(A/N: I of course have to give credit for the line “Making their way back from Mars” to John Ondrasik, who wrote the song “100 Years” that they used in the finale. I just thought it was pretty descriptive, and also fitting because of it's use in the finale.)

PART 2

HARM'S APARTMENT
NORTH OF UNION STATION

29 APRIL 2005
0300 ZULU

They were still hand in hand when they exited the elevator in front of Harm’s apartment. Mac couldn’t even remember if she’d let go of it during the entire ride home. It amazed her that something that had been almost forbidden to her 18 hours ago, now felt like the most natural thing in the whole world, and something she didn’t think she could live without anymore. She tried to register the enormity of all this finally having fallen into place, but she couldn’t, she just felt numb. She decided she really couldn’t care less whether it had registered yet, she was just going to enjoy the moment… the moments… the ride…

As they stepped into the darkened apartment, Mac was suddenly struck by another flashback. She’d been experiencing them for days – ever since they’d gotten their orders. This time it was of the very first time she’d seen this apartment – it had been in a very similar state at that time too – although then it had been ‘not quite moved into’ instead of ‘not quite moved out of’.

‘God, had that been nine years ago? We were just about to go on our first assignment together’. It had seemed like only yesterday, and yet also a lifetime ago.

She smiled at the memory of how he had done so much work on this place himself. How he’d laid all the hardwood flooring, put in that island… she remembered bringing him supper one night – he had been on the floor fighting with a sander listening to Latin music at way too loud a volume. She smiled, suddenly feeling overwhelmingly safe – imagining him one day working on their first house.

‘Wow. “*their* first house” was this suddenly starting to sink in?’

“Hey Marine – where are you?” Harm spoke so softly and tenderly as he took her into his arms, that it almost wasn’t enough to permeate her daydream.

She smiled at him – she couldn’t seem to help that anymore. “I was just remembering the first time I was in this apartment.”

Harm smiled too.

“Yes” she adopted a tone of sarcasm, “I seem to remember it took you forever to pack a bag and we were almost late for our flight.”

“Forever? That seems like a pretty broad timeframe for you Mac. Don’t you mean it was 7 minutes and 43 seconds or something?”

“Well” she laughed “I’m sure at one time I knew exactly how long it took you to pack that day, but right now, there seems to be something interfering with my internal clock.”

Harm suddenly tilted his head to one side “Oh yeah?” he said in almost a whisper “And what would that be?”

‘God’ she thought ‘that voice, that expression…’

In nine years of knowing this man, she had never been privy to this side of him. As much as she knew everything else about him - could read his exact thoughts in a split second through a fleeting glance… had witnessed him cry and rage... She had been the object of his passion before… his longing, but she had never been the recipient of *this* look – this voice. “London works for me” he had said when it happened first. A voice that was temptingly suggestive – but not in a confrontational way – not given as a challