Title: What If?...Caring

Author: LissaMarie

Email: MelMarie612@aol.com

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: I don't own JAG. I'm only borrowing the characters for a short time, and I promise to return them in the same condition as I got them.

Category: AU (alternate universe), R H/M

Spoilers: We the People (sort of--takes-off post episode), The Stalker (not much since it's been forever since I've seen it), Second Sight, Ghosts of Christmas Past (not much because I've never actually seen it), Boomerang(!!MAJOR!!), Surface Warfare (barely)

Archive: To WWOMB-Permission Granted...anyone else: just let me know

Feedback: Never expected, but always appreciated.

Summery: What if Mac had a young daughter when she got transferred to JAG Headquarters in Falls Church? How would things be different?

Author's Note #1: I like AU fics, so they are pretty much all I write. Lately I've been thinking of different situation that would change how JAG is now. You know, what if Diane hadn't died, what if Harm was married when Mac came to JAG, what if Mac had a child... I plan on writing all of them out as fanfics, so if you're interested, stay tuned...

Author's Note #2: "Pareerou" is an Iranian girl name that means "having a face like a fairy (beautiful)".

What If?...Caring
By LissaMarie

Part 1...We The People

January 5, 1997 (just after We The People)
2115 EST
Mac's Apartment
Georgetown, DC

A knock on her front door takes Major Sarah "Mac" Mackenzie away from her reading. With a soft sigh, she put the hardcover book down on the night table and got up to answer it. She padded her way to the door and was pleasantly shocked by who was standing there.

"Harm, what brings you to this part of town?" Mac asked moving out of the way as an invitation for him to enter. He took it and made his way over to the couch.

"Well, I had this strange craving for a hot fudge sundae, and this little place down the street from her has the best in the city. And since I hate eating alone, I got an extra banana split if you're interested," Lt. Cdr. Harmon "Harm" Rabb Jr. said with a smile that could probably get him anything he wanted. It was then that she noticed the white paper bag in his hands. She was tempted to kick him out for being presumptuous, but the banana split did sound good and she knew he was trying to make sure she was doing okay.

"Sounds good. I'll go grab some spoons," she went off in the direction of the kitchen while Harm pulled out the two plastic containers. When she felt the cool tile on her feet, she looked down at herself and instantly felt self-conscious. She was having ice cream with her new partner--who, of course, had to be a gorgeous man that was dressed impeccably in faded jeans and a white button down dress shirt --in a pair of old boxers and a t-shirt that she remembered buying in high school. It only made her feel worse to remember that she had taken off her make up and pulled her hair back into a messy ponytail. Summoning all her strength, she grabbed two spoons from the drawer and strolled back into the living room.

"So, marine, how are you doing?" Harm asked when she sat down next to him on the sofa.

"Okay, I--"

"Mommy?" a small tired voice asked from the hallway. A little girl with chestnut colored hair and chocolate brown eyes pouted. "You didn't finish the story."

"I will tomorrow night," Mac told the girl who was picking at the hem of her pink cotton nightgown petulantly.

Harm looked from Mac to the little girl in shock. He had no idea that she had a daughter. She hadn't said anything while they were out of town, nor had she done anything that would lead him to even consider the thought. Then again, she was preoccupied with worry for her Uncle Matt's life and career, but you would think that she would have called home at least once during that trip.

"Who's he?" the girl asked finally noticing Harm. She ran to stand behind Mac just in case he was a bad guy. The action made both Harm and Mac smile.

"Par, this is my new partner, Cdr. Rabb. Harm, meet Pareerou, my daughter," Mac introduced.

"You can call me Harm," he told the tiny girl who was still standing on the other side of her mother. He leaned over so he could look in her eyes when he spoke to her. He put out his hand for her to shake.

Pareerou smiled at him and took his hand. She was just as charmed by him as her mother though Mac would never admit to it. She stepped forward and whispered in his ear, "Mommy calls me Par, and you can, too."

"Well, thank you, Par. I'd like that," Harm smiled at the tiny girl. He was taken aback when she climbed up onto the couch and into his lap. He noticed Mac tried to conceal a chuckle.

