Harm stood at the rail of the USS John C. Stennis and stared into the horizon. The colors of the sunset were brilliant but all he could see was Mac’s bottomless brown eyes. Memories of their one and only night together haunted him to a point where he couldn’t sleep. He could still feel the press of her slender body, the satiny glide of her skin. The heady scent of her perfume. The brush of her fingers. But most of all, he could still clearly feel what it felt like to be locked deep inside her body. So close he couldn’t tell where he ended and she began.

There was no one he could talk to about this. It was entirely up to them to solve the issue but he didn’t even know where to begin. A part of him felt like he understood her decision to walk away. It was a protective maneuver. He knew because that was the same reason he walked away. He thought flying was what he wanted but since spending the night with Mac in his arms, he realized it wasn’t what he wanted at all. What he wanted was her. Forever. He wanted to love her every second of every day for the rest of his life. To wake up next to…

"Commander Rabb! There’s a satellite call for you!"

Harm turned to see a young ensign waving to him. "Where at?" he

asked.

Harm frowned slightly. He hadn’t heard from the Admiral since he first

came onboard. A few minutes later he was at the CAG’s door.

"Commander Rabb, come in and shut the door, son," Captain James

Holliday stated. "The Admiral’s waiting for you."

"Yes, sir," Harm answered, coming around to stand before the satellite monitor. "Admiral," he greeted, saluting smartly.

The bottom dropped out of Harm’s stomach instantaneously. "Bad news, sir? What’s happened? Are you all right?"

The world tilted crazily for an instant. "Shot?" he repeated dumbly. "Is she…" he couldn’t force the words out past the lump in his throat.

"She’s in intensive care but they’re not sure if she’s going to make it or

not. She has you listed as her next of kin, Harm. The doctors think you should be here."

There was an odd look on the Admiral’s face and Harm knew there was something he wasn't telling him. "What else, sir?"

"Just get here as soon as you can, Harm. We’ll talk once you’re here."

0800 ZULU

BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL

BETHESDA, MARYLAND

Captain Holliday had arranged for Harm to leave for D.C. immediately following the Admiral’s call. Now here it was just 0300 as he rushed into the hospital. Heads turned as he made his way down the hall at a fast walk. He hadn’t taken time to do anything on the ship except get in the Tomcat that brought him here. His one and only concern at this very moment was getting to the woman he loved more than his own life.

just missed Bud and Harriett. I finally had to order them to go home and get some rest. Especially Harriett. She has little A.J. to worry about."

"Is there any change in Mac’s condition?" Harm asked without preamble.

A.J. shook his head. "None but the doctor wanted to be notified as soon as you arrived. Why don’t you go tell the nurses’ station you’re here? They’ll know what to do. I’ll wait here."

"Commander Rabb? Michael Joyce. I’m Sarah’s doctor. If you’d like to come to my office, please?

Harm followed Dr. Joyce into a small room down the hall and sat down from his across the desk.

"How is she doing? The Admiral said you weren’t sure if she’s going to make it."

Dr. Joyce sighed and leaned forward slightly, clasping his hands together. "Her condition is grave. The bullet hit her straight in the chest. Currently, it’s lodged in the large muscle around her heart. We’ve brought in several specialists to look at how we might be able to remove it in surgery. What concerns us, though, is the baby."

A loud buzzing filled Harm’s head and he stared dumbly at the other man. "Baby? What baby?" he whispered numbly.

"Oh, my God," Harm muttered, all the feeling leaving him. Black dots swarmed his vision and he dew in a slow deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Commander, are you all right?" Dr. Joyce asked sharply.

Harm nodded. "I’m fine. Just a little…shocked." That was an understatement if there ever was one.

"Admiral Chegwidden said Sarah hasn’t been involved with anyone that he knows of in quite some time. He felt you might know if she were seeing someone."

Harm took a deep breath. "The baby is mine," he stated calmly, meeting Dr. Joyce’s eyes. "The simple truth is that I’ve loved Mac for as long as I can remember but we were partners so there was never any question of it going further. We spent the night before I left for Oceana together. But she told me…" Harm stopped to take a deep breath. "She told me she was protected."

"She was. I’ve spoken to her regular physician but birth control is not foolproof, Commander Rabb. Sarah listed you as her next of kin. In order to do the surgery, there’s a possibility – a strong one – that she’ll lose the baby. I’ve arranged for you to meet with her doctor team to go over all the information. We need your authorization to proceed."

"We’ll still sit down and talk about this, Commander, but I imagine you’d like to see her for a minute?"

The ICU room was almost dark. The only light was from a small lamp near the bed. Mac lay in the center of the bed, hooked up to various machines that monitored her vitals signs and kept her alive. Dr. Joyce closed the door behind Harm, leaving him alone with her. Harm moved slowly toward the bed. There was a chair close by so he pulled it out and sat down, his eyes never leaving her face. Tenderly, he picked up her hand and brought it to his lips.

The way she looked brought home the seriousness of her injuries to him. Her beautiful face was devoid of color and there were dark circles under eyes. A ventilator was in and a breathing tube and the IVs in her arms had bruised her tender skin. Her torso was completely bandaged from waist to collarbone, keeping the bullet wound clean and sterile.

"Oh, God, Mac, how did we get to this?" he whispered. "I don’t know if you can hear me or not but I want you to know this. I love you, Major. I’ve loved you forever it seems. Even when you were leaving me the morning after we had the most beautiful night of my life and you were telling me you didn’t expect anything. I tried to tell you then but you kept cutting me off. I guess I should have tried harder. Now…" his voice trailed off. He leaned forward and placed his free hand on her belly. "Our baby is in there, Sarah. A little baby made from our love. Oh, God, I wish you would wake up and smile at me. They want me to make a decision, Mac. How can I even begin to decide something like this? Dr. Joyce told me you might lose the baby if they operate. But if they don’t I’m going to lose you."

His voice broke then and he couldn’t speak anymore. With both hands on her stomach now, Harm laid his head down and cried. All the bottled up tension spilled forth. For two people who were so determined that there would be no regrets – there sure were a hell out a lot of them. This little life beneath his hands was a good place to start. Except that Harm didn’t at all regret its existence. He regretted not being here when she found out. Not being able to support her, to love her. Most of all he regretted ever leaving her. Now he might very well lose her without ever having had the chance to tell her that.

Admiral Chegwidden came up behind him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Don’t be embarrassed. I’ve already cried myself once or twice and Harriett was a basket case."

"She was trying a case of child and spousal abuse. The corporal just went crazy when they announced the verdict. He grabbed the wife and was waving the gun around. Mac was trying to reason with him and they didn’t want him to hurt anyone else or himself. He left go of his wife and grabbed their son. It was an accident really that he shot her. The child stumbled and she went for him and the gun went off. The guards killed the corporal. I believe it was an accident but they saw it as a threat and returned fire. Mac was trying to keep anyone from getting hurt."

1000 ZULU

BETHESDA NAVAL HIOSPITAL

BETHESDA MARYLAND

Harm just nodded at Dr. Anthony McCulla, the heart specialist Dr. Joyce had introduced him to. The man was older, probably Admiral Chegwidden’s age and had a kind face but all this was lost on Harm. He only wanted to hear what they were going to do about Mac.

Dr. McCulla pulled up a chair close to Harm's, Dr. Joyce was standing in the doorway and they were joined a moment later by Dr. Leonore Huffman, Chief of Obstetrics.

"Commander, I'm going to be brief and to the point here," Dr. McCulla began. "We're out of time. With every beat of her heart, the bullet moves a tiny fraction of a millimeter. Soon it will be in a position where it will interfere with the action of the heart muscle. Fluid will build up around her heart and in

her lungs, resulting in fatal heart and respiratory failure. Bringing Major

Mackenzie out of sedation will only hasten this, perhaps beyond the point

where surgery will help."

