A/N: As promised, the weekend update. I'm going to try to get back to every Wednesday or Thursday updates as before. There will be some chapter that I will post in blocks, one per day until the arch is finished. I hope you all like it. Please keep the reviews coming, they are appreciated.

Mac and Lucy both rested together the next day. Mac improved however Lucy did not. She couldn't keep anything down and still had a high fever. Mac had a doctor's appointment for two days from then, Monday afternoon. In spite of both his "girls" feeling bad, Harm had an easy day. It was nearly dinner time and Mac craved pizza so he and DJ drove to Frank's Pizza a very popular pizza outfit about twenty miles north to pick up their order.

"You ready to eat pizza?" he asked the little boy.

"Pizza!" DJ exclaimed. "Mama pizza too!"

"Yeah, son," replied Harm with a smile. "Mama will have some, too."

"Hello Harm," Annie spoke near his ear. "Dinner time?"

He whipped around at the sound of that all-too-familiar voice. "Oh, hi," he replied, his voice low and unenthusiastic.

"Hey, little fellow," Annie smiled and tickled DJ's chin.

"You, uh..." stammered Harm, his eyes fixed on Annie's substantial baby belly. "You doin' okay?"

"Yeah, I get tired fast but we're okay," Annie replied. "How's Mac and Lucy?"

"Kinda sick right now," he answered, silently praying his order would be ready soon.

"Flu?" Annie asked. Everyone had been getting it.

"Lucy's probably is," he said.

"And Mac's?" Annie inquired massaging her belly a bit.

"She's just not feeling well," he answered, the unsubtle belly massage not going unnoticed by him.

"Same old thing then," Annie sighed. "What is taking so long?"

"I was wondering the same thing," said Harm, looking anxiously behind the counter.

"Is he always so shy?" Annie asked referring to DJ hiding in Harm's shoulder.

"Usually," said Harm. "Do you always ask so many questions?"

"Just trying to make conversation," Annie sighed. "I sent you another picture. You should get it Monday."

He rolled his eyes. "You know, you could scan and email them to me instead of snail mailing them to the house in huge manila envelopes."

"I don't have a scanner," Annie sighed. "Even if I did I don't know how to use that stuff. If you'd just keep your end of the deal I wouldn't have to do it at all."

"We've been over this, Annie," he said. "I admit that I'm slacking on the deal, but it's not simply out of spite. I've had a lot going on, between Mac and Lucy being sick and everything else that's hit me in the last 6 months, I just can't get away like I thought I'd be able to. Still, that doesn't mean you need to send those pictures to the house like you do. You know she sees the envelopes and knows what's inside, which in all reality is why you do it that way."

"I can send them to the office," Annie offered. "I don't want to upset her."

"I wish I could believe that," he said. "I wish I didn't have this nagging feeling that you're out to cause as much grief for Mac and I as you can, but I don't. Where is my pizza?"

"How dare you make such an accusation?" Annie spat. "All I want is my baby's father to be a part of its life."

"Damn it, Annie," Harm fired back, forgetting that DJ was well within earshot. "That has not been proven, and I'm getting sick and tired of going round after round with you over this!"

"Well I will prove it. I'm far enough along now, I'll have an amnio and prove it right away," Annie shot back keeping her voice lower.

"No you won't," he strongly replied. "Because without my consent and my DNA, you can't do it, and I'm not giving you either one!"

"Why?" Annie asked. "You want proof; I'm willing to get it right her right now."

"I just don't want it done that way," he said, matter-of-factly. "That's why."

"Not good enough," Annie countered.

"It is if I say it is," he replied.

"You really are..." Annie began but paused. A look of shock came over her face and she leaned forward a bit as if in pain.

"You okay?" he asked, suddenly feeling a little scared.

Annie didn't reply, she just breathed deeply her hand on her belly.

Harm put DJ down and placed his hand on Annie's shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

"The baby..." She began and listed forward again. "Ouch!"

"Come over and sit down," he ordered, leading her gently towards the bench in the corner.

Annie went with him and sat down. "I think I'm okay now. That's just the first time the baby kicked that hard."

"That's what that was?" he asked. "It was kicking?"

Annie smiled and teared up a bit, "Uh huh. Really hard too. I don't remember Josh ever kicking that hard."

Harm nodded, unsure of what to say. "Are you sure you're okay now?"