"What are you eating?" she asked sweetly stretching her neck to see the containers on the coffee table.

"Ice cream. Do you like hot chocolate sundaes?" Harm asked looking over at Mac for permission for what he was about to do, and she rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Uh huh. With fudge and sprinkles," Par smiled at the idea of a sugary snack.

"Well, the place I went to makes REALLY big ones, and I know I won't be able to finish it. So what do ya say? Wanna give me a hand?"

Par nodded excitedly and ran to the kitchen to get her self a bowl and spoon.

"Thank you, Harm."

They both knew she was showing her gratitude for something more than just the ice cream, but neither commented since they we not sure exactly what she meant.

6 months later...
1215 EST
Anacostia Park
Washington, DC

Mac sat on the picnic blanket and watched Harm and Par chase one another with water pistols. She had long since given up on trying to figure out who was having the most fun. Harm had suggested that they have a picnic to get caught up on their work. It was too nice of a day to be sitting in an office or small apartment, and since she had Par to think of, a picnic sounded like a good way to take care of everything. She should have known that a few water guns and hot
summer weather would turn her best friend into a little kid.

"Par, Harm, I just made up a cease-fire. Come eat," she called over to them. They obediently put down their weapons and came back to the blanket.

Harm had been spending a lot of time with Mac and little Par. Since the night they met, he had had a soft spot for the 3 year old girl. They had gone to the zoo and out to the air field together. Par had loved flying in "Sara" though she had to ride on her mother's lap which she complained about the whole time. She insisted that she was "a big girl who doesn't need mommy's help". That day had been fun. He barely ever thought about doing things on his own anymore.

And Par was just happy to have all of the attention. She loved spending time with Harm. He was fun, and he made her mommy laugh. She couldn't remember her mother ever laughing as much as she did when he was around. She was happy that her mommy was happy.


Part 2...The Stalker

March 17, 1998 (just after Mac comes home to a trashed apartment-The Stalker)
2010 EST
Mac and Par's apartment
Georgetown, DC

***AN: I don't remember the specifics of the episode, but I planned on changing it anyway. Any differences were intentional. It's been a while since I've seen it anyway. Also--no Dalton or Jordan or any other significant-others .***

Mac sat outside with Par in her lap. The little girl had cried herself to sleep after seeing her home in such a state of disarray. The investigator--Coster, she remembered--asked her all the usual questions, and now she stood outside waiting for Harm to come pick her and her sleeping daughter up. An officer stood nearby keeping an eye on the two.

"Are you okay?" Harm asked jogging up the sidewalk to the pair. He had broken more than a few traffic laws in his hurry to get to his friend and her daughter.

"We're okay," Mac whispered. She was still shaking slightly, but she would never admit to being afraid. She was a marine after all. Not that Harm would ever make fun of her for something like this, but it was the principle.

"Harm!" Par cried leaping into his arms. She buried her face in the juncture of his neck and shoulder, and he could feel her warm tears on his skin.

"Hey, it's going to be okay," Harm consoled the girl rubbing her back and holding her close. He turned to Mac. "Do you have everything that you'll need for the night?"

Mac nodded and gestured toward the bag that was sitting on the ground at her feet. "This has Par's things, and I have an overnight bag in my trunk."

"Go grab it. You can stay at my place."

Ordinarily, his orders would have made Mac want to remind him that he didn't outrank her, but at the moment all she did was nod. She went off to her car, the police officer following behind.

"Want to talk about it, Par?" Harm whispered to her sitting down with her sit in his arms. He felt her shake her head and just kept rubbing her back. She stopped crying and fell limp against him.

Harm placed a kiss on her hair and shifted her so that he was cradling her like an infant. Looking down at her face before she buried it in his chest, he knew that he loved her as if she was his own child. He smiled at the realization.

"I'm ready if you are," Mac announced after a quiet moment of observation. She hated having to break up the moment. The way Harm was looking down at her daughter made her want to cry. He made it obvious that he loved the little girl for the first time.

