Author: PreppyPrincess5103

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Summary: Harm. & Mac begin their life together, while both deal with the reality of Harm's decision to resign his commission. Spoiler alert: Mac doesn't handle it very well. (Continuation of It Started in Russia, and Everything is Going to Be Okay)

Part Four

He really hoped that Mac's appointment with her counselor was more productive than his was. He hadn't had high expectations, since he knew he wasn't going through a mid-life crisis. He was simply ready for a change, and was honestly getting tired of explaining this to people.

Harm stepped out of the elevator and into a woman. He stepped back and instinctively extended his arms to stabilize her, and almost immediately dropped them when he saw who he was holding. "Jordan." He smiled and pulled her to him for a semi-awkward hug. "It's great to see you."

She returned the hug, and smiled. "It's great to see you too." She seemed to remember that they were at the medical center and frowned. "Is everything okay?"

He raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "I guess it depends on who you ask. I've resigned my commission and Mac insisted that I speak to a therapist about this 'mid-life crisis'. So, since I still have time before my medical benefits expire, I figure I should go ahead and do it." Jordan's wide eyed and open-mouthed stare made him uncomfortable and he crossed his arms over his chest while he waited for her to speak.

"Jesus, Harm. I was not expecting that."

"Yeah, that's the pretty standard response I've been getting." He glanced around the lobby they were standing in. "Do you have time to grab some coffee and catch up?"

She glanced at her watch and nodded. "I have a little time."

They began walking to the Starbucks in the corner. He placed his hand on her arm. "I'll grab the coffees. What'll you have?"

"Just a regular coffee. Black. I'll go grab a table." Jordan watched him head to the counter, and self-consciously checked her hair in one of the many windows. She sat down at a fairly private table and set her purse on one of the chairs. She watched him at the counter and drummed her fingers against the table. Based on the young barista's smile, she guessed he was turning on the charm. It had been a while since their break-up, and she had almost forgotten how attractive he was. She watched as the young woman handed him two cups, and he turned and scanned the tables for her.

Harm saw her sitting in a corner and headed to her. He handed her one of the cups, and sat across from her. "So, how've you been?"

She sipped her coffee before answering. "Pretty good. You?"

He shrugged. "Can't complain. It's been a pretty insane year." He went on to tell her about his eye surgery and his return to flying."

She shook her head in amazement. "Let me make sure I have this straight. You were able to become a pilot again, and then decided to leave the Navy all together? None of this makes any sense, Harm."

He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I know. But it feels right." He sipped his coffee. "I'm not having a mid-life crisis, or any crisis really. I'm simply burnt out. I just want to do something different."

Jordan shook her head. "I never saw this coming. I thought you would be a lifer."

"I thought I would be too. But ever since finding out my dad's fate, none of this has mattered as much as it once did."

She was quiet for a moment while she studied him. He looked good. Better than he had while they were together. His eyes were brighter. His smile lines were more pronounced, which made her think he smiled more than he had before. He looked happy. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips. "Are you and Mac together?" She couldn't help but smile when he nodded. "How long did it take once we broke up?" His cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink, and she guessed it happened instantly.

"It took about two weeks for her to decide to give us a chance."

She didn't believe him, but she didn't want to press him on it. It had been almost nine months since their break-up, and she had moved on. But she didn't care to hear that he had instantly gone to Sarah MacKenzie that night. "You look really happy. Are you happy?"

He smiled and nodded. "I really am."

"I'm glad." And she was. He was genuinely a good guy, and she wanted to see him happy. Even if it wasn't with her.

"What about you? What's new in your world?"

Jordan took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "Well, I actually received new orders recently. I'm going to Spain."

He whistled lightly. "Not too shabby."

She smiled. "I'm looking forward to it. I've been here for a while, and I think a fresh start will be really nice."

Commander Brenda Daniels rolled a pen back and forth over her desk. Sarah MacKenzie had been sitting in one of her chairs for several minutes, and had yet to say anything. She was here because she was having anxiety over some changes in her personal life. "Do you want to talk about your anxiety?"