"Think so," Annie replied. "Just knocked the wind out of me."

DJ toddled over to his father then, "Daddy?"

"Whatcha need, little man?" he asked,

"Hungee," he whined. "Wanna eat."

"Me too," said Harm. "I'll go see what's taking them so long. Come with me, buddy."

"Bay-bee?" he asked and pointed at Annie's belly.

Harm looked Annie in the eye. "That's right. Ms. Annie is gonna have a...baby."

"Boy bay-bee?" he asked and continued to stare.

"I don't know, sweetie," answered Annie, speaking to DJ but looking at his father. "Oh!"

"What?" asked Harm.

"Again. Want to..." she began then caught herself.

Somehow, he knew what she was preparing to ask. "Do you want me to?"

She simply nodded and pointed, "Here."

With some trepidation and a tiny hint of excitement, Harm reached out and placed his hand against Annie's tummy.

He felt it, the tiny flutter under his hand. It was strong, like Lucy or DJ's kicks had been. She smiled. "Strong huh?"

"It is," he agreed, feeling a myriad of emotions wash over him. He was lost in them when he finally heard the boy behind the counter call his name.

"That's you," Annie sighed. "Thanks for helping me. I appreciate it."

"Welcome," he said, suddenly feeling very guilty; guilty over the entire situation and all that it encompassed.

Harm took his pizza and his son and left the pizza parlor. He arrived home to find that he had indeed been gone too long. "What took so long?" Mac asked flatly, clearly upset with him.

"They were slow as anything," he replied as he set the box on the table.

Mac brushed her hand against Lucy's forehead. "That's fine. She's getting worse."

"I figured as much," he sighed. "Do we need to call the doctor?"

"I did," Mac sighed. "He said it's probably a relapse of the flu and it has to run its course. But her temps nearly 104, she can't keep anything down, and now she's got some chest congestion. Listen."

Harm knelt down beside his sick child. "Mm-hmm, you're right. If she gets any warmer we'll have to take her to the ER."

"She's not even moving when I do the cold clothes," Mac sighed. "See." Mac reached out and put a cold cloth on Lucy's forehead. The child simply stayed still, not a moan, not a whimper.

Harm shook his head. "I'm so tired of her being so sick."

"Me too. She's in pain too. Her back and her knees are the worst," Mac replied. "I can feel it."

Once more, he shook his head. "I just don't know what to do."

Lucy stirred in her sleep just then and gave a cough, "Daddy?"

"I'm right here, baby girl," he said.

"Fix it, Daddy," she whimpered. "It hurts."

"I wish I could, sweetie," he said, fighting the urge to cry. "Try to get some rest, okay?"

She whined again, "It hurts. Make it stop."

He looked up at Mac. "I don't know what to do."

She shook her head. "Want to hold her for a while? Maybe if you rub her back or hers legs that'll help."

"Yeah," he replied. "Can you get DJ set up with some pizza?"

"Sure," Mac replied transferring their little girl to her Daddy. "Do you want any?"

"Not just yet," he said, wrapping his arms around his daughter.

"You sure?" Mac asked. "You have to be hungry."

"I am," he said. "But I'll eat in a bit. You and DJ go ahead."

Mac and DJ ate their pizza, and then later Harm ate one slice. Both he and Mac sat with Lucy all night, taking care of her, nursing her fever, and comforting her. They slept leaning against each other, and by morning their efforts were rewarded when Lucy's fever dropped to a manageable 101. Still Mac kept Lucy in AJ's care when they went to see Dr. Bradley Monday afternoon.

"Good afternoon, Harm, Sarah," Dr. Bradley greeted. "How are you feeling today?"

"Pretty sick," Mac replied. "But not the same as usual."

"She said it hurts in a different place," said Harm.

"Well, lie back, let's take a look," the doctor said. "Why do you too look like you haven't slept in three days? Has it been that bad?"

"It's been pretty bad, yeah," said Harm. "Between Sarah and Lucy, it's...yeah, it's been bad."

"Lucy?" Dr. Bradley asked as he began to palpate Mac's abdomen. "What's wrong with Lucy?"

"Don't really know," replied Harm. "She's had the flu twice in the past month, just keeps getting sick."

The doctor moved his hands over Mac's abdomen until he hit a sore spot. "Oh!" Mac gasped. "There. It's hurting really bad there."