We’re going to try in every possible way to save your baby, Harm. But I want you to be prepared for the worst," Dr. Huffman said gently. "There really is no choice."

"I know," Harm said, though it was more of a sob.

"We need to take her down to pre-op now, Commander," Dr. McCulla told him. "One minute alone, please," Harm begged and Dr. McCulla motioned for the other doctors to follow him out.

"Sarah, this is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life," he choked,

staring into her still, pale features and stroking her hair back from her forehead. "But I want life for you. I want life for us. I have no regrets for what we did that night six months ago, only regrets for what I did after. Regrets that I ever left you. I knew with every fiber of my being it was the wrong thing to do and I did it anyway. Now I'm going to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I promise."

He picked up her hand and pressed it to his cheek. "I am never leaving you again," he vowed. "And when this is all over I'm going to ask you to be Sarah Mackenzie-Rabb." He lay his other hand where their child was still safe and warm. "I am so sorry...." he got out before another sob cut off his words.

Harm held up a finger for one more minute, then bent over and tenderly kissed her lips. "Forgive me, for what I have to do but I can’t risk losing you."

Fourteen hours later, Dr. Huffman and Dr, McCulla came into the waiting room. Exhaustion had etched deep lines into both their faces. Harm jumped to his feet, searching for some kind of sign in either expression.

"How is she?" he demanded.

"She came through the surgery better than we expected, Commander. She’ll be in Recovery for several hours yet and then back to ICU where we can closely monitor her," Dr. McCulla explained calmly. "If she does well after that – well, we’re trying to be cautiously optimistic – but if she does well beyond that point then she’ll make a full recovery."

Harm closed his eyes briefly. "Thank God," he whispered fervently.

"Commander Rabb?" Dr. Huffman touched his arm. "Would you like to see your daughter?"

Harm eyes jerked open and met the older woman’s. "Daughter? I thought… you said…" he stammered.

"We took her by cesarean. She only weighs a pound. Survival rate for an infant at 20 weeks is less than 40%. I wish we could give you more hope but frankly, I don’t know if she’s going to make it. Since Major MacKenzie is going to be out of it for several hours yet, I thought you might want to spend this time with the baby," Dr. Huffman stated comfortingly.

"I’d like that very, very much," Harm stated.

A few minutes later, a nurse was helping him into a hospital gown, a mask, cap and gloves. The neonatal ICU was a quiet, sterile area filled with small incubators. Dr. Huffman led Harm over to one in the far corner and pulled a chair close.

"Commander, meet your daughter."

Harm wasn’t aware of another thing after that except for the tiny, tiny baby in the incubator. In the back of his mind he was conscious of Dr. Huffman moving away as he lowered his tall frame into the chair.

"Oh, my God," he whispered, staring down at the perfectly formed infant.

The incubator was built with holes in the sides for the parents to put their hands and arms in and he did just that, sliding his arms in up to his elbows so that he could touch her. A feeling unlike he’d ever known swept over him. This perfect little creature was the product of his and Sarah’s love. Of the years they’d been together. Of all their hardships, their trials, triumphs, hugs, smiles, jokes – all of it. A product of all the love he felt when he looked in her brown eyes. Of the future he saw there.

"Oh, Sarah," he whispered more to himself. "Look at our beautiful little girl." He felt the harsh sting of tears in his eyes and blinked to clear his vision but they began to fall anyway.

His eyes slid helplessly over the small body, taking in all the wires attached to her miniscule arms and legs and her round little chest. Her body was no bigger than his hand from finger to wrist, her little legs not adding much after that. But all her little fingers and toes were there, the nails formed. Her eyes were closed, her lashes resting like pale smudges on her round cheeks. She was very red and wrinkled, her little form stiff.

Harm slid his gloved fingers over every part of her body. Her little bald head, her closed eyes, her mouth, her legs, her arms. There were so many things hooked up her that he had to be careful not to pull anything out or off. He turned his head and caught a nurse watching him.

