Author's Note: I have thought long and hard about how I want the next few chapters to go, and have really struggled with the different ideas I came up with. The person who inspired me to write this fanfic had some rules that I must abide by, so I need to stick to them. I'm also wary of writing a "wedding scene"... those always bother me... like a lot. So we shall see what will happen with this story and all that jazz. Review if you would like and let me know your thoughts!
"Okay, why am I nervous?" Mac says, standing near baggage claim at O'Hare waiting for Harriet and Bud to come down from their flight.
"We haven't seen them in a while, and they haven't seen us married… Bud and Harriet knew us from the beginning. Bud saw it when we met for the first time. We've seen the two of them get together, get married, and have… how many kids do they have now?" he says, laughing at the last part as she rolls her eyes at him.
"You're horrible."
"I'm just saying… two weeks from now, you and I are going to let loose and we could probably get some pointers from these two."
"I would agree." She says with a light in her eye that had come back some weeks ago after Dr. Miller had talked to them about the idea of starting a family.
He agreed that the way they were proposing on trying was perfect for the two of them. They were certainly ready for a baby and to be a family, but still had their own past issues to work through. In his words though, they were working together and going to be just fine.
"Colonel, Captain!" they hear Bud cry from across the way a bit.
"Bud!" Harm says, seeing his friend for the first time in some months and pulling him in for a few pats on the back.
"Harriet!" Mac says, smiling at the blonde and kissing her cheek before embracing her.
"It's so good to see you guys, and it is so good to have a vacation!" Harriet says with a sigh after the boys offer to go to the baggage claim to get their bags.
"Vacation? You and Jenna have this elaborate party planned for the two of us and you consider that a vacation?"
"I do. It doesn't involve any bodily fluids that don't belong to me, it doesn't involve getting up early, and it involves actual grown ups having actual conversations. This is vacation."
Mac smiles then, knowing that her friend did love being able to do these kind of things.
"You look amazing, by the way! Married life apparently suits you."
"We've had our moments, but it's the happiest I've ever been."
"Well it shows."
"Got 'em! Let's head out before rush hour hits." Harm says, as he and Bud come back from grabbing their bags.
On the ride home they caught up about the kids and what was going on at JAG in their absence. Since all of JAG couldn't shut down for a reception, Jen and Sturgis were the only other JAG members coming for the party. They planned on doing some sightseeing with Harriet and Bud before the weekend though, when everyone else was coming in.
"So what is the order of arrivals?"
"Harm's parents are getting in on Friday afternoon, Chloe is coming in that evening just an hour before the Admiral gets in. Then Saturday morning, Sturgis and Jen should be here. I think that Keeter is coming and some of Harm's academy buddies. We don't really have a whole bunch of people, so this is why we chose to do it where we did." Mac says, referring to the restaurant downtown where they were having their reception.
"From what Jenna has told me the place is really neat." Harriet adds, nodding her head.
"It really is. It isn't the typical reception hall and has all these connecting rooms and bars so people can just stay in their own area, go to the central dj area, or mingle with other parties. It should be fun." Mac agrees glad that she had Jenna and Harriet to help plan the event.
"I just can't believe you guys got married!" Bud exclaims and Harm and Mac take the moment to exchange a look.
"I told you that they would figure it out eventually." Harriet says with a knowing look to her husband.
"But it's the Colonel and the Captain!"
"Which reminds me Bud… Mac isn't a Marine anymore and I'm not in your chain of command, nor are we actually going to be on base. You need to actually call us by our names." Harm says pointing his finger to the back seat and catching Bud's eyes in the rearview mirror.
"I'll be sure to work on that." Bud answers with a blush.
They pull up to the house and Harriet is immediately drawn to the porch where Mac has redone the original furniture outside and put a few different touches to the area.
"This is so cozy out here! We should put out a sitting area like this on our porch! I would love to sit and read while the kids play in the yard or just sit out by myself after dinner one evening."
"That is the idea. We are thinking that next spring we might see if we can continue it and wrap it around to the back of the house so we can enjoy the yard and everything." Harm adds, and then leads Bud inside to show him their room.
"That sounds great!" Harriet says plopping herself in one of the chairs and telling Mac to come sit beside her. "So, talk to me about everything. How did all of this work out? I know that I have been rooting for it for years, but why the sudden change? We never really got to talk about it, and I never really got to talk to you after you guys moved. At least not face to face."
"It was hard at the beginning because we are both runners and we freak out about the commitment, but we've been talking. We actually… umm… we've been seeing someone about some issues with our past."
"The two of you have been through a lot… together and alone. It doesn't surprise me that you might need some help talking through it." She says, and then squints her eyes in that Harriet way that tells Mac she knows there's more, "I know you, and I know that while we haven't been the best of friends, we've still confided in each other and trust each other. There's more, isn't there?"
"I had a miscarriage right after we got married. We didn't even know that I was pregnant, and I never thought that I could get pregnant. Harm was away doing that JAG investigation for the General and I ended up turning to the drinking again." Mac tells her and her eyes go wide but she remains silent, waiting for her friend to continue, "He figured it out after he came home and it all came out. That's when we started seeing the counselor and I've been going to meetings. It has gotten a lot better and he and I have never been closer than we are right now."
"I'm glad that you guys are in such a great place, and I'm sorry for everything that happened. I wish that we could have been there for you guys like you were when we lost baby Sarah."
