Title: Getting There

Rating: PG-13, maybe.

Disclaimer: We all know who they belong to, I'm just playing with them for a while.

Thanks to Lisa for the super beta read.

For Selena: my humble attempt at making you smile.

2020 EST

October 4, 2002

Harm's Apartment

North of Union Station

"You sure went to an awful lot of trouble, Harm," Denise said as she followed him over to the couch.

"I wanted things to be perfect tonight," he replied as he sat down and reached for her hand, gently pulling her down beside him.

"They are," she replied as she snuggled into his embrace. "We actually made it through an entire dinner without either of our pagers going off. This must be a new record for us."

Harm chuckled softly as he shifted on the couch until he could look at her. "The night's still young, you know."

"Harmon Rabb, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were propositioning me."

Harm's brow shot up at that. "What do you mean if you didn't know better? I *was* propositioning you."

Denise laughed softly before she leaned closer and brushed her lips across his. "Good, because I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too," he replied as he trailed a finger down her face until he reached her lips. "And I've got a surprise for you."

"I like surprises," she said with a smile.

"I know you do," he replied. "And I think you're really going to like this one."

"What is it?" she asked excitedly.

Harm shook his head and leaned down to kiss her before he said, "Not yet. First, I just want to hold you for a few minutes."

"Just hold me?" she asked as she met his lips again.

"You doubt my intentions are honorable?" he asked, feigning indignation.

"Oh you're a very honorable man, Harm. I was just thinking that if all you're going to do is hold me, we should stop this now or I'm going to have to show you just how much I missed you while you were out traipsing all over the country."

"I love it when you talk dirty," he teased before his lips claimed hers again. Instead of pulling away this time, they allowed the kiss to deepen, enjoying the feeling of reconnecting with each other.

The ringing of the phone interrupted them and Harm pulled away with a groan of frustration.

"Let the machine get it," Denise said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his lips back to hers.

Harm nodded his agreement as he returned her kiss, ignoring the ringing of the phone and the sound of the machine picking up. However, as soon as the caller started speaking, he jumped from the couch and ran across the room to pick up the receiver.

"Webb? Where the hell are you?"

< "Harm, thank God you're there. I need your help." >

"What's going on, Webb?"

< "I can't explain it over the phone, Harm. Things went bad and I need some help." >

"Where and when?"

< "Andrews as soon as you can get there. You'll be meeting with Rossman, you remember him, right?" >

"Yeah, I remember."

< "He'll fill you in and get you on the next flight out." >

"What do I tell Mac?" Harm asked as he looked over and met Denise's gaze.

There was a brief pause before Webb replied. < "Tell her that I love her, Harm. And that I'm doing everything in my power to get back to her." >

"Webb, are you okay?" Harm asked, fearing the response.

< "For the most part. I can't talk any longer, Harm. I'll see you when you get here. Be careful.">

"I will." Harm listened as the phone went dead and then he slowly returned the phone to its cradle.

"Is he okay?" Denise asked as she walked over and placed her hand on his arm.

"He said things went bad and he needs some help," Harm replied as he covered her hand with his.

"Be careful, Harm," she replied.

Harm pulled her into his arms and held her tight against his chest. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," she replied. "I know that you and Mac have been worried about Webb since you lost contact two weeks ago. I'm just glad that he called you for help."

Harm let out a deep sigh. "I need to call the Admiral, and then I need to go see Mac."

"Do you want me to go with you?" she asked as she leaned back to look up at him.

Harm shook his head. "No, I need to do this alone. Just please, don't let her be alone too much until we get back."

"I'll call Harriet later. We'll be there for her, Harm. You just go do what you have to do."

Harm leaned down and kissed her gently. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she replied as she extracted herself from his embrace. "Now get going."

Harm reached for the phone again, dialing the Admiral's home number as he walked up to his bedroom and pulled out a duffel bag. He quickly explained the situation with Webb while he packed, and after receiving permission to be on leave for a few days as well as an admonishment to be careful, he disconnected the call.

"Do you need anything else other than your shaving kit?" Denise asked as she walked out of the bathroom.

Being careful to keep it hidden from her view, Harm pulled the small box out of his pants pocket and looked at it once more before opening a drawer and placing it inside. With a silent sigh, he replied, "No, I've got everything else."

Denise carried the small shaving kit over to the bed and placed it in the duffel bag for him. "Don't even think about not coming back, Harm."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he replied as he closed the duffel bag and turned to look at her.

Without a word, she stepped into his embrace and held him for a minute. When she finally pulled away, he could see the unshed tears glistening in her eyes.

"Hey..." he said as he reached up to cup her face.

"It's okay," she replied. "I'll be okay. Now go. Webb needs you. Mac needs you."

At that, he picked the duffel bag up, threw it over his shoulder and started towards the door. When he reached the door, he turned back to Denise. "I do love you."

"I know," she replied.

He leaned down then and kissed her again before turning and walking out the door and into the chilly Autumn night.

2115 EST

Mac's Apartment

Georgetown

"Harm, what are you doing here?" Mac asked as she opened the door.

"Can I come in for a minute?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied as she stepped back to allow him to enter. "What's going on?"

"I talked to Webb a little while ago," Harm said as she closed the door.

"Where is he? Is he okay? Why didn't he call me?"

Harm held up a hand to stop her barrage of questions. "I'm not sure where he is, but he said he's okay." Harm could see the battle between relief and anger on her features as he added, "Something went wrong, Mac. He called me to ask for help."

"Oh my god," she whispered as her hand went to her mouth. "Harm?"

"I don't have any details yet," he replied. "I'm supposed to meet Rossman at Andrews and he'll fill me in with what he can."

"I'm going with you," she stated as she headed towards her bedroom.

Harm's hand on her arm stopped her. "No, you're not, Mac."

"Harm, I have to go. I have to make sure he's okay."

"He'll be fine, Mac. I'll bring him home to you."

"Harm, I can't just sit here on my thumbs knowing he's in trouble. Do you even know where he is?"

"No," Harm replied. "I figured that you would have a better idea of that than I do."

"All I know is that before he left, he said something about cleaning up a mess in China," Mac replied. "But he was supposed to be back last week. And I haven't even heard from him in over two weeks. I've been worried sick. Please, Harm, I need to do this."

Harm took her hands in his and met her gaze. "Mac, do you trust me?"

"With my life, you know that."

"Do you trust me with Clay's?"

Mac took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she looked down to their joined hands. Her voice was barely a whisper as she said, "Yes."

"Then let me take care of this for you," he replied.

Mac nodded her agreement and looked up to meet his gaze again, her tears making her eyes glisten. "Promise me that you'll bring him home safely. That you'll both come home safely."

"I promise," he said. Then pulling her into a hug, he added, "And Clay asked me to tell you that he loves you."

Mac could no longer control the tears that ran down her cheeks and she sobbed softly against Harm's chest. "Tell him that I love him, too."

"I will and we'll be home soon."

Mac drew comfort from his embrace for a moment longer before she stepped back and looked up at him. "You should probably get going."

"Yeah," he agreed. "I should."

They walked to the door in silence and Mac opened it slowly. Before he stepped into the hallway, Harm turned back to her. "If you need anything, Mac, please call Denise or Harriet. Let your friends be there for you."

"I will," she agreed. "Be safe, Harm."

"I will," he replied with a grin. "And we'll be back. Both of us."

Mac watched until he reached the elevator before closing the door and heading back into her apartment. Making her way to the bookcase, she picked up a framed picture of her and Clay and let her thoughts drift back to the night it was taken. He'd been out of town for several weeks at the time, and she was anxious to get to see him again.

