If Walls Could Talk
By
AmyToo

Rating: PG-13
Category: Harm/Mac Romance, Humor
Spoilers: Through Season 7's "Capital Crime"

Summary: What if someone had overheard Mac's conversation with Sturgis?
Author's Note: I am changing what happened simply because as a shipper I am TIRED of them beating around the proverbial bush! Also I am swapping the order of two scenes here different from the order they appeared in "Capital Crime" for the purposes of this story...

Author's Note: I would like to take this chance to dedicate this series to the memory of Trevor Goddard, who played "Commander Mic Brumby" on JAG for 3 seasons. For those of you who may not know, he passed away on June 7, 2003  leaving us but especially his family all too soon.

Disclaimers: I don't own JAG but rather it belongs to Mr. Donald P. Bellisario and CBS. NO copyright infringement is intended by the writing or publication of this story. PLEASE DON'T SUE ME!

*****************************************
*****************************************
These walls keep a secret
That only we knew
But how long can they keep it
Cause we're two lovers who lose
control

We're two shadows chasing
rainbows
Behind closed windows
Behind closed doors

If walls could talk - oh
They would say 'I want you
more'
They would say 'hey - never felt
like this before'
And that you would always be

The one for me
Just two people making
memories

Too good to tell
And these arms are never empty
When we're lying where we fall
We're painting pictures, making
magic,
taking chances,
Making love

If walls could talk - oh
They would say 'I want you
more'
They would say 'hey - never felt
like this before'
And that you would always be
The one for me

If the walls had eyes - my
They would see the love inside
They would see - me
In your arms in ecstasy
And with every move they'd
know

I love you so
When I'm feeling weak
You give me wings
When the fire has no heat
You light it up again
When I hear no violins

You play my every string
So stop the press
Hold the news
The secret's safe between me
and you

Walls - can you keep a secret?
If walls could talk - oh
They would say 'I want you
more'

They would say 'hey - never felt
like this before'
And that you would always be
The one for me

If the walls had eyes - my
They would see the love inside
They would see - me
In your arms in ecstasy
And with every move they'd
know
I love you so

If Walls Could Talk
by Celine Dion
*****************************************
*****************************************
Mac's Office

"There seems to be a certain tension with you two," Sturgis stated.

"Some," Mac admitted.

"A lot," he corrected.

"Look, you're missing the point, Sturgis."

"Come on, Mac," Sturgis replied with a tone of disbelief.

"I-I've never slept with him."

"Is that the problem?"

"There's NO problem," Mac said wanting this conversation over with.

"Then why don't you just get over it and move on?" Sturgis countered.

"It wouldn't work," she replied.

"Why?"

Mac was now at the door about to close it. "Because I'm in love with him." Mac stared out the window wondering if the entire bullpen heard her confession. When no one seem to react she turned back to Sturgis, and sat down beside him. "Did I say that?"

Sturgis nodded slightly in reply. "I'm afraid you did."

"Well you have to keep that to yourself."

"Okay, I will," he promised.

"I mean it, Sturgis," Mac said.

"So do I."

* ~ * ~ * ~ *
Harriet was standing near Mac's door, looking over a report she had to file, not really paying attention to the conversation between the two superior officers but that was until she heard Commander Turner clearly say Harm's name.

She really did try to block out what they were saying but a part of Harriet compelled her to listen to what was being said.

"There's NO problem." Mac sounded irritated with the Commander.

"Then why don't you just get over it and move on?" Turner was persistent; she'd give him that.

But what she heard Mac say next shocked her. "Because I'm in love with him." At that the door to Mac's office closed and Harriet stood there, stunned.

For a few minutes, Harriet stood looking over the report she held not really reading the words. She knew Mac had always had strong feelings for Harm but she had always thought that there were only feelings of friendship. Now she had overheard Mac confess that she was in love with Harm! Maybe that was why her wedding to Mic Brumby was called off and now Harriet wondered which one of the two had called it off.

At that moment, Bud came walking up. "Hey, sweetie, want to go to lunch with me?"

Before Bud knew what was happening, Harriet had pulled him into his office, pushing the door close until it was just cracked. "You're not going to believe what I just accidentally overheard!" Bud waited for her to continue. "I had a report to file and I was standing close to Colonel MacKenzie's office and she was inside talking to Commander Turner."