The woman smiled gently and came closer. "Did you pick out a name for her?" she asked quietly.

Harm looked back at his daughter and shook his head.

"Maybe you might like to. Never know when the hospital chaplain will drop by. He comes by fairly often to see the preemies," she murmured offhand.

She moved away again and Harm looked back to the baby.

"A name, huh?" he murmured. "Sarah may never get to see you, little one. I can’t imagine anything sweeter than naming you after her. How about Katherine MacKenzie Rabb? But since Katherine is a big name and you’re such a little scrap, maybe I’ll just call you Katie."

2200 ZULU

BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL - NICU

BETHESDA, MARYLAND

The hospital priest did eventually come by. And with Harm and a nurse there as the only witness, gave baby Katie the closest they could to a baptism and then her last rites. Ten minutes after Father Mastin left, Dr. Huffman came in to check on Katie’s status.

"Commander, I’m sorry. We’ve all been hoping so hard but she’s very, very weak. Would you like to hold her?"

"I would love to," Harm answered thickly, his eyes shining.

Dr. Huffman took Katie from the isolette and very gently transferred her to his hands. She fit right into his palms. Sitting down, he brought her up against his broad chest, tucking her blanket securely around her. He pressed his lips to her round head, hearing the rasp of each shallow breath she took as she fought to stay alive.

She held on for almost thirty minutes. The most precious time Harm could ever remember in his life. He held her close for a moment longer, shedding silent tears that seemed like they would never end until finally Dr. Huffman took the small, lifeless baby from him, leaving him bereft. Somehow, Harm stumbled through the hospital to the room where they’d put Mac and fell to his knees next to her bed. There he let the tears come in earnest, sobbing out all of his anger and frustration. But most of all, his grief over the tiny life that never even had a chance to live.

1350 ZULU – THE NEXT DAY

BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL

BETHESDA, MARYLAND

It was dim in the room when Mac finally forced her heavy eyes open. Hazily, she blinked, trying to bring her surroundings into focus. Where was she? Very slowly, she turned her head and her gasped. Harm was with her!

Harm came awake with a start when he heard her gasp. He was on his feet instantly, leaning over her. "Mac? Are you all right, baby? Oh, my God, I’m so glad you’re awake finally," he stated, pressing her hand to his lips.

"What… are you doing here?" she asked weakly, her voice hoarse.

"I’ve been here since you were brought in," he stated simply. "The Admiral called me and I got here as fast as I could. I can’t believe how beautiful you look," he smiled tenderly at her.

"Yeah, right," she managed a ghost of a smile. "I got shot, flyboy."

"You’re still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen," he promised.

"Well, Major, it’s about time you decided to join us."

They both looked toward the door as Dr. Joyce came in. He smiled reassuringly and came to the bedside. "You’ve been out for a long time."

"What happened?" Mac asked, looking between the two men.

"We operated yesterday morning to remove the bullet. You certainly gave us a scare, Sarah. But I have to say your vitals are looking good."

Harm and Dr. Joyce exchanged a look that didn’t go unnoticed by Mac. "What’s wrong?" she asked. She was confused and their behavior was making it worse. Something was wrong.

"I’ll leave you two alone. If you need anything at all just let the nurse know," Dr. Joyce stated softly, looking at Harm for a bit longer.

Harm nodded and the other man left. Gingerly, he lowered his tall frame back into his chair, leaning forward toward Mac. He held her hand tightly between both of his.

"What is it, Harm? Tell me, damn it!" she pleaded. "Oh my God!" she whispered suddenly. "My baby! Is that it? Harm, do you know about the baby? Is that why you’re acting so funny?"

"Mac I…" his voice broke and he stopped and swallowed hard. He gripped her hand tighter and reached out with his other hand to touch her cheek. "Sarah, they had to take the baby during your surgery. She…" his voice cracked again and he felt the damnable tears rising up once more. "She died last night."

For a moment Mac only stared at him. "No," she finally managed to whisper. "No, she can’t be dead. You’re lying to me," she accused. "Where is she?" Mac demanded.

