Celia's Notes:  Well, after we cleaned up the mess we made peeing our pants after Part 2 of Boomerang, we knew this was begging for a shipper post-ep piece.  So here we go.  Love ya, Nic—back to the Sin Wagon!

Nicole's Notes: Uhm…..this is the part where I write something, right? Drat. Well, basically, we hit the nail on the head regarding the Harriet/Mac/ring conversation. Everything else will live in my imagination as the truth. :o)
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If there was ever a manual on men, Sarah Mackenzie was in desperate need of one. She leaned her head back against her chair and looked at the diamond solitaire that adorned her right hand, thinking about the past 24 hours. She had been proposed to (kind of) and her partner had confessed his love to her (kind of)...the only thing she was sure about was that she was absolutely up the creek without a paddle regarding her situation.

Just then, there was a knock on Mac's office door. It wasn't just a courtesy knock, either. Harm stood outside, actually awaiting her permission to enter.

Looking up, Mac called "Come in," hoping against all hopes that Harm wasn't on the other side of the door, but having her gut tell her it was him.

Harm entered with a shy smile. "Hey, Mac. I was hoping we could talk about...you know...the last few days."

Mac, somewhat taken aback at his abruptness, had to mentally shake herself to answer him. "Yes, I agree," She said quickly. "Dinner tonight?"

Harm nodded. "Great. 1900, you pick the place?" he offered.

Mac nodded. "How about Ho's Organic Noodle House?" She offerred after a minute, figuring if he was in a familiar and comfortable place, he'd be collected enough to keep her sane.

Harm smiled broadly when she remembered one of his favorite restaurants. "Wonderful. I have something to pick up after work, so I'll meet you there by 7." He ducked out of the office with a wave-salute.
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Lunch time had come and gone, with Harm burying himself among the paperwork in his office. As his stomach reminded him that he'd missed lunch, Harm stood and stretched, then made a beeline for the vending machines.

In her own office, Mac stretched out her back in tandem with her growling stomach. She figured with the hour, most everyone was back in their offices, including Harm, so she headed down to the vending machine. Taking the corner into the cafeteria a little too close, she plowed straight into a tall, dark figure. "I'm so sorry!" Mac sputtered, then offered a grin when she realized it was Harm. "Sorry," she said more quietly.

Harm looked up with grimace. "Hey, watch where...oh, hi, Mac." *What do I do?* Harm thought. *Avoid her? Be civil but leave quickly? Oh cripes, man, this is *Mac*.* With a grin, he swiveled back to face her. "Machine's all yours."

Smiling nervously, Mac put her money in the machine and got her preferred sandwich. She took a deep breath and all but ran back up to her office, kicking herself for being so nervous around him. *This is HARM, Sarah.* Her rational side pointed out, even as her romantic side yelled, *This is the same HARM who all but professed his love to you no more than 24 hours ago.* As she retreated to her office, Mac saw Harriet pouring over something at her desk. Without really thinking, Mac cleared her throat and said, "Harriet? Do you have a minute?"

Harriet looked up from the file she was translating from shorthand. "Of course, ma'am." She followed Mac into her office silently.

Motioning to a chair, Mac shut the door behind her and asked somewhat nervously, "Harriet, can I talk to you off the record...woman to woman?"

Harriet frowned, a crease marring her delicate features. "Of course, Mac. What's wrong?" she asked, sitting down slowly.

Mac flopped in her chair and threw her hands up in the air. "Men!"

Harriet stifled a giggle. "Now that's a new one on me. What, specifically, about men?"

Mac lowered her hands and regarded the junior officer. "Men. You get to know what you *think* are their personalities and then wham! They come out of right field and blindside you."

Harriet blinked, confused. "Back the truck up, ma'am, and explain?"

Mac held out her right hand to Harriet. "Mic gave me this during our visit to Australia, a day after Harm all but professed his love to me."

Harriet leaned over Mac's desk and stared at the ring. "He what? Commander Rabb did *what*?" Her voice rose an octave as she grabbed Mac's hand. "Tell me *everything*, Mac!" she exclaimed.

"Shhh, Harriet!" Mac admonished with a smile. "Mic asked me to marry him, telling me he loved me. *After*, of course, the enigmatic Commander Rabb decided to tell me that I was the only woman he treated 'like this' and 'now wasn't a good time'...but the way he said it, Harriet..." She sighed. "I don't know what to do."

Harriet practically swooned as she sank back into the chair. "Oh, wow. Well, tell me everything Harm said and exactly how he said it, and we'll figure out what he meant. You're good with languages," Harriet winked, "I'm sure we can decode man-speak."

Mac ran a hand through her hair. "Well, first he said something about men not being able to understand a woman, even if they speak the same language. Then he was all worried about me going topless on the beach with Mic...and then he said, 'You'd never go topless for me'. Then I asked him how long we were going to wait, and he said that 'A change of location doesn't change who we are', to which I replied 'Most men would disagree with you.' So then he says, 'I disagree with myself sometimes…"

Harriet waved a hand to interrupt. "You're going to have to elaborate on this "topless on the beach with Mic" thing later, Mac." She paused briefly. "Okay, so far, it sounds like he wanted to tell you something more, but was holding back out of respect, or fear. Knowing men, it's probably fear."

"I know...he says he's just this way with me...and then he called me Sarah. Harriet, I just don't know what to do!"

"He what?"

Confused, Mac looked back at Harriet. "What?"

"Repeat what you just said." Harriet's voice was barely above a whisper.

"I said I don't know what to do about Harm and Mic. They came to blows over me, Harriet...I'm the reason your husband's jaw is wired!"

"No, *before* that, Mac."

Trying to remember her words, Mac said, "Um...he says he's only this way with me. And then he called me Sarah."

"Oh, god." Harriet's Southern accent drawled the words. "He knows," she whispered to herself. "He knows."

"Who knows what, Harriet?"

"He knows, Mac. The Commander knows he's in love with you!" At Mac's confused look, Harriet continued. "You see, unlike us, men don't *know* when they feel something for a woman. They just realize one day that they've had feelings for her all along. And he did. Whatever went on in Australia was worth it, Mac. He knows."

Mac buried her head in her hands. "So where does that leave me? With two men in love with me?"

Harriet nodded sympathetically. "I think Mic will get over, though. You're a special woman, but you're not right for him, and he's not right for you."

Mac regarded her junior officer, a mixture of interest and disdain mixing her features. "How do you figure?"

Harriet almost backed down, but realized that Mac needed honesty more than a sympathetic ear right now. "You're just not right for each other. It's hard to explain, but if you could see yourself with the Commander Rabb, and then with Commander Brumby, you'd understand." Harriet paused for a second, adjusting the hem of her skirt. "It's in the way Commander Rabb watches you walk away from him, Mac. In the way his eyes light up when you tease him. In the way he stands just close enough to you, but just far enough away. Bud used to do that to me. I asked him why he did it and he said he wanted to be far enough away to respect my personal space, but close enough to smell my shampoo."

Mac leaned back in her chair, taking in everything Harriet had just said. "How do you know when it's right, Harriet?" she finally asked quietly.

Harriet smiled broadly. "That's an easy answer. You just know. Something deep inside you, some little voice, tells you when it is. I think you already heard her, Mac," the Lieutenant offered. "*Is eternity how long we're going to wait?*" Harriet parroted Mac's words back to her. "Sounds like someone who knows what she wants."

Mac took a deep, shaky breath, staring at the ring on her hand. Looking back at Harriet, she finally said, "Thank you, Harriet. I really appreciate this."

Harriet smiled gently. "I hope it helps." She stood, and reached over the desk, patting Mac's hand. "I know how hard these decisions can be, but when you've made the right one, it's so worth it."

Mac nodded. "I sure hope so."

"I know so," Harriet said confidently.

