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)

Notes: The Roasted Cherry & Goat Cheese ice cream is a real thing, and it is the best ice cream in the entire world. The recipe is from Jeni's, and it's in the book and I think it's available online.

Part Twelve

Mac sat on the bed in her hotel room and twisted the cord around her finger. She felt horrible calling Harm this early, but he had asked her to. He claimed it started his day off on a positive note, but she had a feeling he wasn't going to be pleased when she told him about her plans for the evening.

"Hey gorgeous."

His voice was thick with sleep, and she couldn't help the grin that spread over her face. "Hey handsome. You seem cheerful for 5:00am."

"I went to bed earlier so I would be more alert when you called. How was your day?" He leaned against the pillows and adjusted the bedding. Every single day he was sure it couldn't get any colder, and every single day he was proven wrong.

"Oh, it was interesting. It started with Bud commenting on topless women at a beach Mic took him too. Unfortunately, he thought he was talking to Gunny, but he was on the phone with Harriet when he made the comment." She heard Harm suck in air, and she smiled. "Yeah. Harriet isn't happy, and Bud has spent the entire day worrying about it."

"I'm sorry, hon. Sounds like dinner is going to be fun tonight."

Mac gnawed on her lower lip for a minute. "Well, I'm actually not having dinner with Bud tonight. I'm going to dinner with Mic."

Harm frowned, and bolted up. The cold air assaulted his chest, and he sat back down and pulled the covers up to his chest. "Brumby? You're going to dinner with Brumby? Are you kidding me? Mac, I'm not okay with this."

She frowned, and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not asking you for permission. I'm telling you that I'm going to go have dinner with a coworker. I'm in a foreign country, and I don't want to go out alone. And since Bud is currently holed up in his hotel room hiding from all of the bare breasted women in Sydney, Mic is pretty much my only option."

He couldn't help but laugh at her bare breasted woman comment. "I'm not trying to tell you what you can or can't do. I just don't like the guy. Or trust him, and I don't really like the idea of you spending time alone with him. You do recall that he tried to kiss you on the fourth of July, don't you?"

She winced at the memory. "Do you trust me, Harm?"

"Yes! Of course, I do." And he did. He trusted her completely. "Mac, I trust you. I know that you would never do anything that would hurt me. I just… he's a big guy. He's physical. What if he tries something and is able to overpower you?"

She was silent for a long moment. "Harm, I appreciate that you're concerned for my safety. But I can take care of myself, and you know that."

"I know." His tone had softened, and it melted her a smidge. "But you're the love of my life and you're on the other side of the planet. I don't like not being able to watch your back." He realized what door he had opened and quickly continued. "And please don't remind me that I chose to leave the Navy, otherwise I might be there with you."

She laughed and threaded a pair of earrings through her lobes. "I wasn't going to say that. I think I've finally accepted your decision."

"Good. Took you long enough." He grinned. "Will you call me when you get back to your room tonight? I just need to know you made it back safely."

"I will. It might be late. We're going to some restaurant that requires a ferry ride to get there. But I'll call you and tell you goodnight when I get back." She was silent for a long moment, overwhelmed with how much she missed him. "I love you, Harm."

"I love you too."

Mac stepped off of the elevator, and offered Mic a tentative smile. He had offered to pick her up at her hotel, and drive them to the ferry.

His eyes traveled over her, taking in the green sundress that flowed around her toned, dark thighs. "You look great, Mac."

"Thank you. Shall we?" He nodded and walked beside her to the main entrance of the hotel. He opened the door for her, and then the passenger door. He was pleased that she had agreed to dinner, and he usually enjoyed her company, but being with her in a social setting, and knowing the evening wouldn't go in the direction he wanted made him melancholy. He itched to touch her skin, or even the silky looking material of her dress. The drive to the ferry was quiet. He drove the car on, and put it in park. "Want to go on the deck? The city is beautiful at night."

She agreed, and they made their way to the deck. She leaned against the railing and took in the beautiful city. Mic was talking as she took in the view, and she only caught bits and pieces of what he was saying. She was thinking about Harm, and how much she missed him not being on a work trip with her. She couldn't help but think about all of the work trips she'd go on in the future without him. He was happy with his airfield, and she really had finally accepted his decision. But she still missed working with him.