Thursday, April 25, 2002

1945 EST

Capital Hilton

Washington, D.C.

Mac looked across the crowded dance floor, smiling when she finally caught sight of Webb. It had been nearly three weeks since she'd last seen him, and she had been anxiously counting the minutes until she could see him again. Of course, she knew that she would have to wait for him to approach her. Since she still didn't have any details on the assignment he was working, she wasn't sure if she was permitted to show her affection for him.

Catching her eye, Webb winked at her, causing a small shiver of anticipation to run up Mac's spine.

"Are you just going to stand there making goo-goo eyes at him all night or are you going to go talk to him?" Harm asked as he stepped to her side.

"He might be working," she replied. "I can't risk blowing his cover if he is."

"Then let's dance," Harm suggested. "If he's not working, he'll undoubtedly cut in."

"You have a good point there," Mac agreed as she allowed him to lead her to the dance floor.

Harm smiled as he pulled her into his arms and slowly led her around the floor. "It's been way too long since we've danced together, Mac."

"It has been a while, hasn't it?" she agreed as she met his gaze. "I guess we've both been pretty busy with our significant others."

"I guess we have," he replied. "But we really should make time to do this every once in a while."

"Don't you think that Denise might have something to say about that?" Mac asked.

"Denise likes you, Mac," he replied.

"Sure she does, Harm. That's what you say about all of your girlfriends." Glancing over his shoulder, she added, "Where is she tonight, anyway?"

"She was on call and got paged before we made it to the car."

"I'm sorry, Harm."

"I guess it comes with the territory," he replied. "If you're going to be involved with a doctor, you have to learn to deal with her schedule."

"Much like she's had to adapt to yours?" Mac countered.

"Yeah," he agreed. "She's pretty understanding when it comes to those last minute out of town assignments."

"She's good for you," Mac said softly. "I haven't seen you this happy in a long time."

"As much as I hate to say it, being with Webb is obviously good for you, too," he replied. "How are things going anyway?"

"Pretty good," she replied. "It was a little hard at first, adjusting to the fact that there are things about his job that he just can't tell me. But we've reached a mutual understanding."

"Speak of the devil," Harm muttered as he twirled them around once more so Mac could see Webb approaching.

"May I cut in?" Webb asked.

Harm graciously handed Mac's hand to Webb. "She's all yours."

Mac smiled as Webb pulled her into his arms. "I was beginning to think you were going to let Harm monopolize me all night."

"Not likely," he replied as he pulled her closer and brushed a kiss across her forehead. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too," she replied. "Are you in town long?"

"Yes," he replied. "I tried to call you earlier at the office to let you know, but Tiner told me you'd left for the day. Once I managed to weasel out of him that you'd be here tonight, I decided that I'd just wait until I saw you in person to tell you."

"So you've wrapped up the assignment then?" she asked.

"Earlier today," he agreed. "It'll still be a couple of days before all of the paperwork is finished, but the hard stuff is over and I am back in D.C."

"And that makes me very happy," she said.

"How happy?" he asked as he leaned closer to her.

"Happier than I can tell you here," she replied.

"How about a walk?" Webb suggested. "There's a lovely garden outside."

"Sounds perfect," she agreed.

Webb smiled as he took her by the elbow and led her through the crowd and out the doors. They walked in silence until they reached the edge of the garden, and then Webb pulled her back into his embrace. "You look absolutely stunning tonight."

"Thank you," Mac replied as she slid her arms around his waist.

Webb leaned down and brushed his lips across hers in a gentle, teasing kiss. "I'm sorry that I've been gone so much the last couple of months."

"There's no need to apologize, Clay. I told you that I understand."

"I know. I just..."

She silenced him by leaning up and covering his lips with hers. Once she felt him respond to her, she pulled back. "Let's not go there again, Clay. I've known from the beginning that being involved with you means having to make certain sacrifices, and I'm making them willingly. You haven't coerced me into anything here. I knew the risks long before I fell in love with you."

He leaned down and kissed her again, pulling away only when the need for oxygen forced him to. Lifting a hand to her face, he carefully tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. "You know, it used to drive me crazy how protective Harm and the Admiral were of you."

"Were?" she teased, earning a grin from him.

"At least as far as you and I are concerned," he corrected. "But now I think I understand why they've always been that way."

"Would you care to enlighten me?" she asked.

"It's hard to explain," he began. "But there's something special about you, Sarah. There's something that brings out the protective nature in those who you've bestowed your trust upon. I didn't understand it at first. I thought that Harm was just being possessive and the Admiral just hated me, but there's more to it than that."

"So it's my fault that the men in my life are incredibly protective?" she asked with a small smile. "Some kind of pheromone I'm emitting or something?"

"Maybe," he replied, leaning in to brush his lips across her ear. "But whatever it is, I know you've got me under your spell."

"Under my spell is not exactly where I want you right now," she said as she slid her hands under his tuxedo jacket.

"And where do you want me, Colonel MacKenzie?" he asked between kisses along her jaw.

"I'm afraid that we're not far enough out of the public eye for me to answer that question, Special Agent Webb," she replied as she turned her head to meet his lips.

"Then perhaps I should whisk you away from here?" he suggested.

Before she could answer, his lips claimed hers, forcing all thoughts of conversation from her mind. She wanted nothing more than to feel the warmth of his body pressed against hers as his tongue explored her mouth, reacquainting itself with the dark recesses within. The sound of a throat being cleared behind them caused them to break apart with a sigh of disappointment.

"What is it, Harm?" Mac asked, never taking her eyes off of Webb.

"I'm sorry, Mac," Harm replied. "The Admiral sent me out here to find you two. Apparently, the festivities are about to begin and he wants to make sure his Chief Of Staff is present for the occasion."

"We'll be right in," Webb replied. To Mac, he added, "Duty calls."

"Doesn't it always?" she asked as she reached up to wipe the lipstick from his mouth.

"Not always," he replied. "I'll make it up to you later. I promise."

Leaning in for one last gentle kiss, Mac sighed and dropped her arms from around him. "I'm going to hold you to that."

"I'm counting on it," Webb replied as he took her by the arm and led her back inside.

Back to the present...

Mac carried the photo with her over to the couch and sat down. That night had been one of the most amazing of her life. It had marked a turning point in her relationship with Clay. In fact, that had been the night that he'd finally come clean with her about how serious he wanted their relationship to be.

Thursday, April 25, 2002

2305 EST

Mac's Apartment

Georgetown

"So much for skipping out early," Mac said as she and Webb reached the door to her apartment.

"I'm sorry," Webb replied as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. "I had no idea that General Risen was going to want to talk shop after the presentation."

"I'm not blaming you," Mac replied, leaning back against him as she inserted her key into the lock. "I was just hoping to get away sooner so we could have some time to ourselves."

"I know," Webb said as she pushed the door open and stepped into her apartment. "I was hoping the same thing."

"Are you coming in?" she asked as she looked back over her shoulder at him.

"I *should* leave so you can get some sleep. You've got to work in the morning."

Mac reached out and grabbed the lapels of his jacket to pull him into the apartment. "I'll sleep later," she stated as she kicked the door shut behind them. "Right now, I just want to be in your arms."

"I think that can be arranged," he replied as he pulled her close and kissed her.

Her hands slid under his jacket, moving up to push the material from his shoulders. Instead of letting it fall to the floor, she held it in one hand and tossed it towards the couch. Hearing something hit the floor, Mac pulled away from him to see what had caused the noise.

