Where We Belong
Part Three
He felt Mattie�s cool hand slip into his own and looked down. She was staring straight ahead, her face carefully neutral. Still, he could see the tension throughout her small frame and he cursed inwardly. He had been so focused on his own nerves that he hadn�t stopped to think of how Mattie would feel. She had even more reason to feel nervous; she was about to meet a bunch of strangers that had no idea of her existence in their friend�s life. Harm pushed aside his own feelings and concentrated on reassuring her.
�Hey,� he said softly, jostling the hand still in his own, �There�s no reason for you to be nervous. They�re going to love you.�
�You don�t know that,� she answered, staring skeptically at him. �What if they�re all like your boss? He hates me.�
�He doesn�t hate you,� Harm responded, carefully concealing a smile, �He�s intimidated by you. And even if he did hate you, they�re not all like that. Trust me.�
She stared at him, her disbelief still plain to see. �I guess,� she said dubiously. He was going to say more when the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. He smiled encouragingly at her, took a deep breath, and led her off the elevator and into the bullpen.
It was pretty quiet for a Monday and Harm was grateful. He had made certain to time it so that they showed up towards the end of the lunch hour, giving him a chance to show Mattie around and get her acclimated. He was going to start off by showing her his office, but before he could, he saw Harriet exiting the break room. She looked up and smiled.
�Commander,� she said enthusiastically as she made her way over to them. �I didn�t expect to see you today. The colonel said that you were off until next Monday.�
�I am, Harriet. Just stopping by for a visit,� he responded, trying to come up with the best way to proceed. After a moment�s hesitation, he decided to just dive in and see what happened.
�Harriet, I�d like you to meet someone,� Harm pulled Mattie forward to stand in front of him. Placing his arms on her shoulders, he said. �Mattie, this is Lt. Harriet Sims. Harriet, this is Mattie Grace.�
�It�s nice to meet you, Mattie,� Harriet smiled warmly at her and held out her hand, �How do you know the Commander?�
�He�s my guardian,� Mattie responded as she shook Harriet�s hand. She pulled away quickly when she saw Harriet�s mouth drop open in shock.
�Your guardian?� Harriet squeaked. She turned her stunned gaze on Harm. �Sir?�
Harm pulled Mattie back to him and fixed Harriet with a stern glare. �That�s right, Harriet,� he said firmly. �I met Mattie before I came back to JAG. She was on her own, so I petitioned the court for guardianship. And I was lucky enough to get it,� he added, squeezing her shoulders and smiling down at her.
Mattie returned his smile, but he could see that she was still unsettled by Harriet�s reaction. The three of them stood there awkwardly for a moment until Harriet finally spoke.
�Um, that�s wonderful, sir.� Although Harm could still see a million questions running across her face, there was no doubting Harriet�s sincerity. She added hesitantly, �But, um, well...when did this happen, sir?�
�I was granted guardianship on Christmas Eve.� He knew that wasn�t exactly what Harriet meant, but he had no intention of getting into all of the details while standing in the middle of the hall. Things were uncomfortable enough as it is. Besides, he only wanted to do this once. With that in mind, Harm asked, �Where�s Bud, Harriet?� Harriet was still staring at Mattie. �Harriet?�
�Hmm?� she murmured, tearing her eyes away and looking up at him. �Oh, I�m sorry, sir. Bud and Commander Turner have court this afternoon. They just headed down there.�
�Oh,� Harm wasn�t sure whether to be disappointed that he wouldn�t get the chance to tell them about Mattie himself, or relieved that he wouldn�t have to tell them about Mattie himself. Considering how tense things were right now, he was leaning towards relieved. He decided it was time to get to the main reason he was here. �What about Mac? Is she back from lunch yet?�
�Actually, sir, she ate lunch in her office today.� Harriet�s eyes widened in understanding and something akin to terror. �Are you going to introduce Miss Grace to the Colonel, sir?�
Harm chuckled. �It�s Mattie, Harriet and no I�m not going to introduce her to the Colonel because she and the Colonel have already met.�
�Oh, good,� Harriet sighed in relief. She smiled, �In that case, why don�t I walk the two of you to her office?�
�Sounds good,� Harm smiled back. He reached for Mattie�s hand and the two of them followed Harriet through the bullpen. Mattie took the opportunity to whisper, �Should I wait until Lt. Sims leaves before I ask Mac about New Years?�
He shook his head. �No. Do it as soon as possible. We might need Harriet�s help if Mac tries to resist.�
�Resistance is futile,� Mattie intoned softly. Harm looked at her curiously. �It�s a quote. From Star Trek,� Mattie explained. The blank expression on Harm�s face didn�t change and she rolled her eyes as they reached Mac�s office, �You�re hopeless.�
The door was closed and the blinds were shut. �Are you sure she didn�t go out to lunch, Lieutenant Sims?� Mattie asked curiously.
