A/N: Thank you for your reviews!!! This chapter is MA.

Lil-Miss-DiNozzo: hahahahaha he rode coach for you! LOL you crack me up loved your review!

Kelsey2010: Yes, they are so pigheaded. LOL TINER hahaha that really cracked me up! Thanks as always for reading and reviewing!

Tamk3: SO TRUE! Lol Thanks!

Lawandordersvu1:this one is a bit longer for ya :]

Windyg68: Keep reviewing and I'll keep writing! Thanks for the comment! More on the way!

KC Smith: Welcome aboard lol so glad you are caught up! Hope you continue to read and enjoy!

Karizmadreamer: so true lol! Thanks for the review!

NOW FOR THE STORY. Desperately need feedback on this one lol so don't hold back :]

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"We don't know how to be anything but complicated, Marine." Harm teased softly.

Mac folded her arms across her chest, sighing at the simple truth of that statement.

"What now?" She whispered cautiously.

Harm regarded her out of the corner of his eye before speaking. "I have a flight back to DC today."

Mac made no visible sign of a reaction.

"As much as I want to stay, you are right…I have to go back. I need to be there for her."

Mac nodded, lips set in a firm line. "Yeah, you do."

"You make me happy, Mac. When I'm with you…these past few days…even when you've been mad at me." He smiled slightly. "It's still been the happiest I can remember being in a long time….these months gone by since you've left have been the worst of my life, Mac."

Mac ran a hand through her hair before wrapping her arms around herself once more.

"I don't know if I can be who you need, Harm. My career is important to me, my life here is good...You have to be near Kim and the baby…and I'm not ready to change my plans around to suit you and your family."

"I don't expect you to."

"Then what are you doing here?" Mac stood up and put some distance between them. Suddenly angry, and powerless to stop herself. "You thought you'd come show me what being with you would feel like if I'd only just move back with you? "

She paused and sighed wearily. "Damn it, Harm…. You don't think I want us?"

"I came here to see my best friend…tell her what she means to me and how sorry I am that I hurt her." Harm met her eye, his voice low and soft. "I missed you. God, I still miss you."

Mac's resolve crumbled a bit.

"I do want this, Harm." She bit her bottom lip nervously, eyeing him. "I want you." She breathed vulnerably into the darkness.

In an instant, he was on her, backing her up against the far wall of her bedroom.

His lips found hers a moment later and she moaned as she wrapped her arms around him, trying to bring his body impossibly close to hers.

The kiss grew in intensity, both trying to convey through their actions what words had failed to say for them.

She moaned when he brushed intimately against her.

He groaned from deep in his throat as he pushed a leg in between hers, pushing against her.

Mac gasped with the sensation of his jean-clad leg against her center. She began to move slightly back and forth, needing the friction.

"Jesus, Mac." He was losing control and fast.

Mac continued to grind against him, their lips coming together in a passionate and hurried embrace.

"Harm…" Mac breathed, her voice a bit hoarse. "If you want me to stop you need to tell me now."

Harm groaned as she sped up a bit, wrapping his arm around her waist to allow her some leverage, undoing the silk tie of her robe and finding a thin tank top and shorts underneath. He lifted her top a bit, his hand tracing lightly across the bare patch of skin above her shorts. Reverently, he moved over her skin. This was Mac. He had never been allowed to touch her like this and he wanted to take his time. After a decade of sexual tension, he wanted their first time to be special.

He wrapped his other arm around her waist, lifting her up and shifting his knee back and away from her.

Mac groaned in protest at the loss of contact, she had been so close. Harm's hand came up to rest against her cheek, his gaze boring into her.

Both were still panting slightly and Harm finally found the strength to speak.

"Mac, I want this. God I want this. I also want this to mean something. This is big. This is you. I want to take this slow. I want to show you…" He fumbled for the words and Mac stopped his words with a kiss to his lips, her hands making her way under his shirt and against his bare chest.

Harm moaned, lifting her up against him, her legs wrapping around his waist.

"Mac, are you sure?" he managed.

Mac nodded, kissing her way up his jaw line before finding her way to his ear. "Is this really happening?" she whispered softly, her breath dancing against his skin.

Harm turned around, holding her against him and carried her back over to her bed, laying her back on it gently.

Mac's breath came out in uneven spurts, her heart was pounding and she was nervous, elated, and frightened all at once.

Harm looked down at her, noting the expression on her face.

"You okay?" He breathed.

Mac blushed. "Yeah… nervous."

Harm smiled. "It's okay Mac, it's you and me." He eased onto the bed, as she sat up on her elbows and met his eye.

"What if…what if it's not what we've imagined?" She whispered, a bit vulnerable under his gaze.

"That's not possible." Harm reassured, laying on his side beside her and running his hand lightly up and down her right arm.

She leaned over to meet his lips with hers, bringing her hand up to caress the side of his face softly.

The kiss intensified and Mac pulled Harm over on top of her, his knees coming to rest on the mattress on either side of her. He kissed his way along her jaw and down to her neck, eliciting a moan from Mac.

He separated the sides of her silk robe, letting his hands trail further down, his gaze flitting up to hers as is asking for permission.

Mac smiled softly at his need to be the constant gentleman. …even when he was lying on top of her in her bed.