"She’s gone, Mac. I know you don’t want to believe that, honey, but it’s the truth. I was holding her in my arms when she died. I’m so sorry, Mac. So sorry. I would give anything to be able to bring her to you and tell you everything was okay but…" his voice trailed off as he realized it was finally sinking in for her.

"Oh, no," she whispered agonizingly. "No, no, no, no."

A low moaning came from her throat, breaking his heart into a million pieces. She was hooked to so many wires and tubes he didn’t dare try to pick her up but he leaned forward and rested his head on her stomach, holding onto her hips. She began to cry in huge, gasping sobs, her hands burying themselves in his hair. Harm was helpless to do anything to help her. All he could do was cry with her and hope that she somehow could feel how much he loved her.

Sometime later, the nurse checked in on Mac and found them both asleep, still in the same position. Smiling to herself, she left them alone. The rest would do them more good than anything.

1130 ZULU – SEVERAL DAYS LATER

MAJOR MACKENZIE’S APARTMENT

GEORGETOWN

Harm took Mac home when the doctors released her, determined that she wasn’t going to deal with this alone. She’d pretty much refused to talk about the baby, dwelling instead on how long she would be out of work and how soon she could return to JAG. Admiral Chegwidden told her she couldn’t come back to JAG until he said she could.

"You never did tell me why you came back."

They were sitting together in the living room, both trying to read and ignore each other and all that was still left unsaid between them.

"I felt you needed me and I certainly needed you. I never realized how much until the Admiral called to tell me you’d been hurt. I felt like the world had just come to an end but it was nothing compared to what I felt when they told me about the baby," he answered calmly.

"I suppose you’re mad because I never called to tell you I was pregnant," she stated dully.

"I was never mad. I was definitely surprised but by the time they told me about her, there was too much else going on in my head. And besides, I’m the one who needs to apologize to you," he told her.

"For what?’ she asked.

Harm got up and came over to stand in front of her. Slowly, he lowered himself to his knees in front of her and picked up her hands, holding them in his on her lap. He took a deep breath and looked up at her. "They told me I had to okay the surgery for you because I was listed as your next of kin. They gave me a choice. I could say no to the surgery in order for them to possibly let the baby gestate a few more days or even weeks or I could have them go ahead in which case we would almost definitely lose her because she was too small. They promised to do all they could to save her but their hands were tied. I made a choice I knew would mean almost certain death for our baby," he paused but kept his eyes focused on their joined hands, afraid to look up and see the revulsion he knew would be in her face.

"I couldn’t risk losing you, Mac. There was just no way in hell. Dr. McCulla told me that if they didn’t operate immediately you would die. There was no other option on that. They assured me we could have another baby. Several if we want. But I can never have another one of you and I couldn’t take the risk of losing you when there was no guarantee she would live either. I could easily have lost both of you and I don’t think I could have lived myself if that had happened," he stated raggedly, trying to hang onto his rapidly shredding control.

She was quiet for a long moment before he felt her tug her hands free of his grip. Then her cool fingers were surrounding his face and lifting his eyes to meet hers. Silent tears were sliding down her pale cheeks but there was only love in her eyes.

"I’m so sorry, Harm. So sorry that you had to do that alone. There are so many things we should have done differently. But we can’t go back in the past now. Do you love me, Harm?" she asked point blank.

"You know I do. More than anything else in the world. I’m only sorry that I wasn’t here from the beginning with you. But I’m here now and I’m not going anywhere ever again. I’m coming back to JAG, Mac. And if you’ll have me, it would do me the greatest honor if you would marry me."

For the first time since waking up in the hospital, Mac smiled fully. "I think it would be my honor," she whispered.

She leaned forward and their lips met in a tender kiss. She cupped her hands around his beloved face and smiled again. "I’ve learned something I this, Harm. Life is too precious to waste on regrets. I don’t want to dwell on all that we did or didn’t do before you left. What I want to concentrate is what’s to come now. I want to spend the rest of my life loving and being loved by you," she murmured tenderly. "That will be my greatest reward.

