A/N: Sorry for the delay. RL has been crazy. I should get the next few chapters up in a few days. Thanks for sticking with me.

Time passed and while Harm and Analise found their relationship growing stronger, Mac found that she was growing more and more fed up with Mic as the days went by. If she was feeling well, then all was just fine, but the days she felt sick, the days she really needed him were the days when he'd become the biggest creep on earth. The worst example of this was when both she and Lucy were down with a stomach bug, and he was tasked with caring for them both. He snapped at Lucy for everything, which made Mac feel worse in more ways than one.

"Mommy!" Lucy cried out. She'd just been sick again and her legs wouldn't lift her off the floor anymore. "Mommy!"

"Mic!" called Mac as loudly as she could given her ill and weak state. "Mic! Go help her!"

"I'm busy, Sarah," Mic replied. "Lucy, wait a minute."

"Go help her!" said Mac firmly. "She's sick, go help her!"

"I said a minute," Mic replied and went back to his reading.

With a pained, frustrated sigh, Mac rolled herself over and slowly climbed out of bed. "Mommy's coming, Lucy..." she called, hugging the wall with every step.

When Mic saw Mac making her way out of bed he scolded, "Why are you up? I said I'd get her."

"Yeah, next week maybe!" she spat. "Just never mind, I'll do it myself."

Mac made her way into Lucy's bathroom and saw her little one try to get up. It seemed as she pushed her little body just quit giving her help. She sat down on the floor and shivered with cold.

"Here, baby," said Mac, reaching out to her daughter. "Come on; let's go back to your bed."

"I can't get up, I don't have enough to eat in me," Lucy whined. "It won't stay in."

Mac sighed and brushed the child's sweaty curls out of her face. "Do you need to be carried?"

Lucy nodded, "I think so. I'm sorry, Mommy."

"Oh, baby..." cooed Mac. "Mic! Mic..."

Mic shot off the sofa and went to Lucy's bathroom, "What! I told you I was busy!"

"Pick her up and put her back in bed!" said Mac through gritted teeth.

"She can go herself. Go on, Lucy!" Mic stood with his hands on his hips.

Lucy tried to lever herself up using the toilet only to have her hand slip and her chin smack the porcelain.

"Lucy!" exclaimed Mac, pulling her screaming child close. She looked up at Mic and glared. "How could you?"

"You know how she get,s Sarah," Mic sighed and moved to take Lucy in his arms. "I'm sorry, Luce."

"I want my..." He little voice broke as she sobbed. "I want my...Daddy!"

Meanwhile, Harm was pulling caretaker duty as Analise and Maggie were down and out with the very same bug as Lucy and Mac. He'd spent four days taking care of them, dispensing medicine and refilling juice cups, taking temperatures and fetching cold wash rags when they needed them. He slept when he could, which amounted to about two hours a night before one or both of them needed him.

"Harm!" Analise called softly from her warm spot in bed.

"What is it, sweetheart?" he asked her as he hurried to her side. They'd been dating steadily since their meeting, and he was falling for her. Falling hard.

"Nothing really, I just feel bad you running around so much. How's you leg?" she reached out and patted his left leg. He'd told her all about his bout with septic arthritis and how his hip still ached and bothered him sometimes if he was overtired or not feeling well.

"I'm fine, I promise," he said softly as he felt her forehead. "You doing okay? You feel a little warm."

She frowned and shook her head, "I don't feel well. I'm tired, but my stomach won't stop cramping so I can sleep. How's Maggie?"

"Sleeping like a rock last I checked," he answered. "You want anything or you just need to sleep?"

She closed her eyes, "I want my stomach to stop hurting," she sighed. "I'm okay. I'll live."

He leaned down and kissed her. "Get some sleep, okay baby?"

Analise nodded, "I'm sorry."

"Shh...shh," he soothed. "It's okay, just get some sleep."

Analise gave another weak nod as her eyes closed.

As Harm left the room to let his sweetie get some rest, his cell phone rang. Glancing at the screen, he answered. "Mac?"

"Harm? Where are you?" Mac asked. He was usually at home this time of day.

"Analise and Maggie are really sick," he said. "I'm taking care of them."

"Well your own daughter is very sick," Mac snapped her anger at Mic coming out towards Harm.

"Hey, whoa," he said. "What's wrong with her?"