"Mac? You there?"

She glanced over her shoulder and offered him a guilty smile. "I'm sorry. My mind was elsewhere. It's beautiful here." She turned back to the view and fell quiet.

"Yeah, it is." He shook his head, and moved to stand beside her. "They wrote eternity on that bridge for the millennium." She made a noise to acknowledge him, and crossed her arms over the railing. "Mac? Can I ask you something?"

She turned to face him. "Is it appropriate?"

He shrugged. "More or less."

She rolled her eyes. "Go ahead."

He was quiet for a minute, trying to figure out how to best phrase his question. Finally, he cleared his throat. "If I had met you first, before you ever met Rabb, would you have gone out with me?" Mac sighed softly, and then shook her head. "Can I ask why? I'm a good guy, Mac. I'm smart, I'm funny. I'm excellent in bed." He grinned as she rolled her eyes again. "I'm a catch. Why wouldn't you have gone out with me?"

She turned back to the water, torn between not wanting to divulge anything personal to him, but also wanting him to understand. Hopefully if he understood, he would stop wanting something that would never happen. "I was never big on dating. I've almost always known from the moment I've met someone if there was the potential for more. Very rarely, there was a time when I wasn't completely sure. So, I'd go on a date, but I'd know by the end of the evening if there was anything there."

"And you never felt that there was the potential for more with me?" She shook her head. "Did you know before or after the dinner we had following your trial?"

She smiled softly. "Mic, I let you take me to dinner because I figured after all you put me through, you at least owed me a sixteen-ounce New York strip." He laughed and leaned his own arms on the railing. "I never felt a spark with you. I'm sorry if that's hurtful, but honesty is important."

"It's not hurtful. And I do appreciate the honesty." He glanced down at her folded arms, and watched her ring glitter in the moonlight. "He really is a lucky man, Sarah."

She flexed her hand and admired her ring. "I'm the lucky one."

After the conversation on the ferry, the night had actually been fun. He no longer watched her with so much intensity. He was still flirtatious, but no longer inappropriately so. The night had been pleasant, and she actually found that she enjoyed his company. He had asked about Harm's new business, asked about their coworkers at JAG, and finally asked if they had set a date for the wedding. After telling him no, she realized that they hadn't even discussed a date yet, and she knew that was because of her.

Mic dropped her off at her hotel at a reasonable hour, and waited until she was in the building before driving away with a little wave. She hurried to the elevator as quickly as she could in her tall wedges, and watched the number increase as the elevator climbed the floors. When she was finally in her room, she sat on the edge of the bed and removed her shoes, and then reached for the phone to call Harm. She did the math, and figured he was at the airfield, and tried that number first.

"Hammer Aviation."

"Hey there, Hammer."

He sat up straighter in his chair. "Hey. You're back earlier than I was expecting."

She rolled her eyes, and leaned back against the pillows. "Of course, I am. We just had dinner."

"How was it?"

She smiled and twisted the ring around her finger. "It was actually really nice. He asked me while we were on the ferry if I would have given him a chance if I had met him before I met you. I told him no, since I never felt that spark with him. He seemed to accept it, and understand. So, the rest of the evening was a lot more relaxed."

Harm grinned and pushed back from the desk a bit, kicking his legs up on the wood top. "How soon did you feel a spark with me?"

She blushed, thinking about that afternoon in the Rose Garden, and how hard it had been to be aloof in front of the most beautiful man she had ever seen. "Oh, about three seconds after I met you. I didn't really like you that much, but there was some serious chemistry." He laughed, and she smiled softly. "Harm, let's talk about when we're going to have the wedding."

He dropped his legs from the desk. "Seriously? Now?"

"Yeah, why not. We've talked about attendants and having a big wedding. We've argued band versus DJ many, many times. We should at least start talking about a date." He was silent on the other end, and she waited for a moment before saying his name. "Harm? Are you still there?"

"I'm here. What brought this up?"