�It�s Harriet, Mattie, and I�m sure,� Harriet answered before knocking on the door. Hearing a curt �Enter!� from the other side, she smiled at Mattie and opened the door. �Excuse me, ma�am, but you have visitors.�
�Visitors?� Harm could hear the confusion in Mac�s voice.
�Yes, ma�am.� Harriet stepped into the room and to the side as she answered, allowing Mac to see Harm and Mattie. Mac�s eyes widened in surprise and a delighted grin spread across her face.
�Mattie!� she exclaimed happily as she stood up. She stepped out from behind her desk and held out her arms. Mattie stepped willingly into the embrace, and they hugged tightly. After a moment, Mac released her. Wrapping an arm loosely around her shoulders, she turned towards Harm and asked, �What are you guys doing here?�
�Like the lady said,� Harm said, gesturing to Harriet, �we came to visit.� Mac�s entire face lit up with one of the biggest, happiest smiles he had seen in a long time. �Too long a time,� he thought silently. He shifted his gaze to Mattie and saw an answering smile on her face, and it made him more determined than ever to make sure that Mac spent the holiday with them. He had known that Mac would be good for Mattie; her relationship with Chloe was evidence of the kind of positive influence she had on young girls. But he hadn�t realized until Mattie told him how alone Mac looked how good she would be for Mac. Because Mattie was right, Mac was lonely. When he looked back on the time since he�d returned to JAG, it was obvious to him. But he�d been so caught up in his own loneliness, his own feelings of displacement, that he�d been unable to see hers until Mattie pointed it out. Now he watched them standing there together and thought that Mattie might be the key to easing Mac�s loneliness, just like she�d been the key to easing his.
He had been so focused on watching them that he hadn�t really been paying attention to their conversation, not until Mattie turned and caught Harm�s gaze. �Showtime,� he thought, and gave a slight nod to indicate to her that it was okay to ask. She immediately turned to Mac.
�Actually, we didn�t come here just to visit.� Harm heard a hint of nervousness in Mattie�s voice and wondered if it was real or part of her plan. She continued, �We came here to ask you something.�
�Is everything all right?� Mac asked worriedly, responding to Mattie�s anxiety.
Mattie nodded quickly. �Everything�s fine.� She took a deep breath, �It�s just that...well, we were talking about what we wanted to do on New Years, and we decided...I mean we hoped...Would you please come over and spend New Years with us?�
Harm had been watching Mac�s face carefully throughout Mattie�s rambling speech, and he�d seen her walls go up the moment New Year�s had been mentioned. She bit her lip, and he could tell that she wanted to refuse the offer, but didn�t want to hurt Mattie�s feelings. Before she could say no, he jumped in.
�We�d really like it if you came, Mac,� he said sincerely. She still looked hesitant, so he started working on his part of the plan. He layered his voice with just the right mixture of embarrassment and desperation when he added, �I know that this is last minute, and you probably already have plans-� He didn�t add the phrase �with Webb� aloud, but he could tell by the look on her face that she heard it.
�I don�t,� she interrupted quickly, and he hid a sigh of relief. That had been the biggest obstacle he had foreseen; now that it was out of the way, he was confident that he and Mattie could convince her. He was about to start in on the next phase, when Harriet spoke up.