Webb hastily bent to pick it up, but it was too late. "What is that?" Mac asked as she saw the small box that had fallen from his jacket.

"This was supposed to be a surprise for when we cut out of the reception early," Webb replied as he tucked it into his pocket.

"But since we didn't leave early I don't get it?" she asked.

"I guess I just decided that it could wait is all," he replied as he dropped his eyes from hers.

"Clay?" she asked, confusion evident on her face at his sudden unease. "What's going on?"

He met her gaze again and couldn't help but smile. "It's nothing bad, Mac. I promise." He pulled the box back out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Here. Open it."

Mac eyed him suspiciously before looking down at the small box resting in the palm of her hand. Her curiosity finally getting the best of her, she pulled the lid off. She gasped in surprise when she saw the glittering diamond that stared up at her. "Clay!"

"This isn't exactly how I pictured doing this," he said simply as her gaze met his again. "I had hoped to steal you away from the reception and take you somewhere romantic to give you this and to ask you to be my wife."

"Yes," she said.

"Yes?"

"Yes."

His smile matched hers as he pulled the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger. "I love you, Sarah MacKenzie."

"And I love you, Clayton Webb."

Their lips met to seal their engagement and the box slid to the floor amidst the rest of their clothing as they reunited and pledged their love to each other.

Back to the present...

Mac wiped the tears from her face and then reached out to trace Clay's face in the picture. "Stay safe, Clay. I love you."

Same Time

Harm's SUV

Harm carefully maneuvered through the streets as he called the Admiral. "Sir, I'm on way to Andrews now."

< "How is Mac?" >

"Hanging in there, Sir," Harm replied. "She's worried, but under the circumstances, I can't say that I blame her."

< "Do I need to send a marine detail to her apartment to make sure she doesn't follow you?" >

"I don't think that will be necessary, Sir," Harm replied with a grin. "I told her that I'd bring Webb back."

< "You do realize that the wedding is in two weeks, don't you?" >

"Very aware of that, Sir, and will do my duty as best man to make sure that groom is there."

< "Glad to hear that, Commander. Just make sure to watch your back." >

"Will do, Sir. I'll call as soon as I can."

Harm disconnected the phone and dropped it onto the seat next to him. As he merged onto the interstate, he allowed his thoughts to drift back to six months earlier when Mac had told him about her engagement to Webb.

Friday, April 26, 2002

0800 EST

JAG Headquarters

Falls Church, Virginia

"Cutting it a little close, aren't you?" Harm asked as he followed Mac down the hall to the conference room.

"You wouldn't believe the morning I've had," Mac replied as she turned to face him.

"It doesn't seem to have dampened your mood any," he remarked.

"Actually, there's a reason for my good mood," Mac replied. She looked around the hallway to make sure they were alone before she held her hand out for his inspection.

"Is that what I think it is?" he asked as he saw the light glitter off of the diamond.

"Yes," she replied with a smile. "Clay proposed last night."

Momentarily forgetting protocol and the fact that they were running late for the Admiral's staff meeting, Harm reached out and pulled Mac into a hug. "Congratulations, Mac. I'm so happy for you."

"Thank you," she replied as she returned his embrace. "You have no idea how much it means to me to hear you say that."

Before Harm could reply, the Admiral's gruff voice interrupted them. "I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation as to why two of my senior officers are locked in an embrace while standing outside of the meeting they were both supposed to be in two minutes ago."

Harm and Mac quickly separated and came to attention. "I believe I can explain, Sir?" Harm asked.

"You better make it good, Rabb."

"Sir, the Colonel was showing off her engagement ring and I was merely expressing my congratulations."

"Is this true?" Admiral Chegwidden asked as he turned to look at Mac.

"Yes, Sir," she replied.

A smile slowly spread across the Admiral's face. "At ease." Once they had both relaxed, he added, "Well, let's see it."

Mac obediently held out her hand and the Admiral inspected it carefully. "I see that Mr. Webb's taste in diamonds is almost as exquisite as his taste in women. Congratulations, Mac."

"Thank you, Sir," Mac replied.

"Now, if we can hold off on any more festivities until after the meeting?"

"Aye, Sir," Harm and Mac agreed before turning and making their way into the conference room.

1130 EST

Saturday, October 5, 2002

Mac's Apartment

Georgetown

Mac opened the door and was surprised to see Harriet and Denise in her hallway. She shook her head as she stepped back to allow them to enter. "Let me guess, Harm's orders."

"He wanted to make sure that you were okay," Denise offered as they stepped into the apartment.

"Are you?" Harriet added.

Mac nodded and motioned them to the couch. "I'm hanging in there."

"Ma'am, I'm sure that they're going to be fine. You know that the Commander will do everything within his power to get Mr. Webb back in time for the wedding."

"It's not even the wedding I'm worried about," Mac replied. "I just want to know for sure that Clay is safe." Mac sat on the arm of the chair and looked over at Denise. "And I'm sure that you're not crazy about the idea of Harm going off to God only knows where in search of him."

"It's not the first time that he's had to leave on a moment's notice," Denise replied.

"No, but you generally have some idea as to where he's going and when he'll be back," Mac stated.

"I have some idea this time," Denise replied. "He's going to help a friend. And he'll be back as soon as it's possible."

Mac looked over at Harriet. "Have you been coaching her?"

"No, Ma'am," Harriet replied with a grin. "But I like what I'm hearing."

Mac nodded her head in agreement. "Do us a favor, will you, Denise?"

"What's that?" Denise asked.

"Don't let Harm scare you off. You're the best thing that's happened to him in a long time."

"And you're a good friend to him," Denise replied. "So what do you say to lunch and maybe some shopping?"

Mac smiled at that. "Well, I was supposed to go down to the bridal shop for a fitting this afternoon. With the bits and pieces of information that I've gotten, though, I wasn't sure if I should bother."

"Of course you should," Harriet said. "It will be fun. Besides, I think we could all use a distraction."

"I can't promise that I won't start talking about Clay," Mac said.

"We wouldn't expect you to," Denise replied. "Come on, we'll call it a girls' day out and we can sit around and gossip about our men."

Mac gave an evil grin as she said, "Well, you could answer the age old question concerning Harm."

"Ma'am!" Harriet said with a shocked expression.

"What question?" Denise asked as she looked back and forth between the two of them.

"Never mind," Mac replied as she shook her head. "I was just revisiting a conversation with one of Harm's ex-girlfriends."

Denise nodded as comprehension dawned. "Oh, I see. So the question would be how is he in bed."

"You don't have to answer that, Denise," Harriet stated.

"I don't mind," Denise replied. "After all, he is pretty amazing."

"I knew it," Harriet said before covering her mouth. Denise and Mac shared a laugh as Harriet said, "Did I just say that out loud?"

"Yes," Mac replied. "But don't worry, Harriet. It's not like it hasn't crossed the mind of every red blooded female who has crossed his path in the last twenty years."

"Including you?" Denise asked.

"I'm not completely immune to the Harmon Rabb charm," Mad admitted. "Fortunately, we were always friends and never let it go beyond that."

"Never?" Denise prompted.

"Not even once?" Harriet added as she thought back to a conversation that had taken place earlier in the year.

Friday, April 26, 2002

0930 EST

JAG Headquarters

"You wanted to see me, Ma'am?" Harriet asked after knocking on Mac's door.

Mac looked up with a smile on her face. "Come in and close the door, Harriet."

