He put his guitar aside and went to the door. He opened the door to reveal
Mac, soaking wet and shivering. "Mac, why are you all wet?"
Mac chuckled and shook her head. "You obviously haven't looked outside. It's raining like crazy."
"Well, come in. Why don't you go sit down on the couch and I'll get you some clothes to change into." Harm left Mac and went to grab the smallest pair of sweats he owned along with one of his old academy sweatshirts. When he walked back out in the living room Mac was standing at the window looking out into the rain. "Here you go, Mac. Uh, you can use the bathroom to change. Feel free to use some towels, too."
"Thanks, Harm." Mac took the clothes that he held out and walked back into the bathroom.
When she came back out Harm had two cups of coffee in his hands and was sitting don on the couch. He held one of the cups out to her and said, "I thought you might want some coffee to warm you up."
She smiled her thanks and sat down next to him.
"So, Mac, why are you here?" Harm asked after two minutes of silence.
"I, um, I got your letter. And the CD. I thought about calling, but I knew that this had to be done in person."
"What had to be done in person, Mac?" Harm questioned.
Mac set her cup on the coffee table before scooting closer and taking Harm's hand in hers. She knew she had to do this before she lost her courage. She had rehearsed what she was going to say on the drive over. But now that she was here and those alarmingly blue eyes were looking at her she forgot all the words she was supposed to say. But as she looked down at their joined hands she knew she could do this. She found her strength in remembering his words 'I love you, Sarah, and only you.' She took a deep breath and looked up into his eyes.
"What I said in Paraguay-"
"Mac, I completely deserved what you said to me in Paraguay. I acted like a jerk. It's just that when I saw you kiss Webb, well, let's just say I wasn't too happy about it. When we got back home I thought about how I acted and I wanted to apologize, but I was afraid you didn't want anything to do with me. So, in turn, I let you have your space and didn't talk to you for months. I'm sorry, Sarah, I just want you to know that."
"No, Harm, I'm sorry. I said those things when I was mad. I didn't think how what I said would affect you. But I didn't come here to talk about. Well, it sorta fits with what I'm saying, but I'll get to that later. What I really came here to tell you is: I love you, Harmon Rabb, and no one else. I'm not exactly sure when it happened either, but I do know one thing. I love you and want to be with you for as long as I possibly can."
Harm tightened his grip on her hand and entwined his fingers with hers. Knowing that she wasn't finished saying what she had to say he kept quite.
Again, Mac looked down at their joined hands. After a couple seconds of quiet consideration she looked up and into his eyes once again.
"You know, Harm, I never even thanked you for coming down to Paraguay. I was so concerned with how I was feeling and how Clay was feeling and how Gunny was that I totally disregarded you and how you felt. You gave up your job and everything you'd worked for you whole life and I didn't even acknowledge that. I'm so sorry." Mac paused one again, trying to recover her composure so she wouldn't break down in front of him.
Harm seemed to recognize her struggle and before she could get up and move away he gathered her in his arms and held her close. He murmured soft words to her, trying to soothe her regrets and worries. He knew the moment she broke. He felt her shoulders sag and her hot tears against his chest. Her quiet hiccups and chanting of "I'm sorry" were the only sounds that filled the apartment.
When the last of her tears were spent he drew back just enough so he could look into her eyes.
"I knew you were great full, Mac. Even though you never said it, I knew."
Mac looked at him and knew that he was serious. Again, she was amazed at how this man could forgive-and-forget. "How, Harm. How did you know? I treated you like crap the entire time we were down there. How could you possibly forgive me?"
He seemed to contemplate the question before answering. "I can't really explain it to you. All I can say is that because I love you I know that no matter what happens it will always be that way. I'd forgive you even if you shot me."
Mac shook her head and let out a slight chuckle before saying, "And to think all those years I thought you put up with me because you had to."
"Me put up with you? I was honored to be your partner at JAG. I was amazed that you gave me your friendship. And I'm in awe that you actually love me. I'm surprised you put up with me for eight years."