She shrugged, before remembering he couldn't see her. "I'm not really sure. I just missed you more than usual tonight. Mic asked if we had set a date, and I realized we haven't even talked about it. And I know that's because of me." He was quiet, and her tongue darted out to moisten her lips. "It is, isn't it? Because I was so hesitant about getting married?"

"Yeah." He cleared his throat. "I didn't want to push you. I figured getting you to say yes was a big enough step, and we'd talk about actually getting married when you were ready."

"I think I'm ready." She took a deep breath. "Would you be okay with a fall wedding?"

He smiled broadly. "Fall sounds perfect. October would be good. The weather is nice, and if we do it outside the trees won't have lost all of their leaves yet."

"That's what I was thinking too. How about the last weekend in October?" She heard him flipping pages on what she assumed was his calendar and grinned.

"So, October 28th? It's a Saturday."

"That sounds like a perfect day for a wedding."

Mac sat cross-legged on the bed and dialed Harm's number. She listened to it ring, and eventually their voicemail picked up. She hung up, and dialed the number for the airfield and waited through a few more rings, before it went to voicemail too. She sighed, and dropped the phone back into the cradle. She was so ready to be home. She took a deep breath, and then dialed the number for Bud & Harriet's home. Finally, she got someone to answer.

"Hello?"

"Harriet? It's Mac." Harriet made a noise that was halfway between a sigh and a sob. "Harriet? Are you okay?"

"No ma'am, I'm not." She let out another sound, and this time Mac definitely recognized it as a sob. "My husband is in Australia acting like he's at a fraternity party, and I'm here in this frigid wasteland with Little AJ and the stomach virus that just won't end, and I just found out that I'm pregnant again."

"Oh, Harriet." She listened to the younger woman cry for a moment, and then heard a sniff, and the sound of her throat clearing. Mac's stomach clenched. How on earth was she going to tell her about Bud's jaw.

"I'm so sorry to unload on you, ma'am." She sniffled again, and blew her nose. "What's going on there? Is Bud afraid to call me?"

Mac winced and took a breath. "Harriet, Bud's not going to be able to call you. He's okay," she said, cutting off the rising panic she could sense, "but there was an incident today. Bud had a fall, and he broke his jaw." Harriet gasped, and Mac took another deep breath. "They had to wire his jaw shut."

"Oh my God!" Harriet's cry apparently disturbed AJ, and he began to cry as well. "How did that happen?" She rocked her child and listened quietly while Mac described the fall, and the medical procedure.

"He wanted to call home himself, but it's hard to understand him."

"How are you able to?"

Mac flinched at the memory. "My dad's jaw was once wired shut for three months. During that time, I added 'wired jaw' to the list of languages I'm fluent in. He's okay, Harriet. I just wanted to let you know what was going on so you didn't worry if you didn't hear from him. He told me to tell you that he would send you an email and give you all the gory details."

Harriet bounced AJ, trying to quiet him. "Thank you for calling. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome." Mac was about to set the phone down when something Harriet said had registered. "Harriet, wait. You're pregnant?"

There was silence, and then a deep sigh. "I am. I just found out last week. We weren't going to tell anyone till we were past the first trimester."

"My lips are sealed. Congratulations."

"Thank you so much. And thank you again for calling."

The two women hung up, and Mac tried calling Harm again. She dialed the apartment first, and this time he answered on the first ring. "I'm so glad you called back."

"Well hello to you too." She grinned and lay back against the pillows. "It's good to hear your voice."

Harriet watched Harm play airplane with her son. He was getting fussy in the airport while they waited on Mac and Bud, and Harm just lifted him from her arms, hoisted him in the air, and began moving around the baggage area. His whines had quickly turned into giggles, and Harriet felt so much gratitude for her friend. He finally came back to their row of seats, and took the one next to her. She reached for AJ, and smiled at Harm. "You and Mac should have one of these."

He grinned and leaned back in the uncomfortable chair. "We should probably get married first."

"Have you set a date yet?"

"I think so. We've talked about getting married in October, but we haven't found a place to have it at yet, so we'll see."

Harriet smiled at Harm, and stroked her son's feather-soft hair. "We're so happy for you guys." She looked up and saw a large group of people coming down the escalator, and checked her watch. "I bet this is them."