"Harriet, you didn't eavesdrop on them did you?" Bud said.

"Well, " Harriet was chagrinned, "I did but it wasn't on purpose, Bud. Anyway, you'll never believe what I heard Mac say about Harm!"

"Harriet, you really shouldn't have listened to a private conversation and I really shouldn't be listening to whatever it is you're going to say," Bud replied.

Harriet didn't let that stop her. "I have to say this or I'll explode -- Mac is in love with Harm!"

"WHAT?!!" Bud said more loudly than he should. "Did you say the Colonel is in love with the Commander?"

Harriet quickly put her hand over his mouth. "I don't think that should be broadcasted all over the bullpen just yet especially when the Commander has NO idea. The thing is, I wonder if the Colonel is going to tell him or will someone else have to let it slip out."

Bud didn't like the look he saw enter his wife's eyes. "Harriet, this is NONE of our business."

"But she's in love with him and is afraid to tell him. Otherwise she would have told him and not Commander Turner just now."

"You can't tell him this. If the Colonel wants him to know she'll tell him. Otherwise I think we should just keep this to ourselves, Lieutenant," Bud said, choosing to address his wife formally in hopes she'd get the message.

"Very well, Lieutenant," Harriet replied just as formally. She turned to leave opening the door, "Bud Roberts, you're about the MOST unromantic man I know."

"And how many would that be?" Bud retorted.

Harriet chose not to reply to his last retort but instead stormed her way back into the bullpen only to be met with a few curious gazes.

Bud watched her leave in silence and muttered, "Well looks like I'll be having lunch alone today." Shaking his head he reached out to close the door when Lieutenant Singer appeared, report in hand.

"Uh, here's the file you wanted on Petty Officer Evans, Lieutenant."

Bud took the file. "Thank you, Lieutenant."

Singer nodded and did an about face, leaving Bud's office with a mysterious grin on her face.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *
1700 Zulu
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Two Days Later....

"Good afternoon, Lieutenant," Harm said as he walked in from the elevator.

"Good afternoon, sir. Welcome back!" Bud replied.

At that moment Harriet walked up and handed Bud a file, "Here's the report you wanted, Lieutenant."

"Thank you, Lieutenant." After welcoming Harm back Harriet left them.

Harm eyed Bud. "Did something happen while I was gone, Bud?"

Bud shrugged. "Nothing too important, sir."

"What's with Harriet?"

"Harriet and I are just having a disagreement, that's all."

Harm chatted with Bud for another moment before entering the bullpen, and making his way into his office.

Mac poked her head into Harm's office. "Welcome back, sailor."

Harm smiled at her. "Why thank you. I heard you gave Sturgis a hard time while I was gone."

Mac shrugged. "No more than I usually give you when we work together."

"Which hasn't happened recently in what seems like years," Harm replied before he could stop himself.

Mac stood looking on him in surprise. "It has been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, like since before my crash." Harm finally looked up from rearranging his desk to steal a glance at the bullpen through window over Mac's shoulder. "Why is everyone staring at us?"

A puzzled look crossed Mac's face. "What?"

"Everyone in the bullpen is staring at us. Look."

Mac turned, and sure enough everyone in the bullpen stood gaping at them, secretive smiles on their faces. Mac was about to issue a back to work order when another voice beat her to it.

"Back to work people!" the Admiral's voice boomed, startling everyone. "Rabb, MacKenzie, my office. Now!"

Mac led the way to the Admiral's office and she noted that people were still giving them mysterious glances with goofy smiles plastered on their faces.

"What IS going on?" Harm whispered just as they reached Tiner's desk.

"I have no idea," she muttered.

They entered the Admiral's office, snapping to attention. "Commander Rabb and Colonel MacKenzie reporting as ordered, sir."

AJ was standing behind his desk, glaring at them. He didn't say a word as he walked over to close the door and then walked back to behind his desk, sitting down. The silence was getting uncomfortable as for a full minute the Admiral just sat there glaring at them.

"At ease," he finally said. "And sit down."

"Aye, sir," they said in unison.

He waited for them to get settled before speaking again. "I'm very happy for you both but when were you planning on informing me of your situation?" He looked back and forth between them before settling his gaze on Harm. "And I might add, Rabb, it's about time you got your head out of your six long enough to see what's clearly in front of you."

"Excuse me, sir?" Harm asked, a confused look on his face.