Mac stood up and walked around to the front of her desk while Harriet closed the door and walked over to join her.

"I have something I want to show you," Mac said.

"What is it, Ma'am?" Harriet asked, not bothering to mask her curiosity.

Mac held out her left hand and Harriet squealed in delight before throwing her arms around Mac's neck. "Congratulations, Ma'am."

"Thank you, Harriet," Mac replied as Harriet pulled back and lifted her hand to inspect the rin. "Now I have something I want to ask you."

Harriet looked up at the serious tone. "What is it, Ma'am?"

"I know we've done this once before, but it's for real this time. Will you be my Matron of Honor?"

"I would love to, Ma'am," Harriet replied without hesitation. "Have you and Mr. Webb already set a date?"

"We haven't picked an actual date yet, but we have decided on early fall."

"That only gives us about six months to plan everything," Harriet replied. "Is that going to be enough time?"

"Actually, Clay mentioned that his mother wanted to hire a wedding coordinator to help us, so hopefully it will make things a lot less stressful. Not to mention the fact that I'm one hundred percent positive that I want to marry Clay, and I could never say that about Mic."

"Have you told Commander Rabb yet?"

"Yes, and he was very happy for us."

"You know, Ma'am, after your breakup with Mic, I figured that you and Commander Rabb would end up together. Especially after seeing you two together last Christmas."

Mac laughed as she leaned back against her desk and allowed her thoughts to drift back to the night of Bud and Harriet's Christmas party.

*~*~*~*~

"I'm sorry about that, Mac," Harm replied as the door to the apartment closed behind them. "I had no idea that Bud was going to be so straightforward in asking about our relationship."

"It's no big deal, Harm," she replied. "It's not like we haven't been getting those looks and questions since May. Just mark it up to awkward moment number three hundred and ten."

Harm looked up and saw the mistletoe above Mac's head. "Want to shoot for number three hundred and eleven?"

Mac followed his gaze and realized that she was standing directly under the mistletoe. With a grin on her face, she brought her eyes back to his. "Sure. Why not?"

Harm returned her smile and then slowly leaned in to brush his lips across hers. Before they could pull apart, the door opened behind them. "Ma'am, you forgot your..." Harriet's words trailed off when she realized what she'd interrupted. "Sorry," she mumbled as they pulled apart and turned to face her. "You forgot your pie."

"Thank you, Harriet," Mac said with a smile.

"You're welcome," Harriet replied. "Good night, Ma'am, Sir."

"Good night, Harriet," they replied.

Once the door had closed again, Mac looked over at Harm. "You were right, awkward moment number three hundred and eleven."

Harm offered her his arm as he said, "But not with us, Mac. We've moved past that."

"Yes, we have," she agreed. "So are you going to tell me about this new woman in your life?"

"Only if you're ready to tell me what's going on with you and Webb," he replied as they headed towards the elevator.

*~*~*~*~

"That was a bit of a misunderstanding," Mac stated. "Although, I will admit that there was a time or two when I thought that Harm and I would end up together. To be honest though, I think that Harm and I were both caught up in wanting what we couldn't have. Once we were both available, we realized that we would never work as a couple, but that what we did have was pretty special."

"Do you like Denise, Ma'am?"

"Actually, I do, Harriet. She's a wonderful person and she's good for Harm. She helps keep him balanced and I think that's important in a relationship."

"Do you think he'll ever settle down and get married, Ma'am?"

Mac looked thoughtful for a minute before she replied, "Actually, Harriet, I wouldn't be surprised if our beloved Commander was planning his own wedding by the end of the year."

"Do you really think they're that serious, Ma'am?"

"I think they're getting there," Mac replied. "And I don't see Harm running in the other direction, so I think she could be the one."

"He does seem to be more settled since she came into his life," Harriet stated. "And between the two of you, well...happiness just seems to be in abundance."

"And it's about time," Mac replied. "And speaking of time, I've got to get going. I have a client to interview."

"Yes, Ma'am," Harriet replied.

"Thank you, Harriet."

"You're welcome, Ma'am. And congratulations."

Back to the present...

"I told you that was a misunderstanding," Mac stated.

"Any other misunderstandings we should know about?" Denise teased.

"Harm and I are just friends, Denise. There was a time when we thought there might be more between us, but there wasn't. And there never will be, either, because unless I'm completely misreading my partner, I'd say he's pretty much off the market."

"I'm going to have to agree with the Colonel on that one," Harriet said. "I can honestly say that I've never seen the Commander more..."

"In love?" Mac prompted.

"Yeah," Harriet agreed. "More in love."

"Your intentions towards him are honorable, aren't they?" Mac asked with a grin.

"The only intentions I have are to love him for as long as he'll let me," Denise replied.

"Then I'd say they're honorable," Mac said.

"He's a good man," Denise said.

"Yes, he is," Mac agreed.

"So is Clay," Denise added.

"Don't tell them that I said this," Mac replied. "But the two of them make a pretty good team. I'm sure that everything's going to be okay."

"Good," Harriet said. "So how about the three of us going to get some food then? I'm starving."

"Just let me grab my jacket," Mac said as she got to her feet. After making sure that she had her cell phone with her, she led them to the door. "Okay, let's do it."

0300 Local Time

Sunday, October 6, 2002

Helicopter

Somewhere over China

Harm shifted uncomfortably in his seat and turned to look out the side window. After meeting with Rossman at Andrews, he'd discovered that Webb was still in China. Apparently, just before they'd blown the lid off a major arms deal between the Chinese and the Afghans, one of Webb's operatives had been made. The Chinese had executed the man without giving it a second thought, but his presence had made the Afghans a little edgy. Somehow, Webb had managed to use the setback to his favor, but he was in a tight spot because he wasn't sure which member of his team was working with the Chinese. From what Rossman had told him, Webb had risked blowing his own cover to contact Harm.

Harm sighed as he watched the countryside pass below him. Webb was so far undercover that he couldn't even contact Mac to let her know that he was still alive. If things worked out the way they were supposed to though, Harm's appearance would solidify the deal between the Chinese and the Afghans and then Webb could wrap up the operation. Provided, of course, that Webb's cover hadn't already been blown by one of his own men.

Allowing the noise of the helicopter to lull him, Harm closed his eyes and thought back to the last time Webb had asked him for a favor...

Friday, April 26, 2002

1500 EST

JAG Headquarters

Harm looked up at the knock on his door. "Wrong office, Webb."

"Actually, I'm not here to see Mac right now," Webb replied as he walked in and closed the door. "I need a favor."

"No," Harm stated.

"You haven't even heard the question yet."

"Every time you come in here asking for a favor, it ends up nearly getting Mac or myself killed," Harm replied. "And now that you're engaged to Mac, I'm sure you're not going to risk putting her in danger so that only leaves me."

"So she told you already?"

"Yeah, earlier this morning," Harm replied as he stood up and held his hand out to him. "Congratulations."

"Thank you, Harm," Webb said as he returned the handshake. "Now about that favor."

Harm motioned to a chair as he sat back down. "Give me details."

"It shouldn't be that dangerous," Webb began.

"That's what you always say."

"I'm serious this time," Webb replied. "In fact, I imagine the only danger you'll be in will come from Denise."

"Webb, you'd better not get Denise involved in one of your half baked schemes."

"My, my, we're a bit protective there, aren't we?" Webb asked.

"Is there a point you're trying to get to?"

"I'm sorry," Webb said as he held up his hands in front of him. "Let me back up and start again." At Harm's nod of approval, he continued, "I want you to be my best man, Harm."

