Title: Harm Leaves JAG

Author: rooster dawn

Classification: Harm/Mac

Spoiler: fifth season

Summary: How does Harm deals with the impending marriage of Mac and Brumby.

Disclaimers: The characters of JAG are the property of Donald Bellisario and Bellisarius Production, Inc. Used without permission. No copyright infringement intended. May be reproduce if unchanged, author given full credit, and no financial transaction is involved.

Feedback is greatly appreciated and welcomed.

part 4

Meanwhile Brumby had been trying to reach Mac all day. He stopped by JAG to see if she was around but couldn't find her anywhere. He saw Bud walking towards his desk and went over to talk to him.

"Hey Bud, have you seen Sarah today?" asked a disgruntled Mic.

"Not lately Sir. I believe she's gone for the day. She said she wouldn't be in the next few days." replied Bud stoically.

"Did she say why?" asked Mic impatiently.

"No Sir. But I think she went out of town on a case." replied Bud.

"Do you know when she's going to be back Bud?" Mic asked again as he was getting pissed. If he didn't know any better he thought Bud was stonewalling him. But Bud wouldn't do that to him. He was his best man.

"No Sir." replied Bud.

When Harm went away on leave he first went to see his grandmother. He explained to her he was leaving the navy and was going to practice law closer to her. He had visited the local law firms around the state capital of Harrisburg about a job.

He was particularly interest in law firms that dealt with the State and Federal governments. He was very surprised that most of the law firms he visited knew who he was. That he was the navy's golden boy.

The amount of money they were offering him was staggering. It was a lot more than he imagined he would be receiving. He took a job an hour away from his grandmother. This would allow him the opportunity to visit her more often.

He rented a very spacious apartment that was twice the size of his DC apartment, but for half the cost. It was only fifteen minutes from work. He started working at his new law firm on 6 July.

Harm spent the next week furnishing his new apartment. Each night he would finished up a room. Then after he was finish he would sit down with a beer or two in his new Lazy boy recliner.

He would find himself thinking about Mac and her upcoming marriage. As much as he wanted to be there to support her, he just couldn't. He hoped that she would understand.

There was no way he could be there and watch her get married to someone else, particularly Brumby. He loved her too much. He wished he had the guts to tell her how he really felt about her.

He wanted so much to tell her to not marry Brumby. He knew she would be hurt that he wasn't there for her. That she would think he had deserted her like every other man in her life, but he had to move on with his life without her. She had made her choice and now he had to make his.

It was going to take a long time to get over losing Mac. He would be easier to get over her if he didn't see her everyday. In time she would forget about him. Sooner if he wasn't there.

9 July 00

Grandma Sarah's farm

Mac spent the weekend talking with Grandma Sarah. She wanted to see if she agreed with Bud's assessment, that Harm was in love with her and would never express it as long as she was wearing Mic's ring. Grandma Sarah agreed.

"I'm sorry to say Sarah, but Harm is a proud and stubborn man. He would stand by his principals even if it meant losing the love of his life, his soul mate, the woman he wanted to have his children with, and spend the rest of his life with." sighed Grandma Sarah.

Mac was quite surprise when she heard all this. It was true, Harm loved her. Her plans to push him into a commitment had actually kept him from expressing himself. Why had she played this game of chicken with Harm?

She knew Harm better then she knew herself. She should have known that you couldn't push Harm into doing something that he wasn't ready to do. Why didn't she know Harm wouldn't respond in the manner that she wanted him to?

Why did he have to be so stubborn and self-righteous? Because as she thought to herself, she had waited for him for three years. Put up with him dating other women. Allowed him to return to flying for six months.

She thought that she had waited long enough for a relationship with him. It was finally her turn to be with Harm and enjoy a loving relationship with him. She was ready to move on to the next phase of her life, to be a wife and mother.

Mac spent the following week checking out the Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Harrisburg area law firms. She knew Harm was distancing himself from her, but he wouldn't want to be too far away from his grandmother.