"Don't play games with me, Commander. I know about your current situation with the Colonel. As much as I would like to be the first to express my congratulations, we need to now have a talk about how this is going to effect both of your careers. Obviously, one of you will be asked to transferred out of my command but I am do not intend to let that happen without a fight. If I have to, I'll invoke Admiral's privilege to keep you both here like I did when Lieutenant Sims and Roberts married."

"With all due respect, sir, WHAT are you talking about?" Mac said.

It was AJ's turn to look confused. "Aren't you two getting married?" They shook their heads no. "And aren't you three months pregnant with the Commander's baby, Colonel?"

"No!" Mac exclaimed. "Sir, I'm not."

"Then why exactly am I hearing that you're pregnant and that you two are planning to elope later this week?"

It was Harm's turn to look equally embarrassed. "Sir, I have no idea why you've heard that because it's not true. We're not planning to elope and Mac is certainly not carrying my child."

//Though I wouldn't mind it if at least one of those were true.// Harm thought, glancing at Mac.

"Are you sure that nothing is going on between you?" AJ asked.

"Yes, sir," Mac said. "We're sure."

"Absolutely," Harm added.

Admiral Chegwidden eyed them strangely, as if he didn't quite believe them. "I'm going to trust you both, and take your word for it. However I want to know HOW this latest piece of scuttlebutt got started on the office grapevine because in my experience there's usually SOME truth to the office gossip."

"While there's no truth to this rumor, sir, I'd like to know who started it myself," Harm said.

"That makes three of us, sir," Mac added.

"I'll look into this matter. Meanwhile, I want you both to get to work. I believe, Colonel, you have a case to prepare and Commander you have some paperwork on your desk that's calling your name. Dismissed."

They both stood, snapping briefly to attention again. "Aye, aye, sir."

They were at the door with the Admiral spoke again. "If I find out who started this rumor, I'll be sure to let you know ASAP."

"Thank you, sir."

They exited and he waited five seconds before pressing his intercom button and saying, "Tiner, get in here!"

* ~ * ~ * ~ *
2115 Zulu
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia

"You wanted to see us, sir?" Harm asked.

"Yes. At ease," the Admiral said. "I've done some questioning of various personnel, trying to find out the point of origin for the twisted little web someone has started. There are only three staff members I have been unable to question as of yet."

"Who are they, sir?"

"Lieutenants Roberts, Sims, and Singer. I've been unable to question Roberts or Singer because they've been in court all afternoon and Sims left early today because your godson had a doctor's appointment that had to be kept."

"May I speak candidly, sir?" Mac asked.

"Go ahead, Colonel."

"Sir, it's unlikely either Bud or Harriet started this rumor because it's not in either of their natures to be vicious or backstabbing," Mac said.

"And besides the fact that you are both the godparents of their son, and are two of their closest friends. I agree that it's most likely it wasn't Bud or Harriet who started this rumor," AJ said.

"And while I don't think this rumor is particularly vicious or back stabbing, it could ruin an officer's career because we'd both be guilty of fraternization," Harm said.

"And I would be forced to have one of you transferred out of my command, which would be a shame because you are two of the best attorneys I've got. I would hate to lose either of you."

"So that just leaves Lieutenant Singer as the most likely candidate as the one who started this entire rumor," Mac said.

The Admiral nodded. "She is the most likely. However, I am going to wait until I can question Lieutenant Roberts and Sims about this as well as Singer, which won't be until tomorrow. Therefore, this will all have to wait until the morning. I suggest that we all try to finish up whatever work we have left for today, go home, forget about this, and come back tomorrow refreshed from a goodnight's sleep."

"Sounds like a good plan to me, sir."

"Very well. Dismissed."

"Aye, aye, sir."

* ~ * ~ * ~ *
1345 Zulu
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
The Next Day...

"Tiner, get Lieutenant Roberts in my office ASAP," the Admiral ordered. As he spoke, he slipped on his reading glasses to begin reading the daily reports from the previous day.

"Aye, sir."

AJ flipped through the paperwork, only glancing at various items, trying to decide first what he wanted to read. He froze on the daily office memo that was issued each day around 1 o'clock in the afternoon. The Admiral felt his temper raise a notch as he pressed the intercom button again.

"Belay that order, Tiner. Get Lieutenant Singer in here NOW!"

"Aye, sir."