"We're ready," Harm responded. Mac picked up the bag, and they walked to Harm's car (which one must forget is a 2-seater) looking to all the world like a young family.

2035 EST
Harm's Apartment
North of Union Station

Harm carefully laid the sleeping girl down on his bed and pulled the covers over her small body. He kissed her forehead before going out into the living room to join Mac who was curled up on the couch.

"What happened?" Harm finally asked sitting down next to her.

"I brought Par out to get ice cream at that place down the street, and when we got back, everything was strewn all over. It was a mess. I made Par stand behind me, and I grabbed my gun. Both of our rooms were ransacked as well..." Mac told him with only the slightest hesitation in her voice.

"Why don't you go get some sleep in the room with Par. I'll call the admiral and inform him of the situation," he suggested quietly.

Harm touched Mac's arm and led her to the bedroom. He helped her get dressed into her pajamas without allowing himself to take time to look over her exposed body. She slipped under the covers, and he turned to leave the room intending to sleep on the sofa.

"Harm?" Par's small voice asked. "Can you stay in here with us?"

Harm stood still for a second unable to really believe what he was hearing. He turned and looked at Mac who smiled reassuringly. He pulled of the jeans he had hurriedly pulled over his pajama pants, and climbed into the bed on the other side of Par who snuggled into his chest and took a handful of his t-shirt. All three fell into a surprisingly comfortable slumber.

Part 3...Second Sight

April 27, 1999
0730 EST
Harm's Apartment
North of Union Station

"When's mommy coming home?" Par asked Harm as he served her breakfast. She was staying with him while her mother was out in California visiting her dying estranged father.

"In a few days. Why--are you getting bored with me?" Harm teased tickling her side.

"No. I like staying over here. You let me stay up later than mommy does," Par teased back. She took a big bite of her sausage which made Harm grimace.

"I'm going to get ready for work while you eat your dead animal. When you're done, just put your plate in the sink, squirt," Harm said playfully slapping the back of her head before going to the shower.


April 30, 1999 (after Second Sight)
1045 EST
Harm's Apartment
North of Union Station

"Your eyes don't look any different," Par decided straddling Harm's lap on the couch and looking into his eyes trying to find a change in them from his surgery.

"The marks they took away were very small," Harm told her letting her finish her inspection.

"So you can see in the dark now?"

"Yes, I can. Better than I ever could before," Harm told her patiently.

"Are you going to go back to flying now?" Par questioned in all her childish innocence. She could never understand how complex of a question it was.

"I don't know," he admitted lifting her to sit on his lap.

"Do you want to?" she pried.

"I don't know."

"Do you want to stay here with mommy and me?"

Harm didn't know how to answer that. Yes, he did want to stay, but did he want to stay enough to give up his lifetime dream? Could he leave and not go crazy missing Pareerou and Mac? He just pulled Par close to him and kissed the top of her head.

Do you--" A knock on the door interrupted her.

"Hey! Did you guys miss me?" Mac asked walking into the apartment. She was dressed in a light blue sleeveless dress that ended just below her knees. A huge burden seemed to had been lifted from her shoulders.

"Mommy!" Par ran over to Mac and jumped into her arms. "Harm got surgery on his eyes while you were gone."

"You had surgery?" Mac looked at Harm in surprise. She hadn't really been gone all that long.

"It was a small surgery," Harm told her quickly. For some reason, he felt as if he needed to give her an explanation. There really wasn't a reason for it--they weren't married or even involved really. He shouldn't feel any obligation, but he did.

"Par, why don't you go grab your things?" Mac suggested putting her back on her feet.

"You're not mad, are you?" Par asked her mother worriedly.

"No."

Still unsure, Par back slowly out of the room. She kept a wary eye on both of the adults until she got to the step that led to the bedroom area. She turned still fearing that she had said or did something wrong.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Mac questioned as soon as her daughter was out of the room. She still had to keep her voice down so she wouldn't be overheard.

"Mac, it wasn't that big of a deal. It was nothing more than a trip to the dentist," Harm defended. He had a feeling this conversation would have a very lasting effect on his life.

"I tell you when I have a dentist appointment," Mac pointed out.