"Me?" Harm asked. "Are you sure?"

"I know we've never been best buddies, Harm," Webb replied. "But I do consider you a friend. And I know how close you and Mac are, so you're perfect for the job. That is, if you don't mind the danger associated with it."

Harm looked thoughtful for a minute before he said, "You think my being in the wedding party will give Denise ideas?"

Webb shrugged. "Women and weddings -- it can be a scary combination."

"I think I'll take the risk," Harm replied. "Besides, I don't think it will be bad if Denise starts getting ideas."

Webb's brow shot up at that. "Something you want to share, Harm?"

"No," Harm replied. "At least not yet. However, I would love to be your best man."

Webb's relief showed on his face. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me," Harm replied. "Doing this really just lets me keep an eye on you and make sure that you're keeping Mac out of danger."

"I don't think that's possible as long as she still works with you," Webb retaliated.

"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?"

"Only calling it like I see it," Webb replied. "So Mr. Run From Commitment, are things really that serious with you and Denise?"

Harm shrugged, but before he could reply, there was a knock on the door. "Saved by the bell," he said and then quickly added, "Enter."

"Harm, do you have the Hawkins file?" Mac asked as she opened the door. Seeing Webb, she added, "Clay, what are you doing here?"

Webb smiled as he stood up and walked over to her. "I just came down to ask Harm for a favor."

"I hope he told you no," Mac replied.

Webb placed his hand over his heart and turned to Harm. "After all this time, she still knows how to wound me."

Harm chuckled as he held out a file to Mac. "I actually agreed this time, Mac. It seemed fairly harmless."

"Harm, have you forgotten the Sudanese Embassy? What about Russia?"

"Relax, Mac," Harm replied. "This one isn't going to be dangerous."

"Yeah," Webb agreed. "All he has to worry about this time is ducking when the garter belt gets thrown."

Mac looked from Webb to Harm and back to Webb before she said, "You asked him to be your best man?"

"Yes," Webb replied. "And he agreed."

Mac smiled at that. "I could kiss you, Clay."

"I would suggest closing the door first if you're going to do that," Harm interrupted. "You really don't want to give Singer any ammo right now."

Mac laughed softly and turned her attention to Harm. "Thanks for the reminder."

"That's what I'm here for," he replied. "Now, I don't mean to be rude, but if you two are finished with me, I really have to get this paperwork done today."

"I can take a hint," Webb stated. Turning to Mac, he added, "Can you spare five minutes to walk me out?"

"Sure," she agreed. "Thanks for the file, Harm."

Harm merely shook his head as they turned and left his office. There was a time when it would have driven him nuts to see Mac with another man, especially Clayton Webb. However, things between them had finally settled down and he was thrilled to see her so happy. Besides, he had a great woman in his life...one who he was seriously considering making a permanent part of his life. Perhaps he didn't need to wait for Denise to start getting ideas on her own, maybe it was time to start giving her some.

Back to the present...

Harm was pulled from his reverie by the crackling over his headphones. "Commander Rabb, we're approaching the clearing."

"Copy that," Harm replied as he straightened in his seat in anticipation of touching down.

As soon as the helo was on the ground, Harm unfastened his seatbelt and opened the door. Being careful to stay low, he grabbed his duffel bag and ran to the car that was waiting for him.

"Commander Rabb?" a young Chinese man asked as he approached.

"Who's asking?" Harm replied.

"Chen Yahn," the man replied as he held out a hand to him. "Clayton Webb sent me."

Harm shook the younger man's hand and then nodded to the car. "I assume you're taking me to meet with Webb?"

"Yes," Chen replied as he took Harm's duffel. "There is a file on the seat. It has all of the details of your cover. We are to burn it after you commit it to memory."

Harm nodded once and then opened the car door and climbed in. He read through the file as Chen drove, forcing himself to commit every piece of the information in the file to memory.

After they had been on the road for an hour and a half, Harm closed the file and turned to Chen. "How much farther is it?"

"Five miles," Chen replied. "Webb will meet us at the checkpoint."

"How long have you known Webb?" Harm asked as he eyed the man.

"Not very long," Chen replied. "Mr. Webb offered me a lot of money to pick you up and deliver you to him."

"So you work for the highest bidder then?" Harm prompted.

Chen shrugged. "I have standards, Commander. You do not need to worry, though. I have been paid well to forget ever meeting you or Mr. Webb."

Harm nodded and couldn't help but think back to his first trip to Russia when Alexi had been hired by Webb to keep an eye on him and Mac. A brief smile crossed his face as he wondered if Webb had been in love with Mac even back then.

They made the rest of the drive in silence and it wasn't long before the car slowed as Chen turned onto a gravel driveway. Harm looked around the area, surprised that it was so out in the open. He had expected Webb to be in hiding, not holed up in some extravagant estate. "Are you sure you have the right address?" Harm asked.

"Positive," Chen replied as he came to a stop in front of the large house. Shutting off the engine, he climbed out of the car and grabbed Harm's duffel from the back seat.

Harm slowly climbed out of the car. He was still trying to get his bearings a moment later when Webb walked out to meet them. "Harm, I'm glad you're here."

Harm shook his head as he looked Webb over. "You don't look any worse for the wear, Webb."

"Not here," Webb admonished him. Turning to Chen, he added, "You can leave his bag in the hallway. Thank you."

"It was my pleasure," Chen replied. He quickly carried Harm's bag into the house and then made his way back to the car.

Once he had pulled away, Webb motioned Harm inside. "Did you read the file?"

"Yes," Harm said as he handed it to him. "Chen said I was supposed to burn it once I was finished."

"Not a bad idea," Webb agreed. "We don't want to leave any incriminating evidence around."

"So what's going on, Webb?" Harm asked as they made their way through the house and out the back door.

Once they had stepped onto the back porch, Webb reached over and flipped a switch. "Now we can talk," he stated. "How is Mac?"

"Worried sick about you," Harm replied. "You have no idea how hard it was to keep her from following me."

Webb sat down in one of the lounge chairs and motioned for Harm to do the same. "I wish I could talk to her long enough to let her know that I'm okay."

"I don't think she's going to believe that until she sees you for herself," Harm replied as he sat down. "So how can I help you wrap this up so we can get home in time for your wedding?"

"Are you comfortable?" Webb asked. "Because this might take a while to explain."

"I'm not going anywhere," Harm replied. "At least not without you."

Webb nodded in understanding and then began to catch Harm up on the case he'd been working for the past eight months.

1500 EST

Saturday, October 5, 2002

Logan's Bridal Shop

Georgetown

Harriet and Denise both looked up as Mac walked into the small waiting area. "Well? What do you think?"

"Mac, it's gorgeous," Denise replied as she eyed the silk and lace wedding gown.

"It looks even better now than it did the day you picked it out," Harriet commented.

"Well, Maurice claims that after today, there shouldn't be any more adjustments that need to be made," Mac stated as she looked down at herself. "Do you think Clay's going to like it?"

"I think Clay is going to love it," Denise replied. "In fact, I doubt seriously if there will be a single man at the ceremony who will be able to take his eyes off of you."

Mac blushed slightly at the compliment before she replied, "Well, I know a couple of sailors who won't even notice I'm in the room once they see you two in your dresses."

Denise looked over at Harriet with a smile. "I think she's seriously underestimating herself, Harriet."

"I think I'm going to have to agree with Denise, Ma'am," Harriet stated. "You look fabulous."