�Ma�am, I don�t understand,� Harriet said in confusion. Mac looked startled; she�d forgotten Harriet was in the room. She tensed, but Harriet didn�t notice. �When I asked you over for New Year�s, you said you already had plans.�
�I did, Harriet, but they...fell through.� Mac�s explanation sounded perfectly reasonable, and Harriet seemed satisfied, but some instinct told Harm that she was lying. He was willing to bet that Mac had never had plans and she had only told Harriet that so she wouldn�t have to spend New Year�s with the Roberts.
A glance at Mattie told him that she suspected the same thing. But she just smiled and said brightly, �Great, then you can come over to Harm�s and we can ring in the New Year together.�
�I don�t know, Mattie,� Mac wavered.
Mattie�s face took on a look of disappointment and resignation. �Oh. That�s okay,� she smiled bravely, �You probably want to do something more fun than spend New Year�s with a fifteen-year-old. I guess it would seem kind of boring. Don�t worry about it.�
Harm watched Mattie and tried desperately to keep a straight face. She sounded so pitiful. If he hadn�t spent the whole weekend helping her perfect the whole thing, it would be tearing his heart out right now. As it was, he could barely stop himself from laughing. The look on Mac�s face was priceless. She didn�t stand a chance.
�Mattie, it�s not that at all,� Mac tried to explain. �You�re not boring. And I�m sure I�d have a lot of fun spending New Year�s with you-�
�Then what�s the problem?� Harm interjected. Instead of emulating Mattie�s puppy dog expression, he opted for one of challenge. Mac could never resist a challenge. She turned and glared at him in frustration but he simply raised an eyebrow questioningly. They engaged in a small staring contest, but Harm wasn�t worried. This was one time he was going to come out on top. Her shoulders slumped a little and he smirked. �Gotcha.� She glared at him again, and then turned to Mattie, her expression softening.
�There is no problem,� she smiled reassuringly. �If you�re sure you want me crashing another one of your holidays, then I�d love to come.�
Mattie grinned delightedly and wrapped her arms around Mac�s waist. �Of course we�re sure and you�re not crashing. We�re inviting. Right, Harm?�
�Right,� I say sincerely. I give Mac a gentle smile. �We�re inviting. And we�re both sure,� I add firmly.
Mac smiles shyly. �Then I guess I�ll see you on New Year�s.�
He shook his head as he remembered the fateful meeting between Mattie and the Admiral�s yeoman on Monday. After agreeing to be at Harm�s at nineteen hundred on New Year�s, Mac had shooed them out of her office so she could get some work done. On their way out the door, they had run into Jen. Harm had been looking forward to this particular introduction just so that he could see the look of shock on Jen�s face when she realized that his �very young new girlfriend� was actually his ward. He was the one who ended up shocked, though. When he introduced Mattie, Jen had shown no surprise at all. In fact, she seemed delighted to meet Mattie and despite the age difference, they had become fast friends. It turns out that Mac had already informed her of what was going on. Since they had talked about Harm asking her to stay with Mattie occasionally, Mac had decided to broach the subject with her. She wanted to give Jen a chance to voice any concerns or reservations she might have without worrying about his reaction. She had recognized that Jen was still feeling guilty about the trial and would probably agree to whatever Harm asked, whether she wanted to do it or not, and decided to make sure it was something she wanted to do. It wasn�t something Harm had thought of, and he was grateful to Mac for taking care of it. In fact, he was just generally grateful to her. From the moment she had shown up in that courtroom, she had been so completely supportive and helpful. He couldn�t believe he had ever said that she would screw things up for him.
He had just finished getting dressed when he heard a knock at the door. He didn�t even bother glancing at the clock; he knew it would say seven o�clock. He smiled as he heard Mattie�s, �I got it!� as she rushed to open the door for Mac. She had been so nervous the past two days, wanting everything to be perfect. She had drilled him on what kind of snacks Mac liked, and what kind of games she enjoyed playing, and what her favorite movies were. He had answered her questions patiently while reassuring her that Mac would enjoy whatever Mattie had planned if it meant spending time with her. Now that the time was here, though, he was feeling some nerves of his own. Not that Mac wouldn�t have a good time with Mattie; he knew they would have a great time together. He was worried that his presence would hinder Mac�s enjoyment tonight. Although they seemed to have come to some unspoken truce, they still weren�t completely comfortable with each other. Harm was afraid of saying something stupid and hurtful again that would break this fragile peace between them. He had to constantly remind himself that neither he nor Mac would start an argument as long as Mattie was there. With that in mind, he made a promise to himself that they would all enjoy tonight.
