Thanks once agian for all my wonderful reviews!!!!! hope you all enjoy this next installment. I promise ill get to the funsraiser in the next 2 or 3 chapterS!!!!
"Hey buddy" Sturgis said as he knocked on the open door to Harm's office. "You wanna go get some lunch?"
"Sure," he replied, "I'll just go and see if Mac, Bud and Harriet want to join us."
"I already saw Mac and Harriet leave together," Sturgis said quickly, "Bud is in a meeting with the Admiral."
"Well then, I guess it's just you and me." Harm replied with a grin, getting to his feet and following his friend out of the door.
"So where were you last night?" Sturgis asked casually, "Hot date? I tried ringing you to see if you fancied going out for a beer."
"I was just at Mac's," Harm replied, rolling his eyes at the look on Sturgis' face. "We fell asleep watching a movie so I ended up staying on the couch." Sturgis looked closely at him, trying to determine if he was lying or not.
"And that's it?" he asked sceptically, "You spent the whole evening alone in an apartment with the woman that you love and nothing happened?!" Harm rolled his eyes again.
"I told you, Mac doesn't see me that way. We are just friends."
"Ok buddy, I believe you! Millions wouldn't. And just for the record, I think you are wrong about Mac." Sturgis said with a grin. "Hey, there are Harriet and Mac," he added indicating to a table in the middle of the courtyard, "shall we go and join them?" Harm looked at him pointedly ignoring his final comment, and nodded, following his friend over to the table.
"Good afternoon ladies" he said, flashing them his best flyboy grin. "May we join you?" Mac and Harriet smiled at them,
"Sure," Mac agreed, "As long as you don't make any comment about my eating habits Squid." Harm laughed and pulled up a chair as the girls moved round to make room for them both.
"So Harriet," Harm started, "How are the preparations for the fundraiser coming along?"
"Everything's almost set sir," Harriet replied, "All I need now is the names of the songs that you, Commander Turner and the Admiral are singing and we are all set. The rehearsals will start from Monday if you want them, with final rehearsal on Thursday evening."
"You mean you haven't told anyone what you're singing?" Mac asked him with a cheeky grin.
"Nope, for the moment that's need to know information." Harm replied, poking his tongue out at her. "Anyway, you haven't told me what you are singing!" he added as an afterthought.
"That's a secret!" she replied with a teasing grin, exchanging an amused glance with Harriet.
"But Harriet knows?!"
"Harriet has to know, she's organising the event" Mac replied, doing her best to ignore Harm's puppy dog eyes that were trained on her. "And you can quit it with the eyes Flyboy, you aren't going to get a word out of me!"
They all carried easily for the rest of the lunch hour. Sturgis once again took the opportunity to observe the seemingly oblivious couple. Nothing fundamental seemed to have changed between them. They were obviously very comfortable around each other, but they were still treating each other the same as before.
Later that afternoon, Harm had just returned from a victorious case in court, involving a Petty Officer being cleared of fraternisation charges and was sitting in his office searching online for a place to buy the sheet music of Rod Stewart's 'Crazy Love' when he heard a knock at the door. He looked up to see Mac leaning on the doorframe, a fairly pissed off expression marring her pretty face.
"What's up Marine?" he asked, immediately concerned, rushing to minimise the window in his screen as she moved to enter the room.
"I just got off the phone to Mic," Mac replied, walking in and collapsing on the spare chair. "I can't believe what a bastard he is being about all of this. He was the one who walked away."
"What did he say?"
"You don't want to know. Let's just say that he said some fairly unpleasant things about me, you and the rest of the JAG team." Harm looked angry,
"Tell me what he said Mac," she insisted, "I need to have a reason to punch him the next time I see him!" The corners of Mac's mouth turned up at that.
"Looking out for me Flyboy?"
"You bet you ass I am. And I need a good defence before I start my offence!"
"Thanks Harm, you really don't need to protect me though! Although I do appreciate the thought!"
"What did he say?" Harm repeated
"Oh nothing, he just made some comment suggesting that you should be the one paying for the wedding since, and I quote, "it was your fault it got cancelled.""
"Oh Mac, I'm so sorry!" Harm said, his expression wavering between anger and disgust.