"Mac..."

"So your eyes are fixed. Does that mean you're leaving JAG?" she asked tersely. Her voice displayed no emotion. A person that didn't know her would believe that she didn't care either way.

"I haven't made any decisions yet," Harm responded. He wanted her to understand...He needed her to understand.

"What decision is there to make, Harm? The only reason you're at JAG is because you *CAN'T* fly. Now you *CAN*. What do you have to decide?" Mac flung back putting special emphasis on her words. She realized somewhere inside that she was overreacting,
but she couldn't seem to stop the words from coming out of her mouth.

"It isn't that simple."

"How is it not? Because you feel some obligation to Par and me?"

Harm didn't respond. He turned around and sat down on the couch. He had no idea what to say to her. Was it just obligation he felt? He knew he had a "hero complex" as someone once called it. I any relationship, he needed to feel needed. His usual girlfriend was the stereotypical Damsel-in-Distress. Was the only thing that kept him with little Par and her mother that need?

"Par, are you ready to go?" Mac called up to the bedroom.

The girl walked slowly down the stairs and hesitantly over to Harm. It was obvious to all that she had overheard their discussion. She gave him a tight hug and whispered in his ear, "Bye, Harm. See you soon."

"I'll see you soon, sweetheart," Harm whispered back holding her tightly against him. He released her and she backed toward her mom as if she were being forced to chose between the two of them. "I'll talk to you later, Mac?"

"You can count on it."

The Next Day...
2045 EST
Mac and Par's Apartment
Georgetown, DC

Harm decided that delaying his conversation with Mac would only cause more damage to their fragile relationship. He had come over with pizza--a peace offering of food always helped when things involved Mac--around 1820, and the three of them had relaxed in front of the TV watching a Disney movie. In many ways, it was like nothing was different, but there was an undeniable tension beneath the surface of the friendly conversation.

Since her bedtime on weeknights was set at 8:30, Harm was sitting on the edge of Par's bed reading her a chapter of her favorite book this week, Moby Dick. He closed the book and put it down on the night table.

"'Good night, sweetheart," Harm whispered to the little girl who had her eyes closed and her face buried in her pillow.

"'Night, Daddy."

That one simple statement answered all his questions.

It made his decision for him.

He wouldn't go.

He couldn't.


Part 4...Ghosts Of Christmas Past

December 24, 1999
2105 EST
Harm's Apartment
North of Union Station

***AN: I've never seen GOCP, so everything in this part is based on what I've read from episode guides online. It's an AU fic, so you can also base differences on that.***

"Can I please open one?" Par begged the adults who were sitting at the kitchen counter. She was sitting in front of Harm's small "bachelor" Christmas tree eyeing the presents that were already placed underneath. They were the ones from the people at her mom and Harm's work, but she had been assured that Santa would bring more after she went to sleep. She had been very well behaved about it all night, but since dinner was done and there was nothing else to do, she had to at least ask to open one.

"Tomorrow morning when we come over to have breakfast, you can open them," Mac told her for the fifth time that night.

"Can we stay here with Daddy tonight? Will Santa know to come here?" Par asked going into the kitchen. She climbed up into Harm's lap. She had taken to calling him 'daddy' which Harm and Mac neither endorsed nor chastised. Both secretly liked it, but it was never a topic of discussion.

"Harm's going out to the Wall to visit his daddy tonight, so he won't be here for awhile," Mac explained.

"I'll see you in the morning, though. Bright and early," Harm assured her with a kiss on the back of her head.

"I want to be with you tonight," Par pouted.

"If you don't get to bed soon, Santa may skip right by your house," Harm warned.

"We'll see you tomorrow?" Par asked skeptically raising an eyebrow in his direction with an expression of deep concentration on her face. As much as she wanted to be with Harm, she didn't want to miss Santa's more.

"You bet, squirt," he promised picking her up and carrying her over to the coat rack. He grabbed the puffy purple coat and helped her button it up. When he was done, he helped Mac into hers.