Mac bit her lower lip and stood. She walked over to a window and looked at the outside world. Two men were struggling with a large Christmas tree, and she briefly wondered if Harm was a real tree or artificial tree person. She turned to face Commander Daniels. "The man that I've been seeing for a while came home from a six-month deployment and told me he was resigning his commission. He's a pilot. And I'm glad he won't be deploying anymore, or getting himself in dangerous situations. But I'm afraid that he resigned for me, and that someday he'll regret this decision and blame me for it."

"Have you asked him to resign?"

Mac shook her head. "No. Never."

Brenda's voice was gentle. "So why do you think he'll blame you for this?"

She swallowed and looked away. "Before he deployed, I was anxious about the long-distance aspect. He casually mentioned that we could get married and put in for spousal co-location, and I could try to join him in Pensacola. I told him no. That would be a step back for my career, and I wouldn't do it." Their eyes met, and she swallowed again.

Brenda made a note on her pad. "Colonel, I feel like I'm missing something. If he's a pilot out of Pensacola and you're here, the long distance would be something you're already used to."

She wrapped her arms around her middle and sat back down. "We used to work together." She smiled sadly. "We actually worked together up until about five days before he deployed. But he changed his designator to return to a fighter squadron and left JAG. Once he was there, he realized it wasn't a good fit, and he wasn't happy on their aircraft carrier. But if he changed designators again and came back to JAG, that would create problems with us."

"Ah." Daniels made another note on her legal pad. "I'm assuming you've talked to him about this."

"He's been home for a month, and it's come up nearly every day. His story is that he's burnt out. It's a long story, but his father was an aviator who went down on Christmas Eve in 1969. He's spent his entire life searching for the truth about what happened to him, and finally found out last year. He says that the Navy has dominated his life since he was six years old, and he's just ready to do something different."

"And you don't believe him?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure what I believe anymore." She folded her hands together and placed them in her lap. She felt fidgety, and not having anything to do with her hands was making her more uncomfortable. "Part of me does believe him. Which opens up a separate set of worries."

"Like what?"

"I guess… I guess I'm just worried that since he outgrew the Navy, something he loved so much, that he'll eventually outgrow me." She stood and walked over to the water pitcher. She poured a tall glass and drained most of it.

"Do you question his feelings for you?"

"No." Mac answered the question without even the slightest bit of hesitation. She pictured the expression in his eyes right before he kissed her. She could almost feel his hand on her cheek, and his fingers running over her jaw and cheekbone. Even without the words, she could feel the love in every single touch. "I do worry that it won't last, but right now I know with absolute certainty that he loves me."

"It smells so good in here."

He turned to face her and grinned. "I'm glad you think so." He sat the wooden spoon on top of the pot and made his way over to her. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips, and another on her neck. "Mushroom bourguignon and polenta." She wrinkled her nose and he laughed. "You won't miss the meat, I promise."

She ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. "I'll try anything once." She looked him over and smiled. "You look comfortable. Do I have time to change before dinner?"

He nodded. "Everything is ready except the polenta. But I was waiting until you were ready to eat before making that."

"I'll just be a minute." She leaned in to kiss him again, and disappeared to the bedroom.

A few minutes later she returned wearing a sweatshirt and jeans, and found Harm already at the table. She took her seat and looked down at the bowl of mushrooms and polenta, and then back at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Just try it." He waited as she took a bite, and smirked when her eyes widened. "It's good, right?"

She nodded and took another bite. "It really is." She took a few more bites before looking up at him. "So how was your day?"

He sat down his fork and looked at her. "I had an appointment with a therapist today. And while I was there, I ran into Jordan."

Her fork paused in mid-air, and she gaped at him. "Harm, thank you for going to see a therapist. I really do appreciate that. But I really don't think it's appropriate for Jordan to counsel you."