1900 hours
Ho's Organic Noodle House
Virginia

Harm stood in the foyer of the restaurant, waiting for a table. Mac had gone off to do god knows what in the bathroom, and he was dying a little more each minute as he envisioned the discussion to come.

*"I'm sorry, Harm, I love him. I can't wait for you forever."*
*"But, I love you, Sarah."*
*"You should've spoken up sooner. It's too late now. Too late. Too late."*

Harm snapped out of his daydream (more accurately, his worst nightmare) and turned to see Mac standing beside him. "Hey, did you say something?" he asked softly.

Placing a hand on his arm, she looked up at him. "You okay?" She asked.

Harm nodded slightly, shivering at her touch, but not letting on. "Fine. You ready?" he asked as the waiter approached them. Harm held out his arm in escort pose. "Ma'am?" he said quietly, waiting for Mac to take his arm.

Hooking her arm through his, she smiled up at him, as her stomach started to do flips. *Not sure how I'm going to eat anything*, she thought as the waiter led them to their table.

Harm's stomach was in knots as he smiled back at Mac. *How can she be so calm?* he thought. *I'm dying.* Harm pulled out Mac's chair without thinking.

"Thanks," Mac said quietly, opening her menu. "What looks good here?" She asked, lowering the menu again. Without thinking, she leaned across the table and straightened his tie. Leaning back, she regarded him, waiting for an answer.

One side of Harm's mouth crooked up in a small smile at Mac's gesture. "Everything is really good," he said quietly. "And there are even some dishes with meat, if you want."

Mac nodded silently and looked back at the menu. After a minute, she closed it and laid it back on the table. "That thing's like reading a foreign language. Why don't you order what you normally order and I'll just munch off of yours?"

Harm grinned. "You're so trusting." He tipped his head and the waiter came right over. Harm pointed out two menu items. "And two teas." When the waiter had gone, Harm stared down at his hands, trying to avoid staring into Mac's eyes.

Mac leaned over and placed her hand on his. "Harm, it's *me*," She implored. "We can talk about anything. And we need to talk about this."

Harm looked up, ignoring the tingling in his hand from the heat of hers. "What's there to talk about?" he said, doing an about-face from what he'd said earlier. "I thought we covered it Down Under."

Refusing to let him retreat into himself, Mac tightened her grip on his hand. "Harm, you said a lot of things while we were in Australia... and a lot of things happened while we were there...but I'm sick of the innuendoes and double meanings. I want you to tell me, to my face, what's going on here."

Harm shook his head in amazement. "God, Mac, that's so like you; blunt and to the point at all times. Well, this is one time I agree with you. We've been skirting the issue for too long now." He paused with a soft sigh. "I love you," he murmured, barely audible.

Mac inhaled sharply; she wanted a straight answer, but with Harm, you never knew if that's what you were going to get. Sighing, she looked at him pointedly. "Are you saying this because you're afraid of losing me to Brumby?"

"Yes."

Shocked and angered, Mac's jaw dropped. "So, you're just saying this because you think I'll immediately fall at your feet? Well, you of all people should know I won't fall for that, and it hurts me you would even for a second consider that."

"Oh, Mac," Harm leaned back, holding up his hands, as if surrendering. "That's not how I meant it. You asked if that's why I was saying I love you, and it is. Or rather, that's why I'm saying it here, and now. I've loved you for years, I just never really admitted it. I love you, and that's the truth. I'm telling you now because I don't want to see you say yes to Mic without knowing all the facts."

Mac's heart soared at his words, but then broke. "You have to have the worst timing of anyone I've ever met." she said softly, pleading with herself not to burst into tears.

Harm thought his heart would break as he watched Mac struggle with herself. "Why?" he asked simply.

"Part of me wants nothing more than to leap across this table and kiss you silly," Mac admitted with a small smile, but then sobered. "But the other part is screaming at me that you have ulterior motives to saying this. And I just don't know how to work around that."

