A/N: Another chapter. It's okay enough.

Heart

Chapter 8: The Wolf

Harm awoke to the sound of someone opening the door. It took him a moment to realize where he was, but the ache in his hips and back told him he'd spent the night on a floor. He stretched in place before looking up to see Mac looking back at him. It was then he remembered he was at her place, caring for his little daughter. He slowly sat up, biting off a groan as he glanced over at the sleeping Eden.

It had been a long night. Eden had awoken another couple of times, once because of a nightmare and another due to pain. He had been able to sooth both, and now she had been sleeping peacefully for the last three hours.

Mac knelt beside him. "Hi," she whispered. "You never called me. And you turned off the baby monitor." She had found the monitor she had used for Eden when she was a baby so that in the rare moment she had to be away from her daughter, she would be able to hear her.

"I did. You needed a good sleep, and speaking of, it's only seven. Why are you up?" he asked in a whisper.

"Because you need to get back to Norfolk and I still feel bad about calling you. You didn't have to do this. She's not—"

"My responsibility?"

"No, I didn't mean—Harm…"

"Yes, you did." He was certain of it. Of course, he knew it had been a hard transition for her to go from a completely single mother to having a father involved in her daughter's life, but it had been months. He had been spending nearly all his free time with his daughter, and he'd never been happier. Mac seemed to enjoy herself too when she was with them. He took Eden to the zoo and to children's museums, alone and with Mac, once even with Josh and Annie. That was another thing…Annie.

He was going to end it with Annie. Her jealousy over Eden was the greatest dealbreaker, but he also knew he was in love with someone else. Someone who apparently still couldn't completely accept his presence in their daughter's life.

"No, I didn't."

"You did." Harm still spoke in a whisper, but he may as well have been yelling. Eden whimpered in her sleep and both her parents watched her until it was clear she wasn't going to awaken. Knowing they couldn't argue at their daughter's bedside, Harm stood and helped Mac to stand as well. "Come on, we need to talk." Mac nodded and followed meekly behind him.

Once they made it to the kitchen, Harm turned on the mother of his child. "You truly think she isn't my responsibility, don't you."

"Harm, it's just hard—"

"Why? Why is it still so hard? Why are we still fighting about this? Do you not trust me? Do you wish you had never seen me again?"

Mac's eyes filled with tears. "It isn't that."

"Then what? What is it?"

"Harm, I just…I just didn't count on a few things."

Harm signed in exasperation. "What few things?"

Mac hesitated and as her silence carried on, Harm grew increasingly frustrated, not that he wasn't extremely frustrated before. He was about to throw up his hands and walk away when Mac spoke in a voice so quiet, he could barely hear her.

"Annie."

"Annie?"

"Yes. I know you've cancelled or changes plans with her because of Eden, and I don't want you to have to do that."

Harm stared at her with wide eyes. He found her comment odd, and he sensed there was something more going on here than her caring about his girlfriend's feelings. His soon to be ex-girlfriend's feelings. He would have told Annie already, but she had left town on business, and he knew he needed to end it in person. He didn't want to tell Mac before he told Annie, but maybe he should. Maybe she would calm down.

"Mac, about Annie—"

Harm was interrupted by a knock on the door. He looked at Mac questioningly, but she shrugged and shook her head. Apparently, she wasn't expecting anyone, especially not this early in the day, but she still tightened her pink fluffy robe around her and left the kitchen. Harm followed behind her, and as she pulled open the door, Harm realized he was dressed only in jeans. His t-shirt lay on the floor of Eden's bedroom.

"Loren, what brings you here?"

Shit.

Loren Singer made him uncomfortable. She always seemed to be lurking, watching, and he didn't trust her. She was like a wolf, cunning and wanting to win at any cost, and though she was obligated to do her best during any court case, her ethics were always borderline.

And now she'd found him here, shirtless, with a bathrobe-clad Mac. Great.

There was no way she was going to keep this to herself.

"Commander, I wasn't expecting you to be here," she said, her voice ever so friendly.

"Uh, Mac—"

Mac interrupted him. "Loren, what can I do for you?

Lt. Singer gave him a small, knowing smile, then turned to the other woman. She lifted a file Harm hadn't noticed she was carrying, handing it to Mac with a smirk. "It's the Peterson file you requested. I told the admiral I'd drop it by this morning since I have an interview nearby."