"Before we go on any further, I want to tell you something," he stated quietly. "About our daughter."
Mac stiffened marginally but didn’t pull away from him. Harm rose to his feet and pulled her up behind him. Then sitting down on the couch, he eased her down into his lap and wrapped his arms around her. She relaxed against him, waiting patiently for him to begin.

"Dr. Huffman took me in after you were moved to Recovery so I could see her. She was so tiny, Mac. Just a little over a pound and no bigger than my hands. The nurse took these for me."

From his shirt pocket, he pulled out a small stack of photos. They held them together, balanced in her lap and slowly they looked through them. Mac carefully ran her fingers across the image of the last picture, this one of Harm and their daughter together.

"She died right in my arms," he whispered. "The nurse suggested that I name her and the hospital priest came by not too long before this was taken. He did the best he could to baptize her. I named her Katherine, Mac. After you. I wasn’t sure if you would ever get to see her," he continued softly.

Mac glanced up at him. "Do you hate me for not telling me about her sooner?" she asked quietly.

"God, no, baby. There’s no one at fault here. You and I both always believed things happen for a reason. I just know Katie’s above us now watching out for the future. We both made mistakes, Mac, and we’ll make more down the road but all that’s important to me now is that we’re never apart again. I love you more than anything in this whole world and I’m never leaving you again. No matter what. You’ll never be able to get rid of me, ninja-girl," he smiled tenderly.

Tears slipped unheeded down Mac’s cheeks and he wiped them away with his thumbs. She let go of the pictures of their baby and covered his hands with her own.

"I love you, too, flyboy. More than I ever thought it was possible to love someone. I didn’t think you and I would ever have another chance. It breaks my heart more than I can say that we lost little Katie but I’ll be eternally grateful that she was with you even for a little while. That will carry me through the rest of my life," she told him lovingly. "That and these pictures."

"We’ll have another baby, Mac. We’ll have a handful and we’ll keep Katie alive right along with them," he murmured.

In a burst of emotion, Mac threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight, almost as if she were afraid to ever let go. Harm hugged her back, his arms closing almost completely around her too slender form. She’d lost some weight since he’d last seen her. Weight she really couldn’t afford to lose. Still holding her in his arms, Harm rose to his feet, cradling her to his chest. He carried her across the threshold into her room, his eyes never leaving hers. Releasing her legs, Harm felt her body slide along his, heightening senses that were already in overload. He wanted everything to be perfect for her, but like him, she was tired of delays. They’d been waiting over six months to rekindle that one perfect night they had before he left for the Stennis. Standing there in a fading patch of sunlight, he drew her to him, sliding his hands around to her back. Mac felt him everywhere - the brush of his hard thighs through her sundress, the wall of his chest meeting the tips of her breasts.

The sound of her zipper moving down its track was loud in the silence. Harm slid his hands inside the fabric, splaying them across her bare back and urging her forward. Their lips met on a sigh. Angling his head, Harm plied her lips gently with his, feeling their full moistness mold to his. His tongue played along the seam and she parted them beneath his touch, sighing into his mouth when she felt his tongue slide in. Before their lips parted, Mac’s dress and his shirt disappeared, leaving them both bare to the waist. Leaving her mouth, Harm trailed a leisurely path to her ear, smiling at the gasp she made when his teeth caught her earlobe. Releasing it, he flicked his tongue over the delicate shell, moving down to the smooth column of her neck.

Mac let her head fall back, allowing him greater access to the lightly perfumed skin awaiting his touch, shivering when his lips and tongue left a path to the curve of her shoulder. Easing her away from him, Harm lowered his head and swirled his tongue around one straining nipple. Mac’s hands went to his head, holding him against her as his mouth tugged at her breast. Bending slightly, he lifted her into his arms again and took her to the bed, placing her in the center. He hesitated only long enough to remove his boots before stretching out beside her. His mouth settled over hers again, kissing her deeply, taking his time. One broad hand caressed her body, stopping at her breasts to play awhile. Mac arched her back slightly, pushing one soft mound into his palm. Harm pushed her desire on, stroking, kneading, shaping her breasts with his hands.