"Ulterior motives?" Harm looked confused, as he usually was with Mac lately. "What possible ulterior motives could I have for exposing my feelings to you and giving you the opportunity to trample on them on your way back to Brumby?" he asked, more than a little hurt creeping into his voice.

Without a word, Mac held out her bare right hand. "I Fed-Exed it back to him this morning."

Harm stared open-mouthed for a moment. "Then I guess you'll need this," he said softly, taking a small box out of his pocket and handing it to her casually.

Shocked, Mac looked from the box to Harm, not moving, her eyes questioning.

Harm smiled gently and opened the box, showing Mac the small silver ring. The emerald and two tiny diamonds sparkled in the candlelight. "I bought this for you for Christmas, but for some reason, it just didn't seem like the right time to give it to you. I hope tonight is the right time."

Mac's hand flew to her mouth. "My god, Harm, it's beautiful." Looking back at him, she said softly, "Would it be okay if I thought about wearing this? I don't want a repeat of two nights ago."

Harm smiled, relieved that she hadn't said "no" right off the bat. "Of course, anything you want...Sarah..." he added her name softly.

Mac smiled at him and took the ring, closing the box softly. "Harm, I don't want to rush this. We've waited five years...I can't handle this going quickly."

Harm nodded. "I couldn't agree more, Mac. I think we should just play it by ear, see how everything goes, and let it take its own time. I didn't mean anything by that," he gestured to the ring box, "I just thought it was about time you had the option of wearing it...or not."

Lacing her fingers through his, Mac said, "Thank you."

Harm smiled and tried to look supportive, when all he wanted was to dance around the restaurant screaming his delight that Mac hadn't said "yes" to Brumby. "For what?"

"For not pushing me. I just need to sort this out, you know?"

Harm nodded emphatically. "I'm not quite ready to jump feet first into this, either, Mac. But I am ready to try, whenever you are."

After a nice dinner and pleasant, if unsubstantial, conversation, Harm picked up the check with his right hand, still holding Mac's hands with his left. "Are you ready to go?"

Mac nodded, gathering her purse. Lacing her hand through his, she walked out to her car. Looking up at him, she said, "Thanks for a lovely evening."

Harm flashed her a flyboy grin. "No, thank *you*." He held the car door for her.

Before climbing in, Mac leaned up and placed a kiss on his cheek. "See you tomorrow."

Harm's insides turned to jelly at the soft brush of her lips on his cheek. "Yup, bright and early." He turned to go to his car, barely focusing on the key as he turned it in the lock.

JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, VA
2 weeks later

Mac nervously wrung her hands as she walked into work on an unusually warm winter day. Nodding to Bud and Harriet, she raised her hand and waved to Harm, who was standing in the bullpen. "Good morning," She called with a grin and shifted her briefcase to her other hand deliberately, then headed into her office.

Harm gasped softly. He walked briskly toward Mac's office, knocking and entering almost at once. "Is that what I think it is?" he asked pointlessly.

Mac just shrugged. "What does it look like, Commander?"

Harm grinned. "You don't have to be snappy about it, Colonel. It looks very similar to a ring I gave someone a couple of weeks ago, that's why I asked."

Mac looked from him to the ring adorning her hand. Shrugging, she simply said, "It was time."

Harm smiled broadly but resisted the urge to kiss Mac soundly then and there. "I'm glad," he said simply.

Looking at the ring again, Mac asked, "So, how does it look?"

Harm glanced down, taking note of the hand the ring resided on. "It looks wonderful on you," he grinned. "Just like I knew it would."

Mac smiled. Motioning to her desk, she said, "As much as I'm enjoying our little conversation, I really need to get to work. You busy for dinner?"

"Nope, my schedule's clear." Harm smiled. "Pick you up at 1830?"

Mac nodded. "Sounds good. See you then."

Harm waved a salute as he ducked out of the office. "Yes, ma'am."

Looking back down at her hand, Mac smiled even wider. "Yes, ma'am, indeed."

END PART 1
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