Harm stepped out of the bedroom and found Mac standing at the kitchen counter, holding a bowl of chips and listening to Mattie ramble on about the various things she had for them to do. After a minute, she laughed, �Mattie, take a breath and relax, okay?�
Mattie immediately stopped talking and looked down at the floor. Harm could tell that she was embarrassed and moved to step in, but realized that it wasn�t necessary; Mac saw it, too. She placed her hand on Mattie�s chin and lifted her face.
�Hey, it�s okay,� she said softly. �Don�t worry so much. Everything you�ve planned sounds wonderful and I know we�re going to have a great time. I just want to make sure you don�t get so stressed out that you don�t have a great time.�
�I�m sorry,� Mattie blushed, �It�s just that I know I kind of pushed you into coming tonight and-�
�You didn�t force me to do anything,� Mac interrupted firmly. �I WANT to be here. The only reason I hesitated to accept your invitation was that I didn�t want to intrude on your time with Harm. That�s all.� She smiled warmly, �I had a wonderful time at Christmas, Mattie. It was probably the best Christmas I�ve ever had. You know why?� Mattie shook her head mutely. �Because of the company. Just you and me and Harm spending the day together, that�s what made it so perfect. And that�s what�ll make tonight perfect, too. Okay?�
�Okay,� Mattie smiled shyly. Mac reached out and pulled Mattie into her embrace. As Harm stood there watching them hug, he couldn�t help but feel just a little bit envious at how quickly Mac had bonded with Mattie. Intellectually, he knew that it made sense. Not only was Mac experienced in dealing with teenage girls, thanks to her relationship with Chloe, but she also had the added advantage of being a woman. Because of her relationship with her father, Mattie was inclined to trust men less than women. He guessed it was actually a compliment of sorts that Mattie had managed to overcome her instincts and trust him as much as she did. Still, he wished he could be as comfortable with things like hugging Mattie as Mac was. He shrugged internally, trying to shake off the melancholy thoughts that were starting to envelop him.
At that moment, Mac looked up and saw him and her smile widened. �Happy New Year, sailor.�
�Happy New Year, Marine,� Harm flashed her his best flyboy smile. He couldn�t believe how quickly one smile from her could brighten his day. He couldn�t believe that he had lived all those months without that smile. He wouldn�t have, he knew, if it weren�t for the girl still wrapped in Mac�s embrace. Mattie had given him hope and a sense of purpose, two things that he had thought were lost for good after Paraguay. It was amazing how much he had come to care for her in such a short time, and how happy it made him to have her in his life. He had the overwhelming urge to go over there and just pick Mattie up and swing her around, he was suddenly so happy. And although his first instinct was to fight the urge, he didn�t want to do that anymore. He wanted to be as comfortable hugging Mattie as Mac was. With that in mind, Harm strode into the kitchen. When Mattie stepped away from Mac and turned to him, he engulfed her in his arms, lifting her off the ground and spinning her in a circle before gently setting her back on her feet.
�What was that for?� Mattie asked. She sounded both surprised and confused; however, she made no move to step out of his embrace.
�Just for being you, kiddo,� he grinned joyfully, reaching down and playfully tapping her nose. She beamed at him and wrapped her arms more tightly around his waist, squeezing forcefully.
From his vantage point, he could see Mac�s face out of the corner of his eye. She was smiling softly, tears in her eyes. He could see how happy she was for him, for both of them, but he could see a lingering sadness in her eyes, and a hint of that ever-present loneliness. He wished he could pick her up like he had with Mattie and share this newfound happiness with her, but they didn�t have that kind of relationship anymore. Had they ever? Had he ever just hugged her because he was happy and he felt like sharing it with her? He thought back over eight years, but the only embraces he came up with were when one or both of them was hurting and in need of comfort. �Well, that�s going to change right now� he thought determinedly. He squeezed Mattie one more time before releasing her from his hold. He stepped to the side of Mattie and started to move forward. Mac must have seen something in his expression because her eyes widened in alarm. Rather than making him hesitate, it only strengthened Harm�s resolve. Before she had a chance to protest or move away, he reached out and caught her in his arms. She stiffened in his embrace, but he didn�t let that deter him. He just waited until she relaxed in his arms and then picked her up and swung her around like he had with Mattie.