The doctor nodded, and replied to Harm, "She just started school right?" Then, "Sit up, Sarah."

"Mm-hmm," answered Harm. "We figure that's where it's coming from."

The doctor nodded, "Usually does. Sarah, the change in location concerns me."

"How much?" asked Harm, clearly worried and afraid.

"Enough to warrant some tests," the doctor replied. "I'm going to do an internal and an ultrasound now. Based on that I may have to get more invasive."

Harm looked over at Mac, knowing she was already afraid of what was coming.

"Do you want a shot of Demerol for the internal, Sarah?" Dr. Bradley asked.

"No, it'll just make me groggy," she answered. "Just do it; I'll live."

Harm took hold of Mac's hand and the doctor did the examination as gently and quickly as possible. Mac squirmed and moaned, but she got through it. When it was finally over, her entire body sought her husband.

"I'm here," he whispered as he leaned down to be close to her. "It's over, you did great."

Mac nodded as the doctor spoke. "Sarah, is this pain constant or does it come and go?"

"Comes and goes," said Harm.

Mac sighed when she heard her husband's words. It was time to come clean so she shook her head. "No it doesn't. It's always there, all the time. I'm...ever since I popped that stitch...the pain has been constant in my back and in my stomach." She began to cry. "I have no relief. Ever."

Harm looked at his wife in disbelief. "You mean you hurt all the time? ALL the time?"

She nodded, "Yes. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you...I..." She sobbed.

He pulled her close. "It's okay. I wish I'd known, I..."

"There's nothing you could have done, Harm," the doctor comforted. "I'm pretty sure she has a tubal blockage and her ovary is enlarged and that's just from the internal. If you'll try to calm down Sarah I'll get some pictures."

Mac continued to cry against her husband's chest.

"Harm, I'm going to step outside for a few minutes. Try to calm her," the doctor smiled and left the room.

"Sweetheart," he said softly against her ear. "Please stop crying."

"I'm sorry, Harm," Mac sobbed. "I tried. I tried."

"You tried what?" he questioned as he rocked her gently.

"I tried to hide it, to be normal again," she sobbed. "I tried to make it like it was. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," he said tenderly. "If I'd known you were hurting like this, I never, ever would have initiated...anything. I'm so sorry those times hurt you so badly."

"I don't want him to do that test again," Mac cried. "Please."

"I know you don't," he soothed. "But try to think of it this way, it's something you need to do so we can have our baby. Can you think about it like that?"

"That tests hurts so much!" Mac cried. "But...okay...let's get the ultrasound done. If it's fixable..." Mac sniffled.

He kissed the top of her head. "I'll go get the doctor."

Dr. Bradley did the ultrasound that day and determined Mac did indeed need the dreaded HSG. He gave her painkillers to take before hand, but it was still a torturous procedure for her. But, the results were worse.

Not a week after they met with Dr. Bradley the first time, they were meeting with him again, receiving the news Mac would need more surgery for a blocked fallopian tube and some more tissue removal in that area. Two days after that, Mac was admitted to the hospital lying on a table with her husbands hands around hers. "I'm really scared," she whispered. She wasn't normally scared.

"I know it, babe," he said. "I think you'll feel better when it's over, though. Lot less pain."

Mac took a slow breath. Since admitting her pain to Harm she'd retreated to bed once again and let him see how much it really hurt. "Maybe I can breath in again huh?" she quipped. "You'll be there right? When I get out? Promise."

"I promise," he whispered and kissed her hand.

"Did you call Lucy's school? Is she okay?" Mac asked. Earlier she'd feared Lucy was not well again.

"I called and she's fine," he said. "I think she's over the worst of it."

Mac smiled, "Good."

"Mrs. Rabb," the nurse said as she entered. "Dr. Bradley is ready for you."

Harm squeezed her hand and looked into her eyes. "I'll be right beside you when it's over."

Mac smiled, "I know you will my love."

He asked the nurse "How long will the operation take?"

"About three hours," she replied. "You can wait upstairs. The doctor will come get you when he's finished."

With a nod and one last pre-op kiss, Harm let go of his wife's hand as the nurse wheeled her towards the OR.