"She has a fever, she's throwing up, she hasn't been able to eat for three days," Mac listed. "And recently she was so weak she could barely stand and she smacked her chin on the toilet rim. She's been crying for you for half an hour!"

"Poor baby," he said. "Put her on."

Mac moved to give a still tearful Lucy the phone, "Daddy?" came a tiny weak voice.

"Hey, Button," he said softly. "Mommy said you don't feel good, huh?'

"No, I want to be with you Daddy," Lucy whined. "Mic isn't nice."

Harm sighed. "Baby, Daddy can't be there right now, but Mommy is and she can help you feel better, okay?

"Mommy is sick too and she has to take care of baby," Lucy sniffled. "Can you come and get me?"

"No, I can't Lucy," he said gently. "Miss Analise and little Maggie are sick, too, and I'm taking care of them."

That was met with no response than a fresh round of sobs.

"Lucy, baby..." he soothed. "Daddy is sorry, please don't cry."

Lucy took a breath, "I need..." She sobbed. "I...I want..."

"Calm down," he said. "Calm down, deep breaths, okay?"

"I want you to take...care of me," she told him hiccuping and trying not to be sick again.

"Tell you what," he said. "I'll come over for a bit later tonight, okay?"

Analise heard Harm soft voice speaking to someone. Her stomach was cramping and sleeping more than a few minutes was impossible. She rose from the bed, and steadying herself on the wall made her way to the living room. "Harm, is everything okay?"

"Lucy is sick," he said. "Sounds like this same thing."

"Do you need to go see her?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I'll go later tonight, just for a bit."

"Go see your daughter Harm," Analise said. "Go on."

Analise knew how devoted Harm was to his children and she knew he'd want to go see his little girl. So she urged him on.

"But you need me here," he countered. "And Maggie."

"Let me talk to Mac," Analise sighed. "Now."

Harm handed her the phone, knowing this was a battle he shouldn't fight.

"Hello?" Analise said into the phone.

"Analise?" asked Mac.

"Hi, Mac," she sighed. "You don't sound so good."

"Ugh, I don't feel so good either," she replied. "Harm tells me you and the baby are sick?"

"Yeah, we got that stomach flu that's been going around. I hear little Lucy is sick too," Analise sighed.

"Yeah, she is," sighed Mac. "She wants her Daddy, but you two need him to help you out right now."

"And you need to take care of yourself and the baby," Analise sighed. "Would you...How about having Lucy come over here? She can't make us sick or get any sicker and she can have Harm. That way you can focus on yourself and the baby, not to mention your little terror over there," Analise laughed. DJ was into so much lately.

"Oh, I can't send her over there," said Mac. "Harm-"

"What?" Analise asked.

"Harm doesn't need three sick girls on his hands," said Mac.

"You worried about his..." Analise left it unfinished. Mac was a woman, she'd understand

"I am," was all Mac needed to say.

"He says he's okay and he really seems okay. Let her come, if just for tonight. It might do you some good to rest and I know if he's worrying about her...Please," Analise asked.

Mac relented. "Okay, if you're sure."

"I am," Analise smiled. "I love having her. She's a doll."

"Thank you," said Mac. "That means a lot. Can Harm come get her, do you think?"

"Sure he can," Analise told her. "Maggie's napping and I feel so crappy that I can't. He can be there within the hour."

"Okay," said Mac. "I'll make sure she's ready."

"Thank you Mac," Analise smiled. "This means a lot to him. You know it does."

Mac smiled a little. "Yeah, it does,"

The two women ended the call shortly after. "Go get your daughter."

"Go get her?" asked Harm. "Really?"

"Really. Mac said she can stay with us at least for the night. She's sick too and she needs to take care of herself with this pregnancy being so high risk," Analise smiled. "We both know that Mic isn't going to." Analise moved closer to snuggle up to Harm.

He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "I like this," he said. "Not that you're sick, but...this, just being with you."

"I like it too," she sighed. "I feel better like this, you know. In your arms. You know I like Sarah, but she is a very stupid woman."

"How so?" he asked.

"She let you go," Analise replied.

He leaned down and kissed her hair once more. "But now I have you."

She smiled, "Go get your baby girl. And pick up some ginger ale."

With a smile, Harm took off to pick up his firstborn.