Not one minute later, Lieutenant Lauren Singer stood at attention in front of the Admiral's desk. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

* ~ * ~ * ~ *
1400 Zulu
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia

The silence in the bullpen was deafening...

For fifteen minutes, the entire bullpen could hear ever so often the Admiral's raised voice coming through the walls. The entire office knew that Lieutenant Singer was getting the chewing out of her career and possibly of her life as she had clearly ticked their CO in some way that topped even the exploits of one Commander Harmon Rabb.

It was twenty minutes since Singer had entered when the door opened. Tiner automatically began to rise but Singer was already past him by the time he was fully standing. He had briefly seen the look on her face when she'd gone by and she was clearly fighting back tears as she headed towards the ladies' room.

"Tiner, I want Commander Rabb, Colonel MacKenzie, Lieutenants Roberts and Sims in my office at 1530 hours."

Tiner jumped at hearing the Admiral's voice; despite the fact his tone was calmer now. "Aye, sir." After the door, shut Tiner sat back down at his desk wondering when things would be back to normal around there.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *
1529 Zulu
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia

"Enter."

The door opened and in walked Bud followed by Harriet. "I know we're early, but you wanted to see us, sir?"

"At ease, both of you," AJ replied, looking through some papers on his desk. "Have a seat." Uneasy, they sat down and waited for him to speak. He looked up finally. "I'm looking for yesterday's office memo. I seem to have misplaced it. In any case, we're waiting for Commander Rabb and Colonel MacKenzie to arrive before I say what I have to say."

"Yes, sir."

Harriet spotted a piece of paper on the floor, and she leaned forward in her seat to get it. Harriet intended to hand it to the Admiral without looking at it but then she started to glance down at what was clearly the office memo. At that moment, the door opened and Tiner appeared.

"Commander Rabb and Colonel MacKenzie are here to see you, sir."

"Send them in, Tiner, and close the door behind you."

The two senior JAG officers entered the room and Tiner closed the door as ordered. Harm was about to speak when Harriet suddenly let out a shriek before she stood up and rushed to hug Mac.

"Oh my, Colonel, I'm so happy for you!" she said, breaking protocol to hug a very confused Marine colonel.

"Thank you, Harriet, but what-" Mac started as Harriet went to hug Harm.

Harriet pulled back. "I know the PERFECT caterer that will charge you reasonably, not to mention the PERFECT shop to get an ideal dress, as well as the PERFECT baby store to get everything you'll-"

"Attention on deck!" the Admiral called, seeing it was the only way to interrupt her.

All the officers present in the room snapped to attention, Bud instantly standing up from his chair as Harriet hushed immediately. AJ walked over to where Harriet stood, and he extended his hand. "Give me that paper, Lieutenant." Harriet handed it to him and he turned to walk to behind his desk.

"At ease, people, and sit down."

The Admiral waited until they had all taken a seat before spoke again. "You've all been summoned here because I wanted to straighten this mess out once and for all." He nodded to Harm.

"Harriet, Mac and I aren't getting married."

"Nor am I pregnant with Commander Rabb's, or for that matter, ANYONE'S baby," Mac added.

Harriet looked confused. "W-what? Sir, ma'am, I thought what this memo said was true especially after what I heard you say to Commander Turner yesterday."

Harm looked at Mac. "What did you say to Sturgis yesterday?"

"Nothing you should know about, Commander," Mac replied hastily.

"What does the memo say?" Bud finally joined in the conversation. "May I see it, Admiral?"

AJ handed the piece of paper to him. "You mean you haven't seen this already, Lieutenant?"

Bud shook his head. "No, sir." He scanned through the notices, his eyes growing huge when he saw the one about Harm and Mac. His eyes locked onto Harriet. "Wow! I can't believe you told them this!"

"Bud, I didn't tell them that! I didn't tell anyone but you that the Colonel said-"

"Harriet," Mac began, praying Harriet would shut up before she could complete the sentence.

"...that she was in love with Commander Rabb!"

* ~ * ~ * ~ *
1535 Zulu
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia

For a full minute the room fell into stunned silence, and finally AJ cleared his throat. "Lieutenant, are you certain that you didn't share this information with anyone else?"

"No, sir! I wouldn't ever spread a rumor like this around the Colonel and the Commander!" Harriet replied.

"Then how did Lieutenant Singer find out about what you overheard?" the Admiral asked.