"That was part of the problem with Harm gone and me by myself. It is actually how I met Jenna and we became so close so quickly. Her husband has a furniture company and we were having it delivered when I had to go to the hospital. He called her to come take me and she stayed to make sure that I was okay and stayed with me a bit in the hospital. She actually reminds me a lot of you at times, so I think that is what drew me to her."
"Aside from all that… seriously… what were you guys thinking?" Harriet says with a laugh. "I mean, like I told Bud in the car. The two of you were meant to be from before even Bud and I were meant to be. You took forever to finally get it together."
"Harm and I had lots of issues that we didn't even realize, but we both admit that we had loved each other long before either of us were remotely willing to admit it to the other or anyone else."
"You know… I could see it in your eyes… the day we were trying on your wedding dress when you were going to marry Commander Brumby, you weren't there. You didn't want him." Harriet says, shaking her head slightly.
"We've talked about that. I think that Harm was right the night he proposed. We both really needed that deadline, and it forced us to come to terms with the fact that we couldn't really even leave each other." Mac replies, knowing that what Harriet said was true, and feeling a surge of happiness when she realized that everyone really was rooting for the two of them.
"Are you ladies coming in anytime soon?" Harm asks, peaking his head out the door at the two women.
"We are. Harriet just wanted some details." Mac says with a quirked brow that suggests enough to make both Harm and Harriet blush.
"Mac!"
"Don't worry, I didn't tell her anything juicy." She counters, standing up and giving him a brief kiss before walking past him into the kitchen.
The couples continue to catch up on all the happenings at JAG and with the kids, and Harm is lying if he says he doesn't miss everything that they are talking about. Bud and Harriet were always there and it was hard to realize that they probably wouldn't be a huge part of their life in Chicago. It hit Harm suddenly at dinner that evening, hearing about AJs latest antics and wishing that in a few months time they could be thinking about their own child's future antics. That led him to think about the possibility of the children playing together as if they were cousins, and it made him sad.
"What's eating you?" Mac says that evening as they lay together in bed after a great evening with their friends.
"I miss them. I never realized how close we really were to them until they came here and they knew us… you know? We might not have hung out socially all the time with them or confided in them like we confided in each other, but they know about all the things we've gone through, they knew us when we met, and they've seen us grow together. It was just odd to think that they are probably part of the handful of people that know us best and live half a continent away from us."
"You've been having some trouble lately… the job… everything. Will you talk to me?" She asks, playing with the fine hairs on his chest as she curls a bit closer and cranes her neck so she can see his eyes.
"I told you that I wasn't cut out for the leadership thing. I miss JAG and I miss being a lawyer. It is neat to see new guys coming in and going out from the base, but it wasn't what I had hoped it to be."
"So what do you want?"
"Can I get a rain check on that question?" he asks, squeezing her a little tighter.
"You can… okay… and can I tell you something?" she asks, suddenly nervous.
"Of course."
"I am scared shitless about meeting your mom."
Harm laughs at this, thinking of his cool Marine being so nervous about meeting his mother. This was a woman who hinted about Mac for years and years when they were just friends. She probably knew that he was in love with Mac before he knew he was in love with Mac.
"Mac, she's going to love you, and she really already said that you're perfect for me."
"She did?"
"She's said it for years. My mother is not one that you need to worry about. Let's just focus on our next few days with Bud and Harriet before we even think about the amount of people that are coming to stay with us."
"Your parents are sure they want to stay in a hotel? We can figure something out here."
"Chloe is going to sleep in the room next to Harriet and Bud, and the Admiral will be in the daybed by the upstairs office. She could always sleep on a blow up in the living room though. She even suggested it if we needed the room."
"They insisted, so I'm not worried about it." Harm brushes her concern off, knowing that his mother loves the traveling and would live in a hotel if she could.
"Okay… now have you figured out what you are going to do with Bud tomorrow while we go shopping?"
"I haven't, but I'm thinking about see if he wants to go play a round of golf over in Mundelein."
"That sounds like a great idea. In fact, I think that Matt has the day off as well, if you wanted to include him."
"I'll call in the morning."
"Or, you could just ask Jenna. She'll be here at the crack of dawn because of how excited she is about all this. We're all going out to breakfast and then hitting the shops in search of a dress."
"You are going to be so beautiful." He says, smoothing a lock of hair behind her ear.
"How do you know? I haven't gotten the dress yet." Mac says teasingly.
"Can I confess something else?"
"Yeah."
"I'm sad that I never got that. I never go that moment and neither did you."
"What are you talking about?"
"That moment on your wedding day when you see your bride for the first time and you see your groom for the first time. Part of me wishes that we had done the ceremony." Harm says, totally surprising Mac at his sentimental feelings.
"What if we renewed our vows at the reception?"
"You want to?"
"I don't want anything too crazy, but I'd love to marry you again Harmon Rabb."
"Will you get a wedding dress?"
"To wear for a few hours… we're already married."
"I'll get my dress whites cleaned… with the gold cummerbund. "
She looks up for a moment, her eyes glittering in the moonlight coming in through their bedroom window. Then she kisses him, taking in the man who wants nothing more than to see his wife walk toward him in a wedding dress, the man who wants to have friends around him more than he lets on, the man who loves her as much as she loves him.
"The dress whites sealed the deal… I'll get you your wedding dress Harmon Rabb."