The promised three hours came and went and still Harm had not see or heard from Dr. Bradley or any of Mac's nurses. Hour four came and went, and still there was no news. He paced, he sat, he drank coffee, he paced some more. Finally, just before the fifth hour, Dr. Bradley appeared still dressed in surgical scrubs. "Harm, we need to talk."

"Is she okay?" he asked, knowing his sort of thing rarely meant good news.

"She will be," the doctor replied. "Her...the blockage has caused a lot of trouble and couple that with several large cysts on her left ovary and the bleeding from the endometriosis...I have some more work to do in there. It could take some more time. I knew you'd be worried."

"I've been worried for the past few hours," said Harm. "What exactly do you have left to do?"

"I need to remove some clots, remove the cysts, and fix some damage to her ovary. Leaving it could prevent her from ovulation properly and that could cause difficulties with conception at a later date," the doctor said. "Even without that, if I fix it it will help her pain tremendously."

"Well then you definitely need to fix it," he said. Having her in less pain was, as much as he hated to admit it, more important than the possible issues with regards to conception. "About how long do you think you'll be?"

"It could be another five or six hours," the doctor replied. "More before you can see her. You won't be able to take her home today. She'll need to stay a few days."

Harm nodded. "Do whatever you have to, doctor. Let me know as soon as she's out of the OR."

"I will," he smiled. "Go call your family, take a walk...I'll be awhile."

As he watched the doctor head back towards the operating room, Harm decided a walk would indeed be a good idea. Taking up his jacket and throwing his empty coffee cup into a nearby trash can, he left the surgical waiting area in search of a little fresh air. He meandered around in the breezeway for a little while, taking the opportunity to call and check in with Harriet, who had DJ for the day. He called the school to check on Lucy, and was relieved to get another good report. On his way back, he heard an ambulance pull into the bay, sirens blaring. He continued walking as the back doors of the vehicle flew open, not being the type to stand and gawk. He was almost inside when he heard it, the unmistakable voice of his neurotic ex-girlfriend.

"Please," the voice was saying. "My baby! Don't hurt it!"

"Ma'am, your baby is okay," said the paramedic. "Let's get you inside and the doctors will check you both over, okay?"

"I'm scared," she sobbed. "It hurts. My stomach hurts."

Without more than two seconds of conscious thought, Harm hurried down the ramp and to Annie's side. "Annie? What happened?"

"Harm?" she sobbed, glad he was there, but not sure how or why. "I..I tripped and fell down the stairs to my cellar. I'm bleeding and..." She dissolved into a puddle of sobs.

"Try to calm down," he said, touching her shoulder but nothing more. "Is anybody meeting you here?"

She shook her head. "There's no one but...but Josh and he's at school. I'm so scared," she cried even harder.

"Sir?" the paramedic asked. "How do you know the patient?"

"I'm uh...a friend," answered Harm, praying silently that Annie would leave it at that.

She did, she had to, any reply was replaced by an outcry of sharp pain. 'Oh, God!" she gasped. "No, please. No!"

"We're headed inside right now, ma'am," said the medic. To Harm, "You coming?"

He looked at Annie, scared, in tears...If it were Mac on that gurney and he weren't nearby he'd want anyone to go with her, to try to calm her down. Silently he nodded.

Harm kept his hand on Annie's shoulder as the medics ushered her inside and gave the information they had to the ER doctor. Harm had to wait while Annie was taken for tests and then was allowed to sit with her. She was crying even harder as the doctor told them she was experiencing premature contractions as a result of her fall. They were going to give her medication to stop them, but there were no guarantees. She looked at him, blue eyes wide, like Lucy's after a bad dream. "How are you here?"

"Mac's having surgery," he replied, looking at his watch. "She should be out in another little bit."

"Is she going to be all right?" Annie asked, one hand on her rounded belly the other gripping the steel rail on the side of the gurney.

He nodded as he stared off into space, still unsure he wanted to get very chummy with this woman.

"I'm glad," she sighed and cringed as she felt her belly contract. "Ooh. I'm going to lose the baby."

"No, no, don't think like that," he said, feeling torn between keeping his distance and being there for what could eventually prove to be his child. "Just think positive, you'll be fine and so will the baby."

"It feels exactly like Josh did," Annie cried. "This is all my fault. I never should have tried to go down those stairs." She was beginning to cry again, hard, making several monitors attached to her and the baby beep.

Harm rose and went to her bedside. "Annie, listen to me. This isn't good, you know that; you need to calm down. I have to get back to Mac, so you have to get yourself together."