He snorted. "All three of us definitely agree on that. I saw the therapist, and then I ran into Jordan as I was leaving." He watched as she sat the fork down and leaned back. "We had coffee and talked for a bit. She actually got orders and is headed to Spain."

"So, what does she think about the dramatic turn your life has taken?"

He rolled his eyes. Talk about dramatic… "She was obviously surprised. But she told me that I look happy." He grinned as she tried not to smile. "That's all you, Mac. No matter where I end up career-wise, you make me happy. I hope you know that."

"I do." Her voice was soft. "I saw a therapist today, too. And I told her that I don't doubt your feelings for me."

"You just think they won't last."

"I'm afraid they won't last. There is a difference." She bit her lower lip. "I realized today that one of the things I'm worried about is that you are right, and that this has nothing to do with us, and you did outgrow the Navy."

His face softened and he reached for her hand. "And you think I'll outgrow you?" He shook his head and brought her hand to his lips. "That's not going to happen." He let go of her hand and leaned back. "Are you going to see the therapist again?"

She nodded. "I am. It was hard at first. To talk about us. To talk about my insecurities. But I felt better by the end of the session."

"I'm glad," he said with a smile. He gestured at her bowl. "Eat up. I have something I want to show you when we're done with dinner."

"Where are you taking me?" Mac looked out the window of the SUV and frowned. They had left DC and were making their way towards Fairfax, Virginia. "I feel like I've seen this movie. Are you taking me to an isolated spot to have me murdered?"

He rolled his eyes. "If I were going to have you murdered, I'd at least wait until we were married so I could collect the insurance money." He flashed her a smile and she laughed. "I am taking you to the middle of nowhere, but we're almost there. Be patient."

She smiled at him, and turned her attention back to the window. They really were in the middle of nowhere. Everything looked vaguely rundown and unkempt. He took a turn and made his way to what looked like what was once an airstrip. He stopped in the middle of the airstrip and turned the car off. She looked around, and then at him. "Where exactly are we?"

He opened his door and grinned. "Come with me." He hurried over to her side of the car and grabbed her hand. She couldn't help but smile at his contagious enthusiasm. After a minute he came to a stop and smiled broadly. He let go of her hand and spread his arms wide. "Welcome to Hammer Aviation."

Her eyes widened and she turned in a slow circle. The airstrip wasn't the only thing that looked like it had seen better days. The two hangars would be better off being torn down and rebuilt, and the same could be said for a decrepit building at the other end of the airpark. Although she did find the vintage sign that advertised ice cold sodas charming. She finished looking around the property and looked back at him. "I'm sorry. Can you repeat that?"

Harm grinned. "Hammer Aviation." He pulled her towards one of the hangars. "This used to be a popular airpark, but it closed in the 60's. The airstrip was in bad shape and the owner just let it go. I tracked him down and talked him into selling it to me. It obviously needs a lot of work, and he liked my story, so he sold it to me for a steal." He walked in a small circle, and took it all in. "Back in the day a lot went on out here. Obviously, it was used as a small airport, and people could rent space to store their planes. But they also did pilot training, they had an aircraft rental company here to handle rentals and sales. Maintenance was done here. There were airshows and flying clubs. And all of that with a pretty piss poor airstrip." He glanced at her and noticed she was staring at him, her eyes wide and her mouth open slightly. "Mac? Say something."

She opened and shut her mouth a few times, before finally finding her words. "You bought an airpark?"

He nodded. He watched as she tilted her head to the side and studied him. "It's going to be a huge job getting this up and running, but I'm really excited about it. I found this place online and did my research. I think it has a lot of potential. I even have a few investors lined up." He watched as she turned in another circle, still taking it in. He approached her from behind, and circled his arms around her waist. "What's on your mind?"

She placed her hands on his and squeezed before turning to face him, and circling her arms around his neck. "I think you're a little bit insane. But I can see it." He laughed and dropped his head to hers for a kiss.

End Part 4