"Thank you, you two," Mac said as she turned around to get a good look at herself in the mirror before Maurice came out and began making marks for the final adjustment.

Just then, Denise's pager went off. With a soft expletive, she pulled out her cell phone. "Excuse me for just a minute."

When she returned a few minutes later, she was quick to apologize. "Sorry about that."

"No need to apologize," Mac replied. "Do you have to go to work?"

"Not this time," Denise said with a sigh of relief. "They were just having trouble finding one of my patient's charts."

"That's a relief," Mac said.

"Yeah," Denise agreed. "I'd hate to have to go in this afternoon and miss all of this quality girl time. Working with a bunch of men doesn't leave much room for girl talk, but I'm sure you both know how that goes."

"Don't we ever," Harriet piped in.

"Speaking of men," Mac said. "I wonder if Harm has made it to Clay yet."

"It's been almost eighteen hours," Denise replied. "I'm sure he's there by now."

"And working on bringing Clay home," Harriet added.

"I sure hope so," Mac replied.

0500 Local Time

Sunday, October 6, 2002

China

"Do you really think this will work?" Harm asked.

"It's the only chance we've got," Webb replied. "If the Chinese don't buy your cover story, they'll pull out of the deal and we'll lose everything."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"First off, we need to spend a couple of nights in the city. We need to be very visible so Lein's men will have a chance to sniff you out," Webb replied.

"Now that sounds like a pleasant experience," Harm said with a sarcastic chuckle.

"At this point, it's our best shot at keeping those weapons out of Afghanistan."

Harm's voice was serious when he spoke again. "I promised Mac that I'd bring you home, you know."

"And I promised her a long time ago that I'd do my best to keep you out of trouble," Webb replied.

"Guess you can count me in, then. There's no way that I'm leaving here without you."

"Thank you, Harm."

Harm merely smiled in acknowledgement which prompted Webb to change the subject. "I imagine you're exhausted after the flight over here. Why don't I show you to your room and let you get some sleep. We'll head into town later this afternoon and do our best to be seen."

"That sounds great," Harm replied as he wearily got to his feet and followed Webb back into the house.

1800 EST

Wednesday, October 9, 2002

Denise's Apartment

Mac reached up a hesitant hand and knocked on the door. When Denise opened it, Mac held up the bag in her hand. "I remember Harm telling me that you were a sucker for fried chicken and Mel Gibson movies. I hope he was being serious."

"He was, and I am," Denise replied with a smile as she stepped back to allow Mac to enter.

"I really hope you didn't have to cancel anything tonight," Mac stated.

Denise dismissed that with a wave of her hand. "Please, Mac. I was thrilled when you called earlier. My job doesn't lend itself to allowing a lot of quality girlfriend time so there was no way I was going to pass on this." After taking the bag from her, Denise added, "Make yourself comfortable."

Mac made her way over to the bookshelf, glancing at several of the books that lined the shelves. "Have you actually read all of these medical journals?" she called out.

Denise gave a short laugh before she replied, "Not hardly. I use them more for reference books than anything else."

Mac stopped when she reached the shelf that held several framed photographs, and she couldn't help but reach out and touch the one containing a picture of Harm, Denise, Clay, and herself.

"That's one of my favorites," Denise said softly as she walked out of the kitchen.

"I remember when this was taken," Mac replied without turning around. "It was at the charity ball in June. Harm and I had been in San Diego on a murder investigation and didn't think we were going to make it back to D.C. in time."

"I remember thinking that I was living a fairytale when I saw you and Harm step off of the elevator that night," Denise said. "That was the first time I'd ever seen Harm in his mess dress and when he smiled at me, I knew that I was beyond just being in love with him."

Mac smiled as she thought back to her conversation with Harm on that elevator.

******

"Are you sure we should just show up like this, Mac?"

"Harm, relax. Denise will be thrilled to see you. She'll think it's very romantic."

"Just like you did when Brumby showed up at the Surface Warfare Ball?" Harm asked as he shot her a sideways glance.

"That was different," Mac replied.

"How so?"

"Because I wasn't in love with Mic," Mac replied. "And Denise is very much in love with you."

Before Harm had a chance to reply, the elevator doors opened and they saw Denise standing just a few feet away. Mac started out of the elevator, but stopped when she realized that Harm hadn't moved yet.

"What's wrong, Harm?" she asked as she moved back to his side.

"Nothing, Mac," he replied, his eyes never leaving Denise. "I was just taking a minute to look at the woman I love."

******

Back to the present...

"That night was the first time he'd admitted to me how much he loved you," Mac confided. "Up until that point, I had no idea how serious your relationship had gotten. I mean, I knew he cared about you, I just had no idea how much in love with you he was."

Denise watched as the smile slowly faded from Mac's face. "Have you heard from either of them?"

Mac merely shook her head as she dropped her hand back to her side. "I honestly don't expect to until it's safe for them to come home. I think that's the hardest part...the not knowing."

Denise nodded her agreement. "We'll make it through, Mac."

Mac turned and looked over at her with a small smile. "Yes, we will. Thanks for reminding me."

"What are friends for?" Denise replied. "Now, how about some food and Mel?"

Mac's smile widened at that. "Nothing like a little bit of Mel Gibson to take your mind off your troubles."

"That's the spirit," Denise said as they made their way to the kitchen, both of them feeling a little more positive about the situation.

1400 Local Time

Thursday, October 10, 2002

China

"Good afternoon, Mr. Webb," the young man said when Webb opened the door. "It is time."

"Let me get Mr. Rabb," Webb replied. "We'll be right out."

The man gave a polite nod before stepping back outside. Webb then bolted up the stairs while yelling, "Rabb, let's go."

"What's going on, Webb?" Harm asked as he stepped out into the hallway.

"It's show time," Webb replied. "Get your things."

It took them less than two minutes to gather the needed documents as well as their weapons, and then they were on their way to an unknown location for what could either be their executions or to end of one of the biggest black market arms cartels of the decade.

0500 Local Time

Friday, October 11, 2002

China

Harm opened his eyes and looked around for Webb. The action made him dizzy, so he closed his eyes back and forced himself to remember what had happened. They had reached the hangar where the exchange was to take place without incident, and both the Chinese and Afghans had seemed convinced that Harm and Webb were legitimate, so things had gone according to the plan.

That is, until someone started shooting at them. Not being exactly certain who could be trusted, Harm grabbed Webb and ran for the nearest plane. Once they had taken cover behind the plane, Webb called for backup and they did their best to return fire. Just as the first sounds of sirens could be heard, Harm saw a grenade land under the plane they were using for cover. He had grabbed Webb and tried to get them both away from the plane, but they were still close enough to feel the force of the explosion. The last thing Harm remembered was crawling over to check on Webb and finding the wrong end of a gun pointed in his face. After that, everything went black.

Harm once again forced his eyes open, and fighting the wave of dizziness that threatened to overtake him, he sat up. It didn't take him long to realize that he was in a hospital, but instead of waiting for someone to come and tell him what was going on, he decided to go look for Webb himself.

He had almost made it to the door when it opened and Webb walked in with a frown on his face. "Rabb, where do you think you're going?"

"To look for you," Harm mumbled. "I had to make sure you were okay. Mac would kill me if I let anything happen to you."

Webb took Harm by the arm and led him back to the bed as he said, "Well, I'm not looking forward to what she's going to do to me when she finds out that I nearly got you killed."

"What happened?" Harm asked as he settled back on the bed. "The last thing I remember is someone holding a gun to my head."

