just the way he is and I don't want him to change either."

Grams took one of her hands from the steering wheel before placing it on top of Mac's fidgeting ones. "Nonsense, don't be sorry dear. I know you're not trying to change him but you have, whether you realize it or not. He's become a much more caring and loving person. He's transformed into this man that Trish and I knew he was capable of becoming but never thought we'd see."

Mac looked down at the hands in her lap. Grams' old, arthritis-ridden fingers were attempting to run over hers in a soothing manner.

"I guess what I'm trying to say Sarah, is thank you." Mac looked over at Grams with un-shed tears in her eyes. She didn't know why she was making such a big deal out of this car ride. Mac thought Grams would want to know every nuance of her relationship with Harm and what it was about Harm and interested her. But she was wrong, Grams' was happy that Mac was a part of her grandson's life. Grams was just a happy woman in general.

"Don't cry dear, you'll get wrinkles." Mac laughed at Grams' attempt at humor. She was glad that Grams liked her, or so that was the vibe Mac was getting from the woman. But there was still one other woman in Harm's life she had to get past…Trish.