"Wait a minute!" Harriet said, looking at Bud. "When I came out of your office yesterday, I nearly ran into Lieutenant Singer."

"That must be how she found out about what the Colonel said," Bud concluded.

"So it was Singer who started the rumor," Harm said.

"I am going to kill her," Mac muttered, her face flustered with embarrassment.

AJ smiled, understanding the sentiment. "Now there's no need to do that, Colonel. I spent a good twenty minutes informing her of the reasons WHY she shouldn't have done this. Also, I am seriously considering charging her with Article 89."

"'Disrespect towards a superior commissioned officer.'?"

Chegwidden nodded. "The only trouble would be finding someone for prosecution and defense as she's nearly managed to involve all of my staff in this incident."

Bud glanced at his watch. "Sir, can the rest of this wait? I have to be in court in a few minutes and I'd rather not get Admiral Morris upset with me by being late."

"Very well, Mr. Roberts. You and Lieutenant Sims are dismissed."

"Aye, sir."

As the door closed, Harm cleared his throat, glancing at Mac before looking at the Admiral. "Sir-"

The Admiral raised a hand to stall him. "There are two ways we can deal with what was said here today. We can either ignore it and as your commanding officer I might advise you to do so. However, as your friend I think you both need to talk this over and STOP denying the feelings you've had from day one." He stood up and started towards the door. "Unless either of you have to be in court, I'm going to let you use my office for a few minutes while I go get some coffee."

AJ exited his office, closing the door. "Tiner, make sure no one disturbs the Commander and Colonel for the next few minutes."

"Aye, sir."

* ~ * ~ * ~ *
Harm let the silence hang in the room for a few minutes as he just watched Mac looking the room over. She got up from where they were sitting to walk towards the fireplace where she stopped with her back facing him.

"Mac, I don't know where to start," he started.

"You could start by telling me YOUR feelings," Mac replied quietly.

"My feelings?" Harm repeated.

Mac sighed, half turning to him. "Yeah, YOUR feelings! Is that a foreign word to men in general or is it just you? It just occurs to me I've never actually heard you say how you feel EXACTLY about me."

Mac turned back towards the fireplace, hugging herself as she waited for his answer.

Harm took a deep breath and started, stumbling, "Mac... I...You're my best friend in the entire world..."

She looked at him, and asked softly, "Is that all that I am?"

Harm looked uncomfortable, as if afraid to speak.

"Tell me the truth, Harm. You know my feelings. Please, I want to hear yours."

Harm sighed. "Mac . . . Sarah, you know we can't go there . . . we can't let ourselves feel this way."

"Feel what way?" she asked, trying to prompt him to put his feelings into words, "I need to hear it."

Harm hesitated, remembering the ferry ride Sydney. They'd been down this road once and he often wondered what he would do if he had the chance to relive that night over again. It seems now fate was giving him that chance. Harm stood up, and walked over to her. Mac was refusing to meet his gaze, and he saw the tears in her eyes.

"I am not going to repeat what I said or did in Australia. I am not going to push you away like that again but Mac I'm not sure if I can voice how I feel about you."

"Please try," Mac looked at him. "Look, I know that voicing your emotions has always been hard for you but this time I'm willing to wait while you try. This time I am listening and I am not going to anyone else."

Harm opened his mouth to speak and then stopped. He thought for a moment how to word what he needed to say and then took a deep breath, opening his mouth to speak...

At that moment the officer door opened, causing Harm to delay in what he was going to say while Mac shot him a rather exasperated look. AJ stepped into his own office looking chagrinned at interrupting what was going on, walking over to his desk.

He began to place some files into his briefcase. "I'm sorry for the interruption but I am due at a meeting at the Pentagon with the SecNav in less than an hour." He closed the briefcase, grabbed his cover from nearby and walked to the door. "They won't be anymore interruptions. I've told Tiner to let NO ONE in here while I am gone."

"Thank you, sir."

AJ nodded, exited, leaving them alone. //God, for the sake of their sanity and ESPECIALLY my own PLEASE let them get something worked out! //

"Well, let's try this again," Harm said, taking another deep breath. He finally stood up and walked over to where Mac still stood in front of the fireplace. "Sarah, I love you."

Mac's eyes widened at this. "Really?"

He nodded. "I have loved you from the moment we met in that Rose Garden. You're my soul mate, Sarah MacKenzie."