"You blacked out right after that. I'm amazed that you managed to stay conscious that long with how hard your head hit the concrete," Webb replied. "The person holding the gun to your head was one of my men. He'd overheard a conversation between Agent Tomlinson and Lein and figured we were going to need some help."

"So you found your double agent?" Harm asked.

"Yes," Webb replied. "Unfortunately, the Chinese mistook him for the one who set them up and killed him before I could get my hands on him."

Harm let out a deep sigh and leaned his head back against the pillows. "So how long before we can get out of here and head home?"

"I have a few loose ends that I have to tie up," Webb replied. "And the doctor wants to keep an eye on you for at least twenty-four hours. We should be back in D.C. late Sunday night."

"Have you called Mac?" Harm asked.

Webb shook his head. "No, I thought we could tell her in person that we're coming home."

Harm managed a small smile before he felt exhaustion claiming him. "She'll kick your butt, you know."

"And I'll enjoy every second of it," Webb admitted. "Get some rest, Harm."

1230 EST

Monday, October 14, 2002

Harm's SUV

"Harm, where are you going?" Webb asked.

"We're stopping by my place," Harm replied as he maneuvered through the nearly deserted streets.

"Why?" Webb asked. "Don't you think we've tortured Mac long enough?"

"This will only take a minute," Harm promised.

Within minutes, they were pulling up in front of Harm's apartment, and he put the SUV in park, not bothering to turn off the engine. "I'll be right back."

"If you're not back in three minutes, I'm taking your car," Webb threatened.

Harm merely smiled as he sprinted towards the building. True to his word, he was only gone for a minute before he came back into view. As he climbed behind the wheel, he said, "Okay, now we can go to Mac's."

"What on earth was so important?" Webb asked.

"Hey, you've got your secrets, I've got mine," Harm replied. "Now sit tight, we'll be there in twenty minutes."

"Make it fifteen," Webb said.

Harm looked over at him and smiled again before quickly checking for police cars and flooring it.

1245 EST

Mac's Apartment

"I'm impressed," Webb said as Harm pulled into a vacant parking spot.

"You should be," came Harm's quick reply. "Enough small talk, let's go."

They headed towards the building at a quick pace, both of them eager to see Mac, but for different reasons. When they finally reached her apartment door, Harm stepped in front of Webb. "You'd better let her see me first. Otherwise, she'll never even notice I'm here."

Webb couldn't help the chuckle that escaped as Harm knocked on the door. When Mac opened the door, she gasped. "Harm!"

Harm held out his arms and hugged her before stepping back to allow her to see Webb. The tears fell unbidden down Mac's cheeks as she stepped into the hallway and wrapped her arms around Webb. She dropped her head to his shoulder and merely breathed in the scent of him for several minutes before finally leaning back to meet his eyes. "I was so scared."

"I know. I'm sorry."

Mac reached up and traced the lines of his face as if to convince herself that he was real. "Oh Clay."

"I love you," he whispered before he bent down and brushed a gentle kiss across her lips.

Before they had a chance to take it any further, Harm cleared his throat. "You guys might want to come inside."

They pulled apart with an easy laugh, and with their hands joined, they stepped into the apartment. After a quick recount of their adventure, Harm stood up. "Look, I'm sure you two could use a little time alone, and quite frankly, I really want to see Denise, so if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go."

Mac and Webb both stood up to walk him to the door. When they reached it, Mac stopped Harm with a hand on his arm. "Thank you, Harm," she said before she leaned up and kissed his cheek.

"For everything," Webb added as he held out his hand.

"You're both welcome," Harm replied as he returned Webb's handshake. "Good night."

"Good night," they echoed.

They watched until he reached the elevator before they closed the door and turned to face each other. "You could have called, you know," Mac stated.

"I know," Webb replied. "But I didn't think I could handle hearing your voice and not being able to hold you and reassure you that I'm really okay."

"I love you so much," she said as she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest.

"I love you, too," he replied. "And I plan on showing you just how much I've missed you."

Mac smiled as she looked up and met his gaze. "Oh, I like the sound of that."

Webb's smile matched hers and he slowly lowered his mouth to hers as he led them to the bedroom.

0130 EST

Monday, October 14, 2002

Denise's Apartment

Denise tightened her robe as she cautiously made her way to the door. Whoever was ringing her doorbell at 1:30 in the morning had better have a very good reason for doing so. After a quick check through the peephole, she fumbled to get the door unlocked and opened.

"Harm." Before the word was completely out of her mouth, he had gathered her into his arms.

"I missed you," he murmured as he showered her face with kisses. "I couldn't wait any longer to see you."

"I missed you, too," she replied as she managed to pull him into the apartment and close the door. "How is Clay?"

"He's fine," Harm replied as he moved his hands up to cup her face. "I made sure that he was safely in Mac's arms and then headed straight here."

"I was worried about you," Denise said softly as she covered his hands and then slowly trailed her way up his arms.

"I'm sorry," he stated simply.

In response, she leaned forward and touched her lips to his for the briefest of moments. "Are you okay?"

"Nothing that being in your arms won't heal," he replied with a slight grin.

"Did anything happen that you want to talk about?" she asked, mindful of his tendencies to internalize his problems.

After another brief kiss, he took a step back from her and fumbled in his pocket. "Just one thing."

"What?" she asked.

"This," he replied as he opened the box and held it out to her. Dropping to one knee, he added, "I've been trying to do this for weeks now, but we keep getting interrupted. I know this isn't the most romantic of proposals, but Denise, I love you. Will you marry me?"

The tears welled in her eyes and she dropped to her knees in front of him. "Oh Harm, yes, I'll marry you."

Harm's face broke into a huge smile and he leaned in for another kiss before removing the ring from the box and placing it n her finger. "I love you," he whispered as he pulled her into his embrace.

"And I love you," she replied.

Their lips met again in a tender kiss, but it soon took on a life of its own, growing in intensity as they reunited and reaffirmed their love for each other.

0500 EST

Denise's Apartment

Denise smiled up at Harm from where her head rested on his chest. "I need to call Mac and tell her the good news."

"Isn't that supposed to be my line?" he teased as he reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

She laughed softly at that. "Yeah, I suppose it is."

Harm looked over at the clock and then reached for the phone. "Here, I'll call and wake her up and then you can tell her."

"Harm, you are not seriously going to call Mac this early," she started to protest, but he was already dialing.

< "Hello?" >

Harm smiled at her groggy greeting. "You sound sexy when you're sleepy, Marine."

< "Harm, it's 0500. What do you want?" >

"Denise wanted to tell you something," he replied. "Hang on a second."

Denise shook her head as she took the phone from him. "Mac, I'm sorry he woke you up."

< "It's okay. What did you want to tell me?" >

"Harm showed up at my doorstep early this morning with a declaration of undying love and a ring to prove he was serious."

< "Oh Denise, I'm so happy for you." >

"Thank you, Mac."

< "We'll have to get together later." >

"Preferably after we've both had a little more sleep."

< "Let me talk to that lunkheaded partner of mine again." >

Denise handed the phone back to Harm. "She's awake enough to yell at you now."

Harm cringed slightly as he put the phone back to his ear. "Hey, Mac."

< "You did good, Sailor." >

"Thanks, Mac."

< "Get some sleep, Harm." >

"You, too, Mac." Harm disconnected the phone and returned it to its cradle before he looked back at Denise. "She likes you, you know."

"I like her, too."

"I'm glad," he replied as he shifted to his side so they were face to face. "Now, where were we?"