After a moment, he set her back down on her feet. She opened her mouth to speak, but he placed a finger over her lips before she could get a word out. �Before you ask,� he said, still smiling widely, �that was just for being you.� Unable to resist, he gave her the same tap on her nose that he gave Mattie. She blushed furiously, and he laughed. She tried glaring at him, but the soft smile tugging at her lips gave her away. Finally, she just surrendered and started laughing.
�Right back at ya,� she said, hugging him lightly. She stepped away, and he could feel a hint of awkwardness beginning to creep in. Determined not to let it take hold, he stepped back.
�So what should we do first?� he asked enthusiastically, �Games or food?�
�Games,� Mattie voted. She turned to Mac, �Or we could do both if you�re really hungry.�
Harm snorted. �One thing you need to learn about Mac, Mattie. She�s always really hungry.�
She had no trouble glaring at him this time. �Shut up, squid,� she huffed. Turning to Mattie, she said, �I think that would be a great idea. In fact, I have the perfect game,� she added, a wicked gleam in her eye. �I think we should play truth or dare. We just need to come up with the perfect dare for Harm.�
�Like what?� Mattie asked enthusiastically, the idea of humiliating her guardian clearly exciting her.
�I don�t know, Mattie. Maybe we could dare him to run down the street naked?� she asked innocently.
Mattie frowned. �Nah. I don�t really want to see Harm naked, thanks.�
�Yeah, that would be pretty scary,� Mac agreed solemnly. It was Harm�s turn to glare, but she only responded with an impish grin. �How about making him put on his dress uniform and stand on the corner, dancing the Macarena?�
�Now that could work,� Mattie responded, grinning. She turned to Harm, �Okay, Harm-�
�Wait,� Mac interrupted quickly, �I�ve got an even better one.� An evil smile crossed her face and suddenly Harm was very afraid.
�Let�s make him eat a Beltway burger.�
�Ooh, that�s perfect,� Mattie said almost reverently. She had learned Harm�s feelings about fast food early on, and found them incomprehensible. Like most teenagers, she loved junk food and suddenly the idea of introducing her to Mac didn�t seem so smart. She smirked at him, �And we�ll make sure they add cheese.�
�And bacon,� Mac added.
�Yeah. Extra bacon.�
�Ooh, and French fries.�
�Super sized.�
They looked at each other. �And a hot fudge sundae for dessert,� they chorused. They looked over at Harm, identical smirks on their faces. For his part, Harm was wavering between annoyance and disgust.
�I�d rather stand on the corner and do the Macarena. Naked,� he glared at them. They began giggling. An idea formed in Harm�s head, and he fought back his own grin. Pasting an exaggerated look of martyrdom on his face, he stalked off to the couch in a huff. The two began laughing in earnest now, and doubled over, clutching their sides. As such, they were completely unprepared for the two pillows that whacked them on the head.
�You think you�re pretty funny, don�t you?� he said, quickly delivering another blow before they could defend themselves. Mattie shrieked and tried to run, but Harm caught her around the waist and began tickling her. Taking advantage of his distraction, Mac seized one of Harm�s pillows and hit him over the head. Releasing Mattie, he launched a counterattack, knocking her in the stomach. Mattie raced into the bedroom to grab a pillow of her own.
Ten minutes later, the three of them were lying on the kitchen floor, exhausted. Harm lifted his head and looked over at Mac, who was leaning against the cabinets. �No truth or dare,� he wheezed, trying to catch his breath. Mac just shook her head wearily in agreement, too winded to speak yet. They turned to Mattie, who was flopped in front of the refrigerator.
�Okay,� she agreed. To their dismay, she didn�t sound nearly as winded as they were. She smiled, �How about Twister?�
She ducked as two pillows came flying at her face.
Harm heard firecrackers being set off somewhere outside and looked over at Mac questioningly.