As they were about to leave the apartment, Harm and Mac realized that Par wasn't following. They turned around to see her pouting with her arms held up toward Harm in a silent request to be carried. Unable to deny the little girl anything--especially on Christmas Eve--Harm squatted down to catch her as she jumped into his arms. They left the apartment together--Par hanging onto Harm for dear life, Harm not doing much better with letting her go, and Mac trying to breathe past the lump that formed in her throat.


2130 EST
The Wall
The Mall (Washington, DC)

Harm walked through the soft blanket of snow that had settled on the ground toward the panel that had his father's name. He had gotten across DC in record time since it was so late on Christmas Eve. Most people were at home with their families, and he was here spending the evening with a long lost memory instead of with living, breathing people.

Instead of with Mac and Par.

"Hey, dad. Mac wanted me to say 'Hi' for her and Par," Harm told the engraved name on the black wall. He removed his glove and touched the name adoringly. "Par wanted to stay with me tonight, but I couldn't make myself not come here tonight. I wanted to stay--I almost didn't come out. I'm still not sure if I made the right decision. How can I believe I love her--them--if I chose to spend Christmas with a memory instead of them?" He leaned his forehead against the cool wall and closed his eyes tight.

"Merry Christmas," a woman's voice said from behind him. He turned around to see an aging woman holding a flower in her gloved hand. "Who are you visiting?"

"My father," he responded. He stuck his hand out. "I'm Harm Rabb."

"Jenny Lake," the woman replied grasping his hand tightly.


0815 EST
Harm's Apartment
North of Union Station

"She really knew your father? She was with him the day before he went down?" Mac asked almost amazed.

"You met someone who knew your daddy, daddy?" Par questioned shoving another bite of her dinosaur pancakes that Harm made her into her mouth.

"Yeah. They talked and..." Harm couldn't say anymore. As old as he was, he still saw his father through the eyes of a five year old. "It's nice to know he wasn't alone."

The three of them sat at the kitchen table silently as they ate. Afterwards, it was an entirely different story though.

"Can I open my presents now? You said I could open them after breakfast. I want to open them now. Please, please, please," Par asked as she jumped out of her chair and ran out to the living room where, under the tree, there were even more presents than the night before. One--which Harm hoped would be her favorite--was hidden in the corner behind the others.

"Go ahead, Par," Harm chuckled at the girl exuberance and sat down on the couch with Mac to watch as Par tore through the gifts he bought her.

"You're spoiling her," Mac whispered teasingly into his ear. She put her head down on his shoulder just enjoying the moment.

"I am not sp--"

"A puppy!" Par shouted upon finding the hidden pet carrier.

Mac raised her eyebrows at Harm as if to say 'Oh, really?' And all he could do in return was shrug his shoulders embarrassedly.


Part 5...Boomerang

February 8, 2000
2105 Local (I don't remember the episode time)
Sydney Harbor
Sydney, Australia

***AN: Assumes that things have been going almost exactly as the episode ran until the ferry ride. I changed some of the lines because of the changes in their relationship and situations. If you haven't seen Boomerang, you'll probably still be okay.***

(Takes off after Harm edges toward the "topless" conversation.)

"Harmon Rabb, you are a prude!" Mac declared just barely containing her laughter. He was trying his best to play it off, but he seemed to be curious as to whether or not she took off her bikini top in front of Brumby...maybe even jealous.

"I am not," he objected in a voice that one could possibly call whiny. "But you work with the guy; I mean, you wouldn't go topless in front of me."

Mac turned serious fast. "Was that a request?" She leaned up against the railing and looked at him.

"What if it were?" Harm shot back just as seriously. He turned to look at her with his hip against the metal bar.

"Then I'd ask why you didn't ever bring it up before," she told him.

"I had too much to lose." He turned away, and his gaze went up to the stars.

"So this is about Par," Mac summarized shaking her head at her baseless hope. For a second, she thought that Harm might actually have interest in her that didn't stem from his need to be there for her little girl.

"Not just her, and you know it," Harm argued. He reached out his hand to run his fingertips down her arm. "I had--have--a lot more than just her, though she would be more than enough to be afraid of losing."