Within another couple of days, Lucy and Mac were feeling a great deal better, as were Analise and Maggie. Lucy enjoyed spending time recovering at Analise's house and under the care of her Daddy. Mac was nearing the middle of her fifth month of pregnancy, showing more and more each day. She loved it, as did Mic, but in very different ways. Sometimes she wondered if he wasn't using her as some sort of trophy, if the pregnancy didn't make him feel like a "hot shot" in some sad way. Harm and Analise had been dating for two months, and they were finding a kind of happiness in each other that neither had felt in quite a long while.

The night of the NATO ball was approaching fast and Mic would be attending with Mac on his arm. Harm would be attending this year as well with Analise. She was standing in front of the mirror clipping up her hair when Harm approached her from behind in his dress whites.

"I've got something for you," he whispered as he leaned in and kissed her neck.

"Really?" she asked securing the pin. "And what would that be?"

"This," he said, holding his hands out in front of her to reveal a diamond necklace on a soft gold chain.

Analise gasped, "Oh, Harm. I...I can't."

"You can," he replied softly, as he put the chain around her neck and fastened the clasp in back. "Perfect," he said with a smile.

"It's too much," she blushed. "It's too much."

A few small tears found their way out of her eyes. Harm loved how sensitive she could be at times, how tough at other times, yet no so much that she held him away from her heart.

"Hey, no, no," he soothed, reaching around to brush the tears from her cheeks. "No tears, you'll smudge your make-up."

"You are so sweet to me," she whispered. "But why?"

He gently took a hold of her shoulders and turned her around to face him. Lifting her chin up, he looked into her eyes. "Because I...I'm falling in love with you."

Analise looked up at Harm, blue eyes shining bright, "I...I don't...I..." she sputtered, her feeling showing in her eyes, but her lips not functioning.

Without breaking eye contact, Harm moved closer and gave her a long, sweet kiss. He stepped back after a moment. "We should go," he said with a smile. "We don't want to be the last ones to arrive."

"Can you get my wrap?" she asked. "I'll be just another minute."

He nodded and headed for the hall closet.

Mac and Mic had arrived at the ball promptly at 7:30. She was feeling sick as a dog, but he insisted that they come anyway. She hadn't been in such pain since her last surgery and she knew that she should be in bed and off her feet.

"Let's go sit you over there," said Mic. "I'm gonna mingle."

"Mic, I really want to go home," Mac sighed.

"You can't, Sarah," he said. "You have to be here. Just sit here and watch everything, I'll be around."

"Mic, my stomach really hurts," she told him. "My legs are swollen. Please Mic."

He sighed. "Give it an hour, and then we can go if you still feel bad."

Mac nodded and settled herself in her seat, moving her left hand to massage her stomach as Mic left to rub noses with some Australian dignitaries.

Harm and Analise entered, looking like the picture of happiness. She hung on his arm as if she was the most important woman in the room, and a part of her heart was starting to feel like she was. They stopped to speak with a few people before making their way to the table where Mac was sitting.

"Hello, Mac," Analise smiled. "How are you?"

"Sick," she answered. "I wanna go home, but Mic insists we have to be here."

Analise sat down next to her, "Sick how?" she asked. Harm hovered near with concern on his face, but this was Analise's alley.

"My legs hurt," she began. "My back is killing me, I just don't feel well."

"You shouldn't be here then," said Harm. "Where's Mic? I want to talk to him." He may have been there with Analise, but it didn't stop his protective feelings for Mac.

"He's somewhere," Mac replied and shifted. When she put pressure on her feet move she winced in pain.

"Hey, no, stay put," he said. "I'll find him." As he walked away, he added under his breath "Believe me. I'll find him."

Analise sat with Mac, "Are you retaining?" she asked seeing her pain at moving.

"Like a sponge in a bathtub," sighed Mac.

"You might want to try massage therapy," she replied. "Come down to the hospital any time tomorrow, and I'll help you out...I'm open most of the day so I can take you to the clinic there and introduce you to Michele. She was my savior when I was carrying."

"I just may do that," said Mac.

"I know," Analise replied. "Were you like this with your other babies?"

"Some with DJ, yes," answered Mac.

"Anything different this time?" she asked gently tapping Mac's hand with her finger.

She sighed. "He's...he's not Harm. What more can I say?"

Analise's eyes glowed, "No one is."