�We still have eighty-six seconds,� she answered his unspoken question as she brought the glasses over to the couch. He took them carefully from her and set them on the table. He scooted over to one side and she sat on the other, silently agreeing that Mattie should sit between them. She smiled bashfully at him, avoiding his eye. Harm didn�t blame her. The closer it got to midnight, the more nervous he got. After all, tradition dictated ringing in the New Year with a kiss. God knows he wanted to kiss her, but he wasn�t sure if it was what she wanted. And even if it was, he wasn�t sure it was the right thing to do. He didn�t want to upset the fragile balance they�d achieved. He was also afraid that if he started kissing her, he wouldn�t be able to stop. And he didn�t want Mattie to get an up close and personal lesson on the birds and the bees her first week with him.
�Thirty seconds,� Mac�s voice broke into his thoughts. Mattie rushed over and dropped a noisemaker in each of their laps before taking her seat between them. They each picked up their glass and Mac began the countdown. Harm and Mattie joined in at five.
�Five...four...three...two...one. Happy New Year!� They exclaimed, clinking glasses together in a toast. Harm and Mac each took a sip, but Mattie set her glass down and picked up her little horn, blowing it directly in Harm�s face. He managed not to choke on his drink in surprise as Mac laughed. Soon all three of them were holding various and assorted noisemakers, each trying to be louder than the other. After a few minutes, they stopped and leaned back on the couch to relax. It didn�t take long for Mattie�s eyes to begin drooping shut, her seemingly endless supply of energy finally spent. Harm nudged her gently in the side.
�Hey, kiddo, I think it�s time for bed.� He smiled affectionately at her. She nodded sleepily and stood up. She gazed questioningly at Mac, who just waved her off to bed.
�You go and get settled in,� she said. �I�ll be in a minute.� Mattie nodded and shuffled off to the bedroom.
A painful silence descended on them. Mac picked up her glass and took a sip, only to nervously set it down a moment later. Harm watched her as she started to pick at the paper of her cheap little purple horn. He hesitated for a moment, unsure how to proceed. Finally he took a deep breath and reached out to grasp her hand. She glanced up quickly in surprise; her eyes shining with unshed tears.
�Happy New Year, Sarah,� he said, his voice low but sincere. He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her cheek, not trusting himself to do more. A single tear escaped her eyes and he lifted his hand to brush it away with his thumb before cupping her cheek. Reveling in the familiar gesture, she closed her eyes tightly and turned her face into his palm.
�Happy New Year, Harm,� she murmured softly. All too soon, she lifted her head and pulled away from his hand. Sensing that she was about to retreat, he tried desperately to come up with something to say to keep here a moment longer.
�What�s your resolution for this year, Mac?� he asked, seizing on the first thing that came to mind. He was surprised at how much the question seemed to startle her.
�I...I don�t know,� she answered honestly. �I don�t really have one.�
�Come on,� he cajoled, �there has to be something. Everyone has at least one.�
�I�m sure there is something, Harm. I just haven�t thought about it,� She shrugged.
�Think now,� he urged her. She looked at him and raised her arms helplessly. He tried to help her out, �When you think about the future, what do you want to happen?�
It was a loaded question, and they both realized it. Mac froze and started to back away, but Harm held tight to her hand. Finally, she sighed in resignation. �What do I want to happen in the future?� He nodded silently and she turned to stare out the window.
�I want a lot of things,� she whispered, gazing up at the stars.
He reached out and turned her face to his. �What do you want most?�
Those familiar words broke down the last of Mac�s defenses and she could no longer fight back the tears. She tried to turn her head away but Harm wouldn�t let her. �Harm, please.�
The pleading tone tore at his heart, but he didn�t let go. He knew if he didn�t fight now, he�d never get another chance. And he was sick of never�s. He gently repeated his question.
�What do you want most, Mac?�
Pain and defiance flashed across her face, only to be replaced by resignation and that familiar loneliness. When her reply came it was barely audible.
�I want to fix things between us. I want my best friend back,� she choked out and buried her face in her hands, crying in earnest.