Harm glanced at the group and spotted Mac almost instantly. He stood, and watched as she scanned the baggage area before her eyes finally locked with his. She smiled, and then nudged Bud to point them out. Harm studied Bud's face and winced. It was bruised and swollen, and he imagined it hurt like hell. "There they are." He pointed them out to Harriet, and heard a small gasp when she noticed them. She hoisted AJ onto her hip, and they began making their way to them. He reached for Mac when he was close enough to touch her, and tugged her into his arms. Conscious of Bud and Harriet standing so close, he gave her a quick kiss, and pulled her carry-on off of her shoulder. "Hi."

"Hi." She beamed up at him. "It's so good to be home." She glanced at Bud and Harriet and gently touched Harriet's arm. "Are you two going to be okay?" Bud mumbled something, and she looked at Harriet. "Are you able to understand him?"

"I think so. If all else fails, I can make him write it down."

Mac smiled and squeezed her arm gently. It seemed like it took forever for their bags to come down. Bud's arrived first, and they waved goodbye to their friends. She continued to watch for hers, and tried not to moan as Harm ran his fingers over her lower back. Finally, her bag made its appearance, and he moved for it before she could take a step. He pulled her suitcase behind him with one hand, and reached for her hand with the other. They walked to the parking lot in a comfortable silence, and he jerked to a stop when they reached the sliding doors. "I forgot your jacket. It's in the car, I meant to bring it in."

She shrugged. "It'll be okay."

He handed her the carry-on and started to shrug out of his. "Here, wear mine. I at least have a sweatshirt on underneath."

She touched his arm, stilling his movements. "I promise I'll be okay. Let's go home. And then you can spend the rest of the night warming me up.

Harm lay on his back, his arms outstretched and his breathing labored. "Good Lord, Mac."

She laughed and lifted herself off of him. "I missed you. Let me know when you're ready for round two." She placed a kiss on his chest, and then sat up. She picked his sweatshirt off the floor, and pulled it on. "I'll be right back."

He grabbed for her hand, and turned his head. "Where are you going?"

"Ice cream. Want anything?" He shook his head, and she smiled. Mac kissed him again and slid off the bed. She was back a few minutes later with a pint and a spoon. She sat on the bed next to him, crossed her legs, and pulled the lid off. "Want a bite? It's the roasted cherry goat cheese stuff."

He nodded and shifted into a sitting position. He grabbed her hand and took the bite off of her spoon. "So, how was Australia?"

She took a bite of the ice cream. "It was beautiful. And warm. The food was good. At least it was at the places Mic took us to."

"Ugh. Please don't say his name in our bed."

She rolled her eyes and playfully thumped him. "How is the airfield?"

He grinned and took the spoon from her. "Really, really good. The contractor told me today that I'm in the way and need to find something else to do for a few weeks while they finish up some things. So, I think I'm going to start practicing law again."

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

He nodded and ate more ice cream. "When I was at JAG the other day, I was contemplating why Chegwidden called me. I thought maybe he had a veteran who needed some legal assistance that they couldn't give him. And I got excited about that thought, and was pretty disappointed when it was only about starring in a commercial."

"Wait, what? A commercial?"

He blushed and realized he forgot to tell her about that. "Yeah. The Navy is making a new recruitment commercial and their director wanted me. She was completely obnoxious, and actually asked Chegwidden if he could make me do it when I told her no." Mac snorted, and he grinned. "But I realized how much I miss the helping people part of law."

"The airfield, practicing law again, getting married… you're going to have a big year." She smiled and set the empty pint & spoon on the nightstand, before laying back down and curling into his side.

He kissed the top of her head and ran his fingertips over her arm. "Bring it on." He shifted, and rolled on top of her. His hands moved beneath the sweatshirt and cupped her breasts. His thumbs brushed over her nipples, and he smirked as she moaned. "Ready for round two?" He lowered his mouth to her neck and began to kiss and suck gently.

She grinned, and tilted her head back, giving him easier access to her throat. "Oh yes. My little toy in that purple satin bag has nothing on you."

End Part 12