"I'm scared," she cried. "I...I want this baby Harm. It doesn't matter if you don't, I do."

He rolled his eyes. "I never said I didn't want it, but we still don't know if it's even mine, so right now all I 'want' is for it to be okay, which means you flat out have to calm down."

"Ma'am," a nurse came over. "We're going to get an ultrasound while you're here, okay? And Dr. Simpson suggested we do an amniocentesis since you've said you haven't had one. Is that okay with you?"

"My doctor in Baltimore," began Annie. "Said I should have it done because of my age, but I...I haven't done it yet."

"Well we can do that for you now since the contractions seem to be tapering off," the nurse replied. "Do you feel relief at all?"

"I'm not feeling any contractions," she said. "But I'm still in pain. What...what kind of things will the amnio tell us, nurse?" She looked up at Harm and caught his frozen stare.

"For one thing, the baby's sex. It can tell us if there are any genetic problems, it can do a lot of things," the nurse replied.

"It can't determine paternity?" asked Annie, knowing full good and well the answer.

"Sure it can if that's an issue," the nurse replied. "As long as we have a sample from the Dad."

Annie nodded slowly. "Let me see what I can do about that."

"No, absolutely not," said Harm. "I'm not even sure why they offered it to you right now, since I'm fairly sure the stress the baby has already been under is more than enough without adding a huge needle to the mix. Forget it."

"But it could..." Annie began but he cut her off.

"I don't care!" said Harm adamantly. "Yeah, I know it could exonerate me from this whole mess and I could get back to life as it was before Mexico, but...on the off-chance that is my kid in there, I don't want to do it today. I mean, you can have the test if you want, but you're not going to determine paternity today, you're just not."

"Why? I have no reason to worry about you not being the father!" Annie shouted. "You know this is your baby. You know it."

"Stop yelling!" he ordered quietly as he stood beside her, running his hands through his hair. He looked at the ceiling and then the floor. He looked at the monitors and the leads, the screens and the print-outs. After a moment, he sighed. "Fine. Let's do it today."

Slowly Annie nodded, "Can you ask the nurse to come back?" It was a sheepish request.

"Yeah," he replied, his voice low and afraid. If his hunch proved correct, the results of this test would let him completely off the hook. It was, undoubtedly, the possibility of that hunch being disproved that had him deeply scared.

The doctor told them they'd have to wait an hour before he could start. In that time Harm called AJ to check on the children then gave his DNA sample. The amnio was a painful ordeal for Annie given that she was still cramping from her fall. Tears leaked out of her eyes as she lay on the table.

Harm had gone in with her, much against his better judgment but not wanting her to be any more upset than she already was. "You doing okay?" he asked, hand once again on her shoulder.

She swallowed hard, "Yeah. It hurts though."

"I know," he said, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"Don't you have to get back to Mac?" Annie asked as she winced again in pain.

He looked at his watch. "In just a minute I do. They're almost done here."

Meanwhile, Mac, having been let out of surgery was lying on her bed in a brightly lit room. She opened her eyes, aware of pain in every part of her abdomen. She looked to the right, and to the left. No Harm. She looked straight ahead. No Harm. At this discovery, she moaned his name. "Harm?"

"You looking for your husband, sweetie pie?" asked the nurse, a kindly older lady.

Mac nodded, "He promised me," she moaned. "He said..."

"Ssh, calm down," soothed the nurse. "I'll go make sure he's been told you're out of surgery. Maybe no one went and got him like they should have."

Mac nodded, and closer her heavy eyes. Harm would be here soon. He'd promised.

The nurse returned a few minutes later. "Sweetie pie," she said. "I looked all over this floor, and he's not here. I'll check again soon, maybe he went outside to use the phone or something. Don't you fret, we'll find him."

"But I..." Mac sighed. "I need him here. I...it..."

"It'll be okay, darlin'" said the nurse. "Just rest, we'll find that good-lookin' man of yours."

"Can I..." Mac began. She was so tired and so sore it was hard for her to speak.

"Can you what?" asked the nurse gently.

"The pain," she sighed. "He knows...always knows..."

"Let me go look some more," said the sympathetic nurse. "I'll be right back. How's your pain? Do you need anything?"

Mac nodded, closing her eyes again. "I need Harm."