Harm reached out and pulled her onto his lap. He pressed her head against his chest and rocked her gently back and forth, a few tears of his own escaping to join with hers. When she had calmed down some, he pressed his cheek to her silky hair and whispered. �I�m still here, Mac. I�m still your best friend. Please believe that.�
�I do,� she said, her voice still muffled by his chest. She lifted her head and locked her gaze on his. �And I hope you know that I�m still yours.�
�I do,� he answered softly. �I think I always did. And if I had any doubts, everything you�ve done for me and Mattie has erased them.�
�I couldn�t do anything else, Harm,� she said sincerely. �I meant what I said in court. You�re a good man, Harm. And you�re good for Mattie. The two of you are good for each other.�
�What about you, Mac?� he asked.
�What about me?�
�Are we good for you? Mattie and I?� He asked somewhat anxiously.
�You�re very good for me, Harm,� she answered firmly. �The two of you are probably the best things in my life right now.�
�Good,� He smiled at her, �Because you�re definitely good for us.� She blushed and ducked her head. She was so beautiful. Her nose was red and her eyes were puffy, and she was the most beautiful woman he�d ever known.
Without lifting her head, she asked nervously, �Do you think we can fix things between us, Harm?�
�Yeah,� he responded confidently, �I think we can fix things between us.�
Now, she did lift her head. �Is that what you want?�
�It�s on the top of my list, marine.� He said with a smile as pulled her back into his arms. They sat there quietly for a moment before Mac broke the silence.
�Are you going to tell me what else is on your list, Harm?� she asked sleepily. She laid her head on his shoulder.
�Yeah, but not right now.� She yawned loudly and he grinned. �Right now, we both need some sleep.�
�Mm,� she snuggled in closer. �When are you going to tell me?�
�Later,� he said, and she drifted off again. When he was sure she was asleep, he added softly, �Ask me again in about five months.�
JAG Headquarters
1250 EST
Harm couldn�t help but feel anxious as he and Mattie stepped onto the elevator that would take them up to the bullpen. This would be the first time most of them would meet Mattie, let alone find out that Harm was now her guardian. Although he was sure everyone had noticed the two of them sitting together in church on Christmas Eve, he had made sure to time their arrival and departure so that he wouldn�t have to introduce her to anyone. It wasn�t that he hadn�t wanted them to know, he had. But that night had been so painful for both of them that the idea of explaining everything to his co-workers was just too much for him to handle. Of course, that was before Mac pulled off her Christmas miracle. Now he was regretting not letting everyone know what was happening sooner. They were sure to be shocked and, if Mac�s initial reaction was anything to go by, more than a little hurt by the exclusion. Harm�s only comfort came from the fact that they were all too professional to make any kind of a scene at the office.
New Year�s Eve
North of Union Station
1850 EST
Harm stepped out of the shower and quickly dried himself off. He was running late, as usual. But this time it wasn�t his fault. Mattie had sent him to the store two hours ago when she realized that they had forgotten to get ice cream. He had tried to point out that they already had a container of ice cream in the freezer, but she had told him it wasn�t Mac�s favorite. When he had asked her how she knew what Mac�s favorite ice cream was since he hadn�t told her, she just said, �Jen�, and pushed him out the door.
Harm�s apartment
2357 EST
Harm watched from the couch as Mattie pulled out the noisemakers and Mac poured them glasses of sparkling cider. They hadn�t played Twister, but they had played just about everything else. They had also laughed, joked, and had more fun than any of them thought possible. Of course, now they were exhausted and they had agreed that after they rang in the New Year, they were going to bed. Harm didn�t want Mac driving home, so he told her she was staying the night. That hadn�t gone over particularly well, and they had argued for a good five minutes before Mattie stepped in. She had looked Mac in the eye and told her in no uncertain terms that she WOULD be spending the night, because there were too many crazy people on the road and Mac wasn�t going to spoil their perfect New Year�s celebration by getting killed by some drunk driver on the way home. She was close to crying by the end, and Mac had felt horrible. Quietly agreeing to stay, she had asked Mattie to accompany her downstairs to get her sea bag. They were gone for twenty minutes, and when they returned Harm could tell they had both been crying, but they had obviously reached an understanding and the rest of the night went smoothly.