"Harm, if I didn't have Par--If I had come to Washington by myself--would we be having this
conversation?" Mac implored.

"I'm not psychic, Mac."

"How do you *feel*, Harm. Would it be the same way if I didn't have a daughter?"

Instead of responding, Harm leaned down and kissed her softly. It had been meant as only a short reassurance, but the moment his lips touched hers, he, as well as Mac, lost complete control. Mac's arms coiled around his neck, and Harm's hands ran up and down her back pulling her closer to him. With her body pressed tightly against his, he pulled her up to get better access with his mouth. Their tongues dueled with a passion that would no longer be denied.

***AN: My term paper has me completely burned out. The time change conversion is way to complicated for the few functioning brain cells I have left. Please don't be too picky and pretend that the times work. Thank you ;-)***

0715 Local
Harm's Hotel Room
Sydney, Australia

As Mac began to wake, the first thing she noticed was the warm, hard body underneath her cheek. The next was the arms that were wrapped tight around her. She smiled despite the annoying sun that was shining in her eyes. This is how she had wanted to wake up for years. This was how she should wake up every morning for the rest of her life.

"Morning," Harm murmured into her hair. Her smile grew to the point where it could be considered a grin.

"Morning." She lifted herself up on her elbows to give him a kiss but was interrupted by the phone ringing.

With a groan of annoyance, Harm reached over to answer it. "Commander Rabb."

~~Hi, daddy!~~

The sound of Par's cheerful voice brought a grin to Harm's face. "Hi, sweetheart. Are you being good for Aunt Harriett?"

~~Yep. I'm putting away my toys when I'm done with them and playing with AJ when she wants a break. Aunt Harriett said it's like summer there; is it?~~

"It's very nice here. People are going to the beaches and walking around in shorts, but everyone is also sweaty and stuff. It's like summer in California. Remember going out there with me?"

~~Yeah. We had fun with Gram Trish and Frank. Can we go there when you get back? When are you coming back? Can I talk to mommy?~~

"We'll talk about it later; In a few day's probably; And here she is." harm handed the receiver to Mac who was resting her chin on his chest watching him talk on the phone with Par.

"Hi, baby."

~~Mommy! Daddy said that we could go to California, maybe, and you guys would be home soon. That's true, right? You're coming home in a few days?~~

"When has daddy ever lied to you?" Mac asked rhetorically. Her eyes met, and the significance of her reference to Harm as "daddy" wasn't lost on either of them. Even though Par had called him that for some time, Mac had always referred to him by his name to the girl. She hadn't wanted to aid in her daughter's attachment to her best friend. Things were different now.

~~Cool. Aunt Harriett wants to talk to you. Love you.~~

"We love you, too," Mac said through the phone line. She listened half-heartedly to Harriett, but most of her attention was focused on Harm and the wonderful things he was doing to her neck with his lips. She was glad Harriet hung up before his hands drifted any lower than her hips.

Same Time
Robert's Residence
Rosslyn, Virginia (is that right?)

Par watch as Harriett hung up the telephone.

"Mommy and daddy are going to get married," she informed the young officer her mother had left her under the care of.

Harriett just raised her eyebrows and shook her head as she left the room to go check on her son. Par turned her attention to the television counting down the minutes until she would see her mom and daddy again.

Part 6...Surface Warfare

May 23, 2000
0605 EST
Mac's Apartment
Georgetown, DC

"Harm, let's go!" Mac shouted from out in the living room into the bedroom. They were, of course, running late for the ball. Then again, she had become accustomed to being late over the past few months (AN: No, she's not pregnant).

Ever since that night in Sydney, she and Harm had been inseparable. She had gone to see Mic once while they were in Australia to explain to him why he had to back off, but the man obviously hadn't listened to a word she said--He PROPOSED to her. She gracefully declined telling him that she was with Harm and happy with that.

Harm and Mac spent more time together now then they did before, since he no longer left in the evening. It was coming to the point where neither saw logic in keeping his loft, but both were too nervous to bring up the idea.