Just as she was going to answer there was a knock on the door.
Mac chuckled and shook her head. "You obviously haven't looked outside. It's raining like crazy."
"Well, come in. Why don't you go sit down on the couch and I'll get you some clothes to change into." Harm left Mac and went to grab the smallest pair of sweats he owned along with one of his old academy sweatshirts. When he walked back out in the living room Mac was standing at the window looking out into the rain. "Here you go, Mac. Uh, you can use the bathroom to change. Feel free to use some towels, too."
"Thanks, Harm." Mac took the clothes that he held out and walked back into the bathroom.
When she came back out Harm had two cups of coffee in his hands and was sitting don on the couch. He held one of the cups out to her and said, "I thought you might want some coffee to warm you up."
She smiled her thanks and sat down next to him.
"So, Mac, why are you here?" Harm asked after two minutes of silence.
"I, um, I got your letter. And the CD. I thought about calling, but I knew that this had to be done in person."
"What had to be done in person, Mac?" Harm questioned.
Mac set her cup on the coffee table before scooting closer and taking Harm's hand in hers. She knew she had to do this before she lost her courage. She had rehearsed what she was going to say on the drive over. But now that she was here and those alarmingly blue eyes were looking at her she forgot all the words she was supposed to say. But as she looked down at their joined hands she knew she could do this. She found her strength in remembering his words 'I love you, Sarah, and only you.' She took a deep breath and looked up into his eyes.
"What I said in Paraguay-"
"Mac, I completely deserved what you said to me in Paraguay. I acted like a jerk. It's just that when I saw you kiss Webb, well, let's just say I wasn't too happy about it. When we got back home I thought about how I acted and I wanted to apologize, but I was afraid you didn't want anything to do with me. So, in turn, I let you have your space and didn't talk to you for months. I'm sorry, Sarah, I just want you to know that."
"No, Harm, I'm sorry. I said those things when I was mad. I didn't think how what I said would affect you. But I didn't come here to talk about. Well, it sorta fits with what I'm saying, but I'll get to that later. What I really came here to tell you is: I love you, Harmon Rabb, and no one else. I'm not exactly sure when it happened either, but I do know one thing. I love you and want to be with you for as long as I possibly can."
Harm tightened his grip on her hand and entwined his fingers with hers. Knowing that she wasn't finished saying what she had to say he kept quite.
Again, Mac looked down at their joined hands. After a couple seconds of quiet consideration she looked up and into his eyes once again.
"You know, Harm, I never even thanked you for coming down to Paraguay. I was so concerned with how I was feeling and how Clay was feeling and how Gunny was that I totally disregarded you and how you felt. You gave up your job and everything you'd worked for you whole life and I didn't even acknowledge that. I'm so sorry." Mac paused one again, trying to recover her composure so she wouldn't break down in front of him.
Harm seemed to recognize her struggle and before she could get up and move away he gathered her in his arms and held her close. He murmured soft words to her, trying to soothe her regrets and worries. He knew the moment she broke. He felt her shoulders sag and her hot tears against his chest. Her quiet hiccups and chanting of "I'm sorry" were the only sounds that filled the apartment.
When the last of her tears were spent he drew back just enough so he could look into her eyes.
"I knew you were great full, Mac. Even though you never said it, I knew."
Mac looked at him and knew that he was serious. Again, she was amazed at how this man could forgive-and-forget. "How, Harm. How did you know? I treated you like crap the entire time we were down there. How could you possibly forgive me?"
He seemed to contemplate the question before answering. "I can't really explain it to you. All I can say is that because I love you I know that no matter what happens it will always be that way. I'd forgive you even if you shot me."
Mac shook her head and let out a slight chuckle before saying, "And to think all those years I thought you put up with me because you had to."
"Me put up with you? I was honored to be your partner at JAG. I was amazed that you gave me your friendship. And I'm in awe that you actually love me. I'm surprised you put up with me for eight years."
Just as she was going to answer there was a knock on the door.