Mac's eyes filled with tears. "You have no idea how long I've dreamed I'd hear you say those words to me."

"Probably as long as I've dreamed about saying them to you."

"How long have you dreamed about saying them?" Mac asked.

"Forever," Harm replied. "I never said anything before because I wasn't sure if you felt the same way about me. Then I left to go back to flying, I knew I had hurt you, not to mention what happened AFTER I came back from the BIGGEST mistake of my life."

"Harm, I won't lie to you and say I wasn't hurt. When you left, it was in a time in my life I felt like I really needed your friendship and support. Plus I knew by then that I loved you, and that day we said goodbye in your office. Do you remember me telling you that I had so much to say to you but couldn't find the words?" Harm nodded. "That was one thing I couldn't find the words to say to you. Also a part of me knew I couldn't hold you back from your dream. Harm, it wasn't a mistake fulfilling your dream."

"Even if the price for fulfilling that dream cost me the close friendship I had with my best friend?" Harm countered. "You know things have never been the same since then and ever since the crash I had in the Atlantic last summer, things seemed to have gotten worse between us."

"Let's talk about when you left first. After you went back to flying I started focusing on my friendships with other people, like Bud and Harriet and-"

"Brumby?"

Mac shrugged. "We DID work a lot together on cases. But that's not what got us together ultimately."

They both remembered that night in Sydney Harbor. "Harm, you asked me WHY I went to Mic so fast?" Harm nodded. "Well it was because Mic offered me the chance to have everything I have always wanted: a home, family, and someone to share my life with. Also he loved me and wasn't afraid to let me know about it."

"Which was my mistake until now. I never let you know how I felt because we worked together and if we have a relationship that leads to marriage, one of us will have to transfer out of JAG," Harm paused. "But right now I don't care. I want to take the second I was given last summer."

"You're sure about this?" Mac asked.

"Yes, I am," Harm said. "All I know, Sarah, is that I am tired of hurting you. I want to have a chance to really build something special with you. Will you, will you give me, give US that chance to do that?"

Mac didn't hesitate. "Yes, I will. I love you too and I want to take the same chance."

Harm lightly kissed her lips. "You know this changes everything right?"

"Yes, and I've never been happier about something in my life."

They kissed again, and at that moment the door to the office opened again. AJ again entered his office to find his senior attorneys this way, and he briefly smiled before putting a more serious look on his face. Neither of them had noticed that he had entered, and were startled when he cleared his throat from behind his desk.

"I hate to interrupt this but from the looks of things I'd say you worked things out."

"Yes, sir," they answered in unison.

"Good. Well my meeting with the SecNav didn't take long as I had anticipated and I need the use of my office again."

"Understood, sir."

"I assume that you'll both be pursuing a relationship with one another outside the office and I also assume that I don't need to remind you to maintain the PROPER conduct while you're here at JAG."

"No, sir."

"Also as long as it doesn't effect your work, whatever you do off hours is your business."

"Understood, sir."

AJ smiled. "Good. Dismissed."

"Aye, sir."

* ~ * ~ * ~ *
EPILOGUE:
2030 Zulu
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
One Year Later...

Mac was having the WORST day of her career if not her life!

First of all, she had had a flat tire that morning resulting in her being twenty minutes late for work, and thus also resulting in her being late for the staff meeting that morning. To make matters worse, the Admiral seemed to be in one of his moods that morning, and though he hadn't commented when she walked in late he had shot her a look that made Mac want to hide under the conference table...

The cases he'd given her were not the best pick of the lot, not to mention they were something one of the junior JAG attorneys could have handled it...

Her day continued to go from bad to worse as Harm left for the day to head for Norfolk...

Also when she appeared in court during the late morning, she discovered she had left a rather important file in her office. The judge was less than pleased when he had to recess the court so that she could retrieve the file that was vital to her client's defense.

During the court recess for lunch, Mac had returned to her office, not really feeling hungry, wanting nothing more than to be alone for a while. When she walked in she found a dozen red roses lying on her desk along with a card that read mysteriously:

Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie - Your presence is requested in the JAG bullpen at 2035 hours.

Mac smiled over the roses and when she'd asked some questions about if Harm was the one who put them there all she got was evasive answers as well as reminders that he was in Norfolk for the day. She examined card from the roses more closely and decided that it wasn't Harm's handwriting but still nonetheless LOOKED familiar.