Their friends and co-workers had been told of the new status in their relationship, and truth be told, no one was all that surprised. They hide that, of course, because it wouldn't be appropriate for them to speculate the lives of senior officers. The Admiral hadn't bothered putting up a facade though. He had muttered something about it being about damn time and offered to look for local positions available for either of them.

"I'm ready," Harm muttered entering the main room in his dress whites. His breath caught in his throat when he saw Mac. She was always beautiful to him, but when she was dressed up in formal attire, she was absolutely stunning.

"Doesn't mommy look pretty daddy?" Par peeped up from her position on the sofa next to her 19 year old babysitter, Lena who lived next door. She had noticed the expression on Harm's face.

"Mommy looks beautiful," Harm recovered. He went over to his...Mac and kissed her softly on the lips being careful not to mess up her make-up which would make them even later than they already were.

"You look pretty, too, daddy," Par told him jumping up off the couch and wrapping her arms around his neck.

Harm smiled at her compliment. Little Par was probably the only person who would ever get away with calling him "pretty", but what could he say when he knew she meant only the best?

"Can I go with you?" Par asked him, her voice muffled by his neck. "Can I put on a pretty dress and be your date? Mommy can come, too, but I want to go."

"Maybe next time, princess, but mommy and I have to go now. The Admiral is getting an award tonight," Harm explained gently placing her back down on her own two feet.

"Okay." Par shuffled her way back to the couch and plopped down petulantly. She watched as her parents said their goodbyes and left deciding that she was going to be a flower girl or she would be mad at them forever.

Or at least until she wanted a new toy.

Part 7...The End (Or Is It The Beginning?)

December 25, 2000
0630 EST
Mac's Apartment
Georgetown, DC

"Mommy, daddy, wake up! I want to open my presents!" Par shouted for the fifth time. She was standing on the foot of her parents' bed jumping up and down softly. Neither of them would move. She had even tried getting Muggie, her Cocker Spaniel puppy, to jump on them to no avail. Now the little blonde dog was slumbering peacefully between them.

"Honey, just a few more minutes," Mac mumbled into Harm's arm.

Par sighed disappointed. She crawled up on her hands and knees up to her dad's side and laid down next to him. She had a good idea. "Daddy, I don't feel good." Her voice was more of a mumble, and she curled up on his chest.

"What's wrong?" he asked waking up and becoming instantly alert. He pulled himself up to a sitting position.

"I want to open my presents, but everyone is ignoring me," she told him with a naughty smile playing on her lips.

"You..." Harm flipped her over and started tickling her. Her giggling and their shaking the bed woke Mac up.

"Okay, you are both *so* dead," Mac muttered pulling herself into a sitting position.

"So can I open my presents now?" Par repeated impatiently.

"Fine. Let's go," Mac responded and watched her daughter run out of the room with the short dog struggling to keep up. She turned to Harm. "*Very* *strong* *coffee*. (My favorite line from The Family Man. Gotta love Tea Leoni)"

Harm chuckled, and they both climbed out of bed.

1745 EST
Mac's Apartment
Georgetown, DC

Mac sat on her sofa watching Par chat enthusiastically with Harm's mother, Trish, under the Christmas tree. She was disappointed that her little sister, Chloe, couldn't come to visit this year but having Trish and her husband, Frank, around made her feel much better.

Par had taken to Harm's mother and step-father almost instantaneously the day they met in La Jolla. They were absolutely crazy about the little girl who was, in everyway that really mattered, their granddaughter, and she felt the same way about them.

Harm sat down next to Mac and smiled at his mother and Par. The smile remained on Harm's face as he turned to look at Sarah. He pulled a small black jewelry box from his pants pocket.

"Merry Christmas, Mac." He handed her the box.

Mac stared at him wide-eyed as she took the gift from him. She didn't even notice the cease of activity in the room as everyone's gaze became fixed on her. She flipped it open slowly to find a beautiful diamond solitaire.

"You're not going to make me do it all, are you? You get it, right?" Harm said to her.

"I get it," she mumbled without looking away from the ring. When she finally looked away from it, her eyes went straight toward Harm's, and she said the one word that started a new chapter in the lives of everyone in the room with her.

"Yes."

~ The End ~