"Oh, well, thank you. Um, can I offer you some coffee?" she added, obviously reluctantly.

"No thank you, ma'am. I wouldn't want to intrude. I hope Evie—"

"Eden," Harm interjected, and Loren's expression subtly shifted to one of annoyance.

"Ah, yes. I hope Eden recovers quickly."

"Thank you, Loren."

"When do you think you'll be back in the office, ma'am?"

"I don't know just yet, Lieutenant," Mac replied, ushering Lt. Singer to the door.

"Well, I hope it'll be soon. The office just isn't the same without you," she simpered. With that, the woman left the apartment and the apartment's tenant, obviously relieved, shut the door. She leaned back against, her hand over her face.

"I don't like that woman."

"I don't know that anyone does," he replied.

"I don't trust that woman."

"Neither do I, Mac."

"What will she tell people about this?" she asked, motioning between them.

"Nothing good."

"I know."

"Harm, you have to go. You have that interview in Norfolk and as it is you're going to be at least a little bit late."

"I know," he said, looking up from his position next to Eden's bed. She was napping again, though she had fought it, but this time, instead of pain keeping her up, it was her want to stay with Harm. It seemed her father was the best therapy, and Eden had obviously turned a corner. As he stood, he leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I don't want to leave her." And I don't want to leave you either, Mac.

"It's okay. You'll be back soon, and I promise, Eden will understand. She's so much better now."

"That's a relief." The two stood over their daughter, just taking in the sight of her, thinking about how easily they could have lost her. Several moments passed, then Harm felt Mac's hand on his arm.

"Harm, come on. You need to get to Norfolk. The sooner you get there, the sooner you'll be home."

"You're right. I know you're right." He sighed heavily. "Okay, I can do this." He wrapped an arm around Mac's shoulders and led her out of their daughter's bedroom.

Harm had already repacked his go bag and it waited for him by the door. He gathered it up, then turned to Mac. "Now, promise me you'll call me if she needs anything, and call me when she's ready to go down for the night."

"I will."

"And you get some sleep too. Now would be the perfect time. And, oh, I turned the baby monitor back on."

"Thank you, Harm."

Harm suddenly slid the strap off his go bag, and it dropped to the floor. He didn't want to leave without embracing this woman he loved, the beautiful mother of his beautiful child. He held his arms open, Mac willingly stepping into them, then wrapped them tightly around her. He was pleased when she rested her head on his shoulder and began rubbing his hand up and down her back. They held each other for several heartbeats, then Mac lifted her head. Their eyes locked and then their faces grew closer, closer, until his lips hovered above hers. "Harm," she whispered.

"I know, Mac." He kissed her then, softly at first, then gradually deepened it. His tongue roamed the seam of her lips, and just when she opened for him, his cellphone rang. His goddamned cellphone rang. They jumped away from each other as he roughly pulled his phone out of his pocket, his eyes still on Mac, watching as a nearly maroon blush crept up her cheeks.

"Rabb," he answered abruptly, his heart sinking as he listened to the caller. "Understood, sir." He flipped the phone shut, then looked up into Mac's inquiring, concerned eyes.

"That was the admiral."

"And?"

"He wants to see me in his office. Now."

"Shit."

"Yeah." He stood there awkwardly for a moment.

"You'd better go."

"Yeah."

"Harm, go. You have to."

"I know, Mac." He stepped forward and wrapped his fingers around Mac's upper arm. He dipped his head and gave her the briefest kiss on her lips, hoping against hope that he could do that again soon. For her part, Mac just stood there, obviously stunned, but she was right. He had to go.

It was an apprehensive Harm that closed her door behind him, and as he slipped into his car and turned it toward headquarters, all he could do was curse.

"At ease, Commander."

Harm relaxed his stance as Admiral AJ Chegwidden gazed at him above his reading glasses. He'd started to sweat a bit as he felt the minutes pass by, until the admiral finally allowed him to sit. The older man came around his ancient, yet grand and well-polished desk, then leaned back against it.

"Commander, I've received some concerning news about you and Major MacKenzie."

"Yes, sir?"

"It seems you were seen today at the major's apartment, half undressed, with the major in her robe."

"Yes, sir." Damn Loren Singer to hell.

