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A little before five Harm went to take a shower and get dressed, careful not to wake Jennifer who had fallen asleep not long after finishing her beer or Sturgis who had taken to snoring a few minutes after Jennifer. Carolyn had found a book that interested her and had curled up by a window to read, and Mac had taken Harm�s bed where she had slid under the covers and surrounded herself in Harm�s exquisitely masculine scent and had drifted into dreamland a little after four. Harm finished his shower, shaving while bathing to save some time, and after he got dressed he went to the kitchen to see if he had anything he could bring with him for a semblance of a breakfast. Settling on fruit, Harm grabbed a couple of apples before he said a quick goodbye to Carolyn and made sure that the alarm was set so that the exhausted group didn�t sleep in, and he left his loft to head to the airport.
Meg�s flight landed on time and she got off almost immediately. Harm once again thanked his genes for allowing him to be so tall and he saw his ex-partner�s blonde head and soft smile right away.
Stopping a few feet in front of him, Meg stood at attention and saluted. Harm rolled his eyes and saluted back before pulling Meg into a tight embrace. She returned the hug immediately, holding him for a while longer than was generally deemed proper.
�How�re you holding up?� Meg asked as Harm took her garment bag from her. One of his gentlemanly habits that had annoyed her back when they were partners until she realized he wasn�t trying to be the big strong manly man but was really just being chivalrous.
�I think I�m still in denial about it all,� Harm admitted. �I mean, I�ve known Harriet for years. I was there when she and Bud met, I saw their first kiss, I was there while they dated, I was Bud�s best man at their wedding� I was a little too involved for comfort when little AJ was born� and now she�s just gone.�
Meg rubbed his back comfortingly. �What about Bud? How�s he doing? And their son� I can�t remember his name��
�AJ, more commonly called �little AJ� so that people don�t confuse him and the Admiral,� Harm said. Meg nodded and Harm sighed heavily. �They�re both heartbroken. Mac and I left Bud at Harriet�s parent�s last night with little AJ,� Harm said. �God, I can�t imagine how he�s going to deal without his mom,� he said softly.