"He really is being pathetic, you deserve so much more than him." Mac looked at him, were they really about to have that talk that they had never got round to having? No, she decided, work was not the right place, it would happen soon, but not yet. I'm not sure if I'm ready for it in any case, especially now Mic is being such an idiot. She smiled,
"I know I really hurt him," she said after a slight pause, "but HE left ME, he was the one that made the decision, and I'll be damned if I'm going to spend ages paying off things that he agreed to pay for." She paused again, looking him in the eyes, "Will you help me if things get ugly?" Harm smiled at her, walked over to her, pulled her to her feet and wrapped her in a big hug.
"You know I will. Whatever you need." He replied, dropping a brief kiss onto her hair. They stood like that for a couple of minutes, until the sound of the telephone ringing once again interrupted the moment.
"Rabb" he said as he answered it. "Yes sir," he continued, "right away sir." He hung up the phone. "That was Admiral Chegwidden, there's a full staff meeting in half an hour, he wanted me to let you know. Are you going to be ok ninja girl?"
"I'll be fine Harm, thanks for everything." She smiled at him, the anger that had appeared in her eyes softening at his concern.
"Anytime darlin'" Harm replied, flashing her a grin that made her feel a little weak at the knees.
McMurphy's bar, a couple of days later
"So what did Mic say Ma'am…Mac" Harriet asked, quickly correcting her mistake at the look at amusement on her companion's face. She and Mac had decided to go out for a girly night out, leaving Bud and Harm to watch a football match on TV while watching baby AJ.
"He's refusing to pay for any of the outstanding wedding fees." Mac replied, a look of barely controlled disgust playing across her face. "He actually suggested to me that I should make Harm pay since according to Mic it was his fault that the wedding got cancelled." Harriet looked shock.
"He actually said that? That's an awful thing to stay. Your best friend had almost died!"
Mac shrugged her shoulders.
"He never got my relationship with Harm. Hell I don't know if I get my relationship with Harm. But it was too much for him to deal with, that's why he left."
"Anyone who looks at the two of you can tell that you're in love." Harriet said softly. "I remember the day we saw that you had swapped Mic's ring over to the other hand. He looked completely lost. I don't think he knew what to do with himself." Mac looked down at her hands,
"I know, I noticed it too. I went to talk to him a little later that day. I could have sworn that I saw tears in his eyes. We started to argue, he didn't believe that I was happy. Which I was. Just not as happy as I could have been…" she trailed off, not wanting to say anymore.
"Not as happy as you would have been if it was Harm's ring? Harriet pressed, Mac nodded, unable to look Harriet in the eye, and not quite trusting herself to speak.
"Don't worry, it will work itself out." Harriet said confidently. Mac looked at her and she continued, "You two are meant for each other. It would take a fool not to see that." Mac managed a smile.
"Thanks Harriet." She replied, not quite believing her friend however much she wanted to.
"By the way," Harriet added, an impish grin flashing across her face, "I love your choice of song for the fundraiser. Singing about a certain Naval Commander are we?!" Mac blushed.
"Maybe" she smiled coyly. "Bu Harriet, you can't say a word, especially to Harm."
"Don't worry, all the songs are going to be a surprise, that's why there are so many different rehearsal spots, to keep things secret." On seeing the worried look on Mac's face, she smiled understandingly. "Don't worry Mac," she continued, "He is going to love it."
"How do you think the boys are getting on with little AJ?" Mac asked, making it clear she didn't want to discuss it any further. Harriet laughed.
"I imagine AJ is asleep, with his diaper on backwards, and we'll find Harm and Bud fast asleep on the sofa, covered in baby food!" Mac laughed at the visual. "AJ was so happy to see his godfather tonight. And Harm was so good with him. He's going to be a fantastic dad one day."
"I miss my little godson." She said with a grin, "Next time we'll send the boys out and have a girls night in instead."
"Actually I was meaning to ask you a favour." Harriet said, suddenly remembering, "Next Tuesday would you be able to come over and watch baby AJ? It's Bud and my anniversary and he wants to take me out for dinner."
"Of course I'll watch him for you" Mac replied happily
"Thank you so much, AJ will be so excited to spend some time with his favourite godmother!"
You know what to do!!!!