She nodded slightly and gasped as his hand lightly trailed across the top of her breasts, right above where the tank tops neckline began. He replaced his hand with his mouth and Mac was unable to stop the moan from escaping her lips.

She felt his hands at her waist; her tank top being pushed up, as he kissed each expanse of skin that he uncovered and she leaned up so he could take it completely off, revealing her light pink bra.

She reached for the hem of his shirt, desperately trying to get it up and off when she felt his hands on hers. He gently pushed her to lie back down. He struggled with his words. "Mac..." he started, his voice husky and low with desire. "I need to touch you first. Let me touch you…"

Mac felt desire flow through her, unable to stop her eyes from closing at the sensation.

"Touch me." She whispered.

He reverently trailed a hand down her neck until he reached the curve of her breast, palming one and then the other through the thin fabric of her bra.

Mac arched into him, unable to stop the response. She sat up slightly as he reached behind her and fumbled with the clasp, slowly taking the bra off of her. He touched her bare breasts now, cupping them in his hands and he was so hard already he didn't know how long he would last.

Mac moaned, her head rolling back as his mouth found the nipple of her right breast and then the left.

"Harm…"she breathed, a low moan coming from the back of her throat.

She needed him. Now.

"Harm, please…" she panted.

He gently helped Mac out of her silk shorts, pulling them off of her slowly as he met her eye. He wanted to always remember this moment.

Harm ran a hand over her abdomen, stopping just above the top of her underwear, leaning into claim her lips, his tongue stroking hers as his hand came to rest on her center and he muffled her cry with his mouth.

He rubbed her through the fabric and let out a gruff moan. She was so wet.

Mac whimpered slightly, her hands clutching the sheets.

He helped her out of her underwear, throwing them somewhere on the floor of her bedroom and allowing himself to see all of her for the first time.

"You're beautiful." He whispered.

Mac blushed under his gaze, before sitting up slightly and claiming his lips with hers in a heated kiss, her hands helping him out of his shirt and running up and down his chest.

She wanted him inside her. She had waited for him to be inside her much too long. And although he had yet to be physically, somehow she felt as if mentally maybe he always had been.

She kissed his neck slightly and then with a bit more insistence, laying back on the bed and bringing him with her, ready to accept any and all consequences of their actions later if it meant she got to feel him now.

She awoke softly, light peaking in through the blinds. She felt someone stir behind her and turned her head to see him lying there. He heart leapt at the realization and the memories came flooding back like an endless sea of waves.

He watched the recognition play on her features, smiling softly at the way her hair was splayed out across the pillow.

"Hey." He whispered softly.

"Hey." She blushed slightly, smiling back at him.

"Sleep well?" He teased. She smacked him lightly in the chest and he grabbed her hand and held it against him.

Her eyes searched his.

Several minutes passed and Mac wondered what lying in bed with him all day would be like. Tears welled up in her eyes and she hated herself for them.

She kept them at bay with increasing difficulty. Last night had been beautiful. Wonderful. And, now it was morning. All reality of circumstance seemed to rear its ugly head with the sun.

"When…" Her voice had shook too much for her liking so she stopped before starting again. "When does your plane leave?"

"A few hours." Harm caressed her hand, holding it against his chest.

Mac nodded, her eyes closing and a tear escaped to run down her cheek.

Harm was quick to catch it gently with his thumb.

"It's not fair."

"I know."

A long silence passed as they lay there, the simple presence of the other providing a comfort.

Finally, Harm spoke.

"I, uh, need to head to my hotel…get my bags and check out."

"I want to drive you."

"What?"

"To the airport. I want to drive you."

"Okay." Harm was not about to argue.

"I'll pick you up in an hour?" She asked softly.

Harm nodded, pulling the covers off of him slightly and pulling his boxers on.

She watched him and he turned and caught her gaze.

"Last night…Mac…it was…it meant… everything to me."

He leaned down and placed a loving kiss on her lips and she responded, resisting the urge to pull him back down on the bed with her and beg him not to go.

The ride to the airport had been mostly in silence.

Mac didn't trust herself to speak. She was trying to do the right thing…however hard it may be to do so.

Harm simply kept quiet because he suspected that was what Mac wanted.

They parked the car and made the walk to the airport doors, Mac insisting on carrying his carry-on bag while he carried his suitcase. As trivial as it sounds, she needed to hold on to something of him for a bit longer.

They got as far as they both could go together, and Harm needed to go through security. There wasn't much time.

Mac reluctantly handed over his bag. He took it from her and set it on the floor next to his suitcase, before facing her once more.

He opened his arms and she stepped into them, clutching the shirt at his back and burying her face in his neck.

She breathed against him, her voice strained with too many emotions. "Don't ask me to go." She pleaded.

"Then ask me to stay." He whispered softly.

Mac shook her head no against him, tears disappearing into the fabric of his polo shirt.

Finally, she pulled away.

He watched as she reached into the front pocket of her jeans, pulling out a folded slip of paper and holding it out for him to take.

He took it and eyed her quizzically.

"What is this?"

She brushed a tear away and forced herself to give him a sad smile.

"My phone number."

He clasped it in his hand, before pulling her back into a hug, his hand finding a home in her hair at the back of her head.

"Thank you" He whispered.