What was going on?

Just before 2035 hours she entered the bullpen to find everyone busy at work, not really paying attention to her. Suddenly her eyes caught the sight of Clayton Webb walking into the area, a puzzled expression on his face.

"Hello, Mac," he said. "Do you know what is going on?" He showed her a note the read almost exactly like hers had.

Mac shrugged. "I don't know."

"Well something tells me that Rabb is up to something."

"He can't be. He's been in Norfolk all-"

At precisely 2035 hours, Bud approached Mac and asked her to stand in the center of the bullpen.

"What's going on, Bud?" she asked.

"Sorry, ma'am, but I am under orders not to divulge that information."

"Lieutenant," Mac said in an irritated tone.

"If you'll wait just a minute, ma'am, all your questions will be answered but you have to wait in this spot," Bud answered, walking off to the sidelines where Harriet was standing.

At that moment, Mac could swear she heard guitar music coming from the bullpen entrance. With everyone else she turned to see five men walking in dressed like cowboys, each strumming their instruments as they hummed softly. They advanced until they were spread out throughout the bullpen, still playing and humming softly.

Suddenly, Harm's voice and guitar joined the cowboys...

"I know it's gonna take some time
For you to trust this love of mine
I know he broke your heart in two
You've been betrayed and you're afraid
That I will do the same to you..."

When he appeared, he was in his dress whites, looking as handsome as she'd ever seen him. Harm kept singing as he walked slowly towards her, his eyes locking onto hers.

"But you'll be safe here in my arms
Forever and a day
And though you don't believe me now
I'll never walk away
And you, you know that I'll be there
When tomorrow comes..."

Unnoticed by anyone, the Admiral's door had opened and he stood just in the doorway, smiling as he looked on, as did Sergei...

The cowboys joined in on the chorus:

"I know you've heard this all before
You're the only one
But you're the one that I adore
You're the only one
You make me shine just like the sun
You're the only one
And you bring this heart of mine undone
You're the only one..."

Mac felt tears fill her eyes and stream down her face as Harm continued on alone:

"For every lie you've ever heard
You can believe my every word, yes you can
Whatever heaven holds in store
Through good and bad I'll be your man
I'll stand beside you through it all
But you'll be safe here in my arms
Forever and a day

And though you don't believe me now
I'll never walk away
And you, you know that I'll be there
When tomorrow comes..."

Harm was now standing before Mac as the cowboys joined him on the last chorus:

"I know you've heard this all before
You're the only one
But you're the one that I adore
You're the only one
You make me shine just like the sun
You're the only one
And you bring this heart of mine undone
You're the only one

Well, I know you've heard this all before
You're the only one
But you're the one that I adore, yes you are
You're the only one
'Cause, you make me shine just like the sun
You're the only one
And you bring this heart of mine undone
You're the only one
You're the only one
You make me shine just like the sun, yes you do..."

When the song ended and without taking his eyes off Mac, Harm handed his guitar over to a waiting Tiner. Then as everyone watched, Harm removed and unfolded a white handkerchief from his pocket to carefully spread it on the floor just before him. He then dropped to one knee before Mac, taking her hand as he gazed up at her.

"Over the last year, you've made me the happiest man alive as I've discovered that you are truly the ONLY one for me. I love you with all my heart and being."

Somewhere in the background Mac could hear Harriet barely containing her excitement as a few squeals escaped her lips.

"Sarah Catherine MacKenzie, will you marry me?"

The bullpen held its collective breath.

Mac stared down into his eyes, her tears overflowing, her voice cracking with emotion as she answered, "Yes! Yes, I'll marry you!" At that moment, Harm pulled out a ring and slipped it on her finger. He stood up to kiss her as the bullpen broke out into applause as well as cheering!

THE END

**The song above is "You're The Only One" by Keith Urban. No copyright infringement is intended by its appearance in this fic.**

**I must also acknowledge the idea for how Harm proposes to Mac comes from two places: First of all, from the pilot of the series ALIAS when Danny asks Sydney to marry him. I acknowledge the writers of that show. Second, when my friend Kara who hooked me on ALIAS suggested that I use that scene, I instantly found inspiration. I also thank her for being just a helper in general!

THANKS KARA!!!**

Story started: 3/13/02

Finished: 3/13/02