She called all the law firms both large and small looking for a recently hired naval jag lawyer. She thought Harm was more than likely to be in one of the major cities since he was use to the advantages that the city had to offer.

But she had no such luck. She went back to Grandma Sarah's farm quite disappointed and dejected. She wanted to talk to Grandma Sarah again.

"Did you hear anything from Harm? Has he come back or called you?" asked Mac.

"I'm sorry Sarah, but he hasn't called me since you left. I'm sure he will call me soon." replied Grandma Sarah.

"I have to go back to JAG for a few days to check in with the Admiral. I have some other sources I can check out to see if they know where Harm is." Mac told Grandma Sarah.

"I'll call you if I hear from him Sarah. Don't get too discouraged sweetie. I'm sure I'll hear from this week." Grandma Sarah told Mac.

During the week Mac was gone Brumby was getting quite upset and worried when he hadn't heard from Mac. They were getting married in two weeks. They still had things that needed to be done.

He had gone into JAG to see the Admiral. He wanted to see if he had heard anything from Sarah. He had thought she would be taking care of any last minute details for the wedding next Sunday. But she was nowhere to be found.

"Sir, do you know where Sarah is?" pleaded Mic.

"I don't know where she is. I thought she needed some time off to get ready for the wedding. I haven't seen her since last week when she asked me for some the time off." replied the Admiral.

"I'm worried about her Sir. I can't seem to find her anywhere. You don't suppose she with Rabb?" asked Mic nervously all the while hoping she wasn't with him.

"I doubt it Mic. Rabb resigned his commission a month ago. I haven't seen or heard from him since." replied the Admiral sullenly.

"I didn't know about that. Does Sarah know?" asked Mic with apprehension.

"Yes, but I wouldn't worry about it. Harm is getting out of her life just like every other man before him. I think he didn't want to disrupt the wedding plans at the last minute." replied the Admiral.

"I'm sorry to hear that. He was a great lawyer and represented the navy very well." responded Mic with glee.

"That he did." sighed the Admiral.

17 July 00

JAG Headquarters

Mac stopped by her place to get a change of clothes and one of Harm's old navy t-shirts that he had left there. When she really miss him while he was away flying she would put it on to sleep in.

It would comfort her giving her a sense that he was still with her. She had decided to spend time at Harm's place. Until she found Harm she didn't want to deal with Mic.

She didn't want to have to explain to him where she had been or what she was doing. When she went to sleep in Harm's bed she could still smell him, his scent. She slept very soundly.

The next day Mac stopped by the office. She wanted to inform the Admiral what she had been up to and that she hadn't found Harm yet. She had called his mother and visited with his grandmother. She spent some time catching up on paperwork.

"Any luck Colonel? Have you found Rabb yet?" asked a curious Admiral.

"No Sir. He had visited his grandmother a couple of weeks ago, but he hasn't been back to see her since. He hasn't talked to his mother in a couple months. I'm assuming he's going to stay somewhere close to his grandmother. Though where that is I don't know." replied Mac hopefully.

"You do know that you wedding is only six days away." the Admiral informed Mac for confirmation.

"Yes Sir." replied Mac.

"You know Brumby was in here looking for you last week, Colonel?" continued the Admiral.

"No, I didn't. I'm sorry about that Sir. What did you say to him?" asked a concerned Mac.

"I gave him the run around. But you're going to have to talk to him Colonel." replied the Admiral.

"I know Sir, but I need to resolve some issues with Harm before I talk to Mic." she replied.

"You could postpone the wedding until after you find Rabb. You shouldn't be getting married if you're not ready Colonel." replied the Admiral trying to convince her not to get marry if Harm was who she wanted.

"I'll think about it Sir and let you know." replied Mac.

She knew he was right, but she couldn't think about that right now. All she could think of was finding Harm.

"Good luck in your search Sarah." wished the Admiral.

"Thank you Sir." replied Mac.