Denise chuckled as she placed her hand on his chest and smoothed down it. "I believe we were about to both pass out from exhaustion."

Harm leaned down to gently caress her lips before he replied, "I remember that now. We were going to grab some shut eye."

"I haven't had a decent night's sleep since you've been gone," she admitted.

"Neither have I," he replied. "I've gotten rather use to sleeping with you in my arms, and while Clay is a good friend, he's just no substitute for you."

Denise couldn't help but laugh before she leaned up to press a soft kiss to Harm's lips. "Get some sleep, Harm. You're delusional."

"Not completely," he replied. "I still know that I love you."

"And that I love you," she added as she watched his eyes slowly droop shut.

"That, too," he mumbled softly.

Denise said a quick prayer of thanks for his safe return before she also closed her eyes and fell into a contented sleep.

Same Time

Mac's Apartment

Georgetown

"Who was that?" Clay asked as he rolled over to face Mac.

"Harm and Denise," Mac replied as she returned the phone to its cradle and then slid back down under the covers.

"What did they want?" he asked.

"It seems as if Harm finally got his head out of his six and proposed."

Clay smiled as he draped an arm across Mac's stomach. "I knew he'd figured it out eventually."

"And you had nothing to do with this?" she asked as she ran her hand along his arm until it came to rest on his shoulder.

"Nothing at all," he replied. "But I'd be willing to bet that's why we had to stop at his apartment before we could come here tonight."

"I always knew there was an old romantic buried inside of him," she stated.

Clay's brow shot up at that. "Something you care to share?"

Mac smiled before leaning over and pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. "It's not what you're thinking, Clay. I just knew that when he found the right woman, there would be no limit to what he'd do for her."

"I owe him my life, Mac."

The sudden seriousness of his tone made Mac pull back a bit to look at him. "Why do I get the feeling that you didn't tell me the entire story about your adventure in China?"

Clay shrugged slightly before he rolled to his back, pulling Mac with him until she was lying on top of him. "Harm and I are both home safely," he stated as he slowly stroked her back. "The mission was a success, and we managed to flush out a double agent as well. There's really nothing else to tell."

Mac sighed softly and placed a kiss in the center of his chest. "Then just tell me that you love me."

"I love you," he replied.

She gave him a lopsided grin before she replied, "I don't think that's going to cut it this time."

"It's not?" he asked as he met her teasing smile.

"Nope. I think you're going to have to prove it to me. Again."

The words were barely out of her mouth before he had rolled her underneath him and claimed her mouth in a searing kiss. "I know I can do that," he replied when they finally broke for air several moments later. He then proceeded to do exactly that.

1345 EST

Saturday, October 19, 2002

St. Luke's Cathedral

Mac checked her reflection in the mirror again, reaching up to straighten her veil for about the hundredth time as Harriet walked into the room.

"Ma'am, it's fine. You look perfect."

Mac smiled as she turned around to face Harriet. "Is it time yet?"

Harriet returned the smile as she handed her a bottle of water. "Almost. Try to relax."

"I can't help it," Mac admitted as she sipped the water. "I'm excited. I want to get out there."

"Mr. Webb isn't going anywhere, Ma'am."

"Harriet, it's my wedding day. You have seen me in my underwear. I think it would be okay if you called me Mac."

Harriet couldn't help but laugh at that. "Mac, relax. I know you're excited and anxious to get this wedding underway, but you've still got fifteen minutes."

"Thirteen," Mac corrected her.

A soft knock sounded at the door and Harriet quickly moved to answer it. "Commander Rabb, you look dashing," Harriet stated as she took in the dark gray tux he wore.

"Thank you, Harriet. You look quite stunning yourself."

Harriet smiled at the compliment then stepped back to allow him to enter. "I'll give you two a couple of minutes alone," she said before she stepped into the hallway and pulled the door shut behind her.

Harm smiled as he walked over to stand in front of Mac. "Are you nervous?"

"Not really," she replied. "A little anxious, but not nervous. How is Clay?"

"A bundle of nerves," Harm replied with a laugh. Turning serious, he took her hands in his. "You look beautiful, Mac."

"Thank you," she replied. "For everything, Harm."

Their eyes met in silent understanding and then he dropped her hands and reached into his pocket. "I have something for you."

"What is it?" she asked as he held the small box out to her.

"Something new," he replied. "I asked Harriet and Denise to let me take care of this part."

Mac carefully opened the small box and felt the tears well in her eyes. "It's beautiful," she said.

Harm lifted the small, heart shaped pendant from the box and held it up for her inspection. "The two stones in it represent you and Clay," he offered in explanation. "And there's plenty of room to add more."

Mac smiled through her tears. "Will you help me put it on?"

Dropping the empty box onto a nearby table, Harm turned back to face her and carefully pinned it just above her left breast. "You're all set."

Mac met Harm's gaze for a brief moment and then replied, "Denise provided the something old with the garter belt."

"Can I see?" Harm teased.

Mac merely shook her head as she continued, "You provided the something new with the pendant. And Harriet provided the something borrowed with the earrings. Guess all I need now is something blue."

"I think Clay has taken care of that," Harm replied.

"What are you talking about?" Mac asked.

"Sorry, I've got to get to my post," he replied. Pausing to look at her one last time, he leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. "Congratulations, Mac. Be happy."

"Thank you, Harm," she replied.

Harm turned and made his way over to the door, leaving Mac alone in the bridal chamber again. After another minute of staring at her reflection in the mirror, she heard the door open again. "Harriet, we're at three minutes. Is everyone..." her voice trailed off when she turned around and instead of finding Harriet in the room with her, came face to face with her uncle.

"Uncle Matt!" Matt opened his arms and she stepped into his embrace. "How?"

"I believe that young man you're about to marry said something about you needing something blue."

Mac stepped back and admired him in his dress uniform. "Clay arranged this?"

"He apparently has some connections," Matt replied.

Mac nodded slowly. "Yes, he apparently does."

"You're beautiful, Sarah."

"Thank you," she replied.

A soft knock proceeded Harriet's arrival. "It's time."

Matt held his arm out for Mac. "May I have the honor of escorting you?"

"I would love nothing more," she replied as she slid her arm in his.

Harriet beamed at them for another moment before she stepped into the hallway and headed to the chapel entrance. It was mere moments later when they began the processional, Harm escorting Harriet to her place at the altar before moving to stand next to Clay.

"You're quite the hero," Harm whispered as they both turned to watch Mac make her way down the aisle with Matt at her side.

Clay found himself unable to respond as his eyes locked with Mac's. She was absolutely breathtaking. As he watched her draw closer, he felt his nervousness subside and an overwhelming love for her overtake him. When she finally reached his side, he shook Colonel O' Hara's hand and then took her hand in his.

"You look amazing," he whispered as they turned to face the minister.

"You don't look too shabby yourself," she replied as her eyes trailed over the dark gray tuxedo he wore.

"Are you ready for this?" Clay asked.

"Absolutely," she replied with a bright smile.

Clay gave her a quick wink before they turned their attention to what the minister was saying. They listened to the words he spoke over them and then solemnly repeated their vows and exchanged rings. Before they realized it, he was pronouncing them husband and wife. "You may kiss your bride."

Clay wasted no time in pulling Mac into his arms. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you," she repeated. And then his mouth covered hers, stealing her breath and speaking of promises of many more to come.

When they finally broke apart, the minister smiled at them and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Webb."

Clay offered Mac his arm and she looped her through it with a smile. Their friends and family all stood and applauded as they made their way down the aisle towards their new life...together.

The End