14 Months Later

Monday

April 4, 2005

0900 Hrs

JAG Headquarters

Falls Church, Virginia

Everyone was sitting at the conference table waiting for the Admiral when he walked in saying, "Keep your seats." Putting the files down he continued, "Before I pass these files out, I have an announcement," standing back up he said, "Commander Rabb, front and center."

Harm's eyebrows rose so high that everyone thought they would reach the sky. He didn't have a clue as to what was going on. Standing at attention in front of the Admiral, he waited a little uncertainly to see what this was about.

"Commander Rabb, you will be the new CAG of the Patrick Henry. Congratulations, Captain!" the Admiral said, shaking Harms hand with a smile on his face. AJ was so proud of Harm. Even though he did not show it, there were times he considered him as a son.

After getting over his shock, Harm responded, "Thank you, Sir! I can't believe it! This is a dream come true for me." Everyone came up and offered Harm their congratulations. He looked over at Meg, who had been appointed his partner after Mac left over a year ago and thought of the possibilities. They had started dating six months after she came aboard.

When everyone retook their seats, the Admiral informed Harm, "You will deploy with the Henry on May thirtieth. In the meantime you will be heading to Pensacola for training and qualifying on the various planes next Monday. The Henry is docked in Norfolk for maintenance and restocking. Captain Pike is retiring on account that he has learned his wife is suffering from terminal cancer and wants to spend what little time she has with her. You will be here the rest of the week to finish any cases you still have pending and if you will not be able to, we'll hand them off. We will have your wet down tonight at McMurphy's."

Taking a deep breath, he said, "On to another announcement, Friday, May 20, 2005 will be my last day as JAG." There were a few gasps, looks of sadness and questions of why. "It's time! I should have left a year ago, or sooner. I will still be living here and will visit you all when I can. Captain Sebring, who will be promoted to Admiral, will be the new JAG. Please remember he knows all of you very well, so watch it." He looked around and saw everybody was happy for him if not a little gloomy.

Extending his hand towards Harriet, he said, "The last announcement will be coming from Lieutenant Sims."

Harriet's face lit with excitement as she rose to her feet. "I just wanted to say that I also will not be back after I have my baby. That's right I'm pregnant. Twice! I mean we are going to have twins!"

AJ glanced over to Bud. "You guys ever sleep?" he asked with a smirk, his voice low so only Bud could hear him.

"Apparently not, Sir!" Bud replied with a quiet chuckle.

"Harriet, I would like you to be Madam Vice for my Dining Out. You and Jen, I hope will help me arrange it."

"Oh, of course, Sir, I would be honored to!" Harriet exclaimed, ideas already formulating in her mind.

"It will be old school and if you are unacquainted with it, come to me." AJ nodded then turned back to the business at hand, "Now, let's get these cases handed out and get back to work."

Returning to his office, Harm saw that he received an e-mail from Mac. She kept her word and e-mailed everyone so that they knew she was okay. The first one that he received, ten months ago, did not say much only that she had arrived and loved where she was staying. Mac also mentioned that Clay and his mom had talked to the President on behalf of her uncle and now he was with her after being pardoned. Harm was happy for her; she sounded upbeat and at peace with what happened with Paraguay and Sadik. He e-mailed Mac back, telling her how his dinner with Tom had gone that night. Since then Tom and Harm would meet every so often to catch up with each other lives.

Mac and Harm had been e-mailing each other once or twice everyday ever since. They talked about inconsequential things going on in their lives never bringing up why Mac had left. In the last e-mail he had mentioned his recent dinner with Tom and that Tom had asked about her. Thinking back to last Thursday night's dinner with him, Harm recalled the look on Tom's face.

Flashback

After finishing their meals and enjoying their beers, Tom asked, "So, have you heard from Mac recently?" Tom kept telling himself that he was only concerned for Mac because of Harm's friendship with her. Truth be told, he had fallen for her the first time they met. She was pinning a sexual harassment charge on him but, boy, when Mac got mad, she looked so damn sexy. Then again it could have been stuck at sea for five months and not having any time to meet women. He was angry at the time, but knew Mac was only doing her job and of course she did not really know him.

Looking up in surprise that he would ask about Mac, Harm replied, "Yes, as a matter of fact I have. She sounded happy… where ever she is."

"You mean you still don't know where Mac went?"

"No, although Clayton Webb does and she made him promise not to tell any of us where she went. You, on the other hand, were never mentioned. Mac never said that Clay or Porter couldn't tell you" Harm rubbed his chin in thought. "Tom, you know Mrs. Webb, maybe she would tell you."

"Look, Harm, even if I did find out where Mac went, I will not tell you until I talk to her first." He replied as he began plotting a course of action in trying to get Porter to tell him the location of one Sarah Mackenzie.

Raising his hands in a surrender gesture, Harm clarified, "I know, that isn't what I was going to suggest. All I was going to say was that maybe you could accidentally run into her, see how she is doing and pass the word along without telling us where she is. Mac will tell us that in her own time." He really hoped that Tom would do this for him. Reading 'happy' and 'doing okay' in an e-mail was one thing, seeing it in person was another.

"If I do this, and I'm only saying if, I'm asking why? Are you in love with her?" He was asking that to find out if the playing field was clear. He did not want to even begin to see if there was anything between Mac and himself if Harm was in love with her. He had talked to AJ the other night and was told what was going on between Meg and Harm and that he felt that Harm was in love with Meg and Not Mac. 'Harm kind of moped around like his dog got killed, that is until Meg came back to JAG.' AJ had told him. 'In the past year I have seen the love blossom between the two of them.'

"No, I'm not," Harm finally admitted, "but for the longest time I wasn't sure until after that whole mess with Paraguay. We said some things and, needless to say, it made me think hard for the first time. I came to realize, as had Mac, that we are and will always be best friends, nothing more. While working for the CIA I had the time to reflect on what my feelings for Mac were and came to see that I wasn't in love with her. I do love her as a friend though and will always be there for her."

Harm sat back and really looked at Tom before mentioning, "Besides, from the look on your face, I'd say that you have a thing for her. Do you?" He was curious. If he had to choose a man for Mac, he probably would pick someone like Tom, or the Admiral, even if they are a lot older than Mac. 'Yeah, I would be okay with that,' he thought. If Tom did and they hit it off, he could handle that.

Taking a cleansing breath, Tom replied, "What if I said I do? Would you be opposed to me getting involved with Mac?" He was hoping Harm wouldn't be against it. He didn't want to lose Harm's friendship and if he did have a problem he would not let Mac know how he felt.

Harm didn't answer right away when a few seconds pasts and he could see Tom's anxious expression, he answered, "No, I was just thinking if I could choose any man for Mac, it would be someone like you. An honorable and respectful man. No, I wouldn't mind at all, I would ask that you treat her well and love her the way she deserves to be."

Getting up, Harm reached out to shake Tom's hand. "I will also wish you the best of luck! She can be VERY stubborn. Bye, Tom, and let me know what you plan so I can make my escape when she finds out I know." Harm replied while chuckling.

Tom watched Harm leave thinking, 'How to do this so it looks like an accidental meeting? I'm going to have to think about this for awhile.' Getting up to head home, he thought how lonely it was there.

End of Flashback