"It was my understanding that your tasks were not yet completed in Norfolk."

"No, sir, but I didn't have another interview until this afternoon, and I was just about to leave the major's apartment to make it to Norfolk in time for it."

"I'll have Tiner call and reschedule. You and I need to have a long talk."

"Yes, sir." He didn't know what else to say as his CO pulled off his glasses and sat down in the chair next to him. The admiral sighed again.

"Commander, is there something you wish to tell me?"

Absolutely not. "No, sir."

Admiral Chegwidden rolled his eyes. "I suppose not."

Silence stretched between them, making an already uncomfortable Harmon Rabb squirm in his seat.

"You know," began the admiral after way too many moments had passed by. "I could tell from the start you and Major MacKenzie had a connection. It was hard for me to believe you two had never met before. There seemed to be such a familiarity between you, would you agree?"

"I-I guess so, sir. I suppose some people just hit it off." More than hit it off.

"So, I have to ask, are you involved with Major MacKenzie?"

"No." And he wasn't. not like that anyway. He wasn't lying. Omitting information maybe, but not lying. "Not really," he added stupidly.

"Not really? You'll need to do better than that."

"Sir, we aren't involved."

"So, I'm to believe you disobeyed orders, left Norfolk, and then were found in Major MacKenzie's apartment this morning, obviously having spent the night?"

"I didn't disobey orders, or at least I wasn't aware I couldn't leave Norfolk without asking you even if nothing was going on at the moment." Harm's tone was getting perilously close to snide, and he knew that wouldn't go over well with the gruff Admiral.

"Hmmm. I suppose it was easier to ask forgiveness later rather than ask permission."

"Isn't that how it always works?"

"Not here, Commander!" Harm remained sitting, but at the Admiral's harsh tone, his upper body snapped to attention as his CO continued to speak to him.

"You know, I actually don't have any legal objection to you being with Major MacKenzie. You are the same rank, and you aren't married. I do, however, have concerns, and I feel it has already caused you to act unwisely."

"What, uh, concerns to you have, sir?"

"Major MacKenzie's child."

"What?"

"She has a child, Commander."

"Yeah, so do a lot of people, and just because she has a child doesn't mean she shouldn't date."

"Of course not. But, and it's likely not my place to say this, with a child you have more responsibility. You aren't just dating the mother. You have her child to consider too."

Harm was now indignant. "Sir, with all due respect, it isn't your place to say that. I am not comfortable discussing my personal business with you, and as I said before, Major MacKenzie and I are not involved."

"I apologize, Commander, and I assure you, I don't make it a habit of delving into my team's personal lives. I'll be honest with you, though. I have a daughter. She's grown now, but after her mother and I divorced, we both dated some questionable people. We hurt Francesca, and the last thing I want is for Mac's daughter to be hurt. Miss Eden is a delightful child, and she deserves better."

"Better than me, sir? I wasn't aware I had such a poor reputation."

"Commander…"

"Sir, is there anything else? I do have to get back to Norfolk per your orders, and it's a long drive."

AJ Chegwidden glared at him, and Harm, though he still sat straight, wanted to wither under his commanding officer's gaze.

"No, that's not it. Yes, I made this conversation too personal, but we do have to address the inappropriateness of you coming to spend the night with the major during your investigation."

"I didn't go there to spend the night with Mac, uh, Major MacKenzie."

"Then why were you there? You should know, Lt. Singer has noticed you two seem more intimate as well. I take what she says with a grain of salt, of course, but you haven't denied being at the major's apartment this morning, and I do need to keep any sense of impropriety out of the office."

"That's understandable, sir, but—"

"Commander, why were you there?"

"That, um, that's really none of your business."

"I would say it is. Norfolk. Orders, remember those?"

"Yes, I do, sir, but I was in no way there for Major MacKenzie." Though I would like to be.

"Okay, then why—"

"For Eden, sir."

"You came all the way from Norfolk for Eden?"

"Why shouldn't I? She needed me."

"She did, did she? Why? You aren't not related to her. You're not—"

"Sir, I am. I am related to her."

"How?"

"I-I… Eden…she's…"

"Spit it out, Harm."

"She's my daughter."

"What?"

"She's my daughter, sir. Eden MacKenzie is my daughter too."

End Chapter 8