Their lips parted again and he shifted, pressing moist kisses to the valley between her breasts. More kisses were bestowed on each turgid nipple before moving onward. He explored the silky skin on her stomach with the tip of his tongue, drawing a circle around her navel before dipping inside to tease her. Mac sighed, her hands kneading reflexively at the bedspread. On his knees now, Harm ran his tongue along the edge of her vivid red bikini panties before skimming lightly over the mound shielded below. Mac moaned, rising slightly off the mattress. Her eyes remained on what he was doing, wanting to share everything that was happening with him. Harm pressed his lips to the vivid red scar that ran low on her belly. It was where they’d taken baby Katie. Mac lifted her lashes and met his dark eyes expecting to see revulsion but instead she saw only blazing love.

She didn’t dare close her eyes again and miss a second of this wonderful experience. Harm continued his foray down her legs, caressing them with his hands, kneading the muscles in her thighs, shaping the delicate curve of her calves. He lifted her right leg and tugged off her red high heel, tossing it to the carpet. A giggle escaped Mac when his thumb brushed against her sensitive instep.

"Tickles, doesn’t it?" he teased.

"A little," she admitted.

He did the same with the other foot before beginning his return journey. When he reached the edge of her panties, Harm slipped his fingers beneath the elastic and gently tugged on them. Shyness aside, Mac lifted her hips and he pulled the material free, tossing it to the carpet with their shoes. The sight of her bare body took his breath away. Sitting back slightly on his heels, Harm studied her with his eyes, not wanting to miss one inch of the body he had seen in his dreams for so many nights. Reverently, he reached out a hand and covered the curls between her thighs. Lifting her off the mattress, he kissed her deeply, sliding his tongue in and out of her mouth to simulate what their bodies would be doing later.

"You’re so beautiful," he murmured against her mouth.

Mac’s eyes were shining. "I’m glad you think so."

She stiffened the tiniest bit when he slid one long finger into her warm body, testing her readiness. He began to move his hand in the same rhythm as their tongues and soon she was squirming against him, her hips thrusting against his palm. Mac felt the every nerve in her body tightening, responding to his ministrations. Her body hummed, wanting what he was giving her, wanting what would come after it. Her climax came on fast, shock waves rippling through her, her muscles contracting against his hand.

Before she could even recover from the beautiful feelings in her body, Mac felt the press of Harm’s naked form, his hips settling between her legs. She raised herself slightly, reaching for his hands. Harm drew her into a sitting position, his manhood resting upright between their bodies. Mac found his mouth at the same time her hand encircled his engorged shaft. Harm sucked in a deep breath as she caressed him.

He was already close to exploding but he allowed her to explore for several minutes. When he could stand it no longer, her caught her wrist and pulled her hand away.

"Anymore of that and this will be over before it gets started," he grinned. "I want you so much that I don’t have the strength to go through that," he murmured.

"I want you to feel like you’re making me feel," Mac whispered.

"Baby girl, if I felt any better I’d die on the spot. Just being here with you, touching you and loving you is all the pleasure I need. I want you to feel good, darlin’. If I do something you don’t like, you tell me, okay?"

Mac nodded her heart in her eyes. "I don’t want you to wait any longer, Harm. I want you to be inside of me," she demanded softly.

"I can’t think of any place I’d rather be, Sarah MacKenzie."

Lowering his head, Harm found her lips and kissed her deeply, sliding his tongue into her mouth. Holding her close, he slowly lowered her to the mattress, sliding his hands down to the backs of her knees. Mac stiffened a tiny bit when Harm settled himself between her thighs and the tip of his manhood brushed her moist entrance. He kissed her again, harder this time, drawing her attention to his mouth and away from their lower bodies. Mac squirmed when his big hands covered her breasts, kneading the full mounds and puckering her nipples into tight buds. Trailing his mouth down the smooth column of her throat, he closed his mouth over one turgid peak, drawing it deep inside. Mac gasped when sensation shot through her, pooling at the juncture of her thighs and urging her breast more fully into his mouth. Harm lifted his head and captured her gaze. Gently, he gathered her hands in his and stretched her arms out above her head, pressing her body into his. Mac felt the tip of his shaft gain entry to her velvet warmth and she tensed slightly but kept her eyes locked with his.

She was aware of other things - his thumbs stroking the sensitive skin of her palms, the gentle abrasion of his hair-roughened legs against her own smooth ones - but the center of her focus was on the way their joining felt. Harm pushed forward an inch and sweat beaded on Mac’s flushed face.

"I love you," he whispered, smiling tenderly.

"I love you, too, Harm. So much."

"I don’t want to hurt you."

"You aren’t. It’s just been a long time."

With steady pressure, Harm slid the rest of the way into her warm body until he was embedded to the hilt. Holding himself still, Harm waited for her to become accustomed to the newness of their position. Slowly, the tension began to filter out of Mac and she relaxed beneath him.

"I feel so....full," she said, her words tinged with awe. "You’re so big and hard. I feel like you fill me up completely."

Harm smiled lovingly. "It should be that way, honey. I want to feel you writhe and hear your moans. I want you to scream my name when you climax."

His intimate words brought a shiver of excitement to Mac. Her feverish eyes flew up to his. Tentatively, she bumped her hips against him, smiling when he groaned deep in his chest. A streak of pleasure shot through her own loins so she repeated the move. Harm released her hands and caught her hips in his grasp. A devilish glint flitted through his dark gaze. Slowly, he withdrew only to plunge in again, drawing a gasp from Mac. Over and over, he thrust into her, closely watching her reaction, determined to stave off his own pleasure so he could push hers higher.

Mac bucked beneath him, meeting his every downward stroke with one of her own, countering him perfectly. Her long legs wrapped around his hips, drawing him deeper each time, feeding off his harsh breathing and deep groans.

"Oh, Harm..." she moaned. "I feel....out of....control!"

"That’s it, Mac. Let go, baby. Let it come," he ground out, feeling his own release nearing rapidly.

Mac’s climax slammed into her, bringing a strangled cry from her throat. The sweet clenching of her inner muscles around his shaft was Harm’s undoing and with a hoarse shout, he followed her over the edge into the abyss below, spilling his seed into her receptive womanhood. They lay there for several long minutes, still wrapped tightly in each other’s embrace. As their heartbeats slowed, Harm found her mouth and he kissed her deeply. When they parted, Mac’s fingers stroked his cheek, her eyes full of wonder.

"It was like that first us that night before you left. I thought maybe it was just a once in a lifetime thing," she confessed.

"It’s never been that way for me before. I’ve heard others talk of it. Love brings that kind of reaction, I guess. Love like you and I have. It’s always gonna be this way. Better, in fact," he murmured.

Mac’s grin told him she liked that idea. "I like the way it feels having you deep inside of me. I wish we could stay this way forever."

"I intend to spend the rest of our lives thoroughly loving you, Sarah. I want to explore every inch of your beautiful body with my hands and mouth. I like the way you feel against me, how it felt to have climax around me, to feel you squeezing me, drawing me deeper."

Mac shivered as his husky words filled her with desire, her body clamoring to attention beneath him. She felt him stir inside of her, felt him hardening again and knew he was every bit as affected as she was.

"Would you care to demonstrate it to me?" she whispered seductively.

Harm’s eyes narrowed, growing dark with desire. "I’ll do more than that," he growled, drawing her against him.

As they fell into loving each other all over again, a tiny soul looked down from heaven upon the mother and father who had given him a short life on Earth and an ever-lasting place among the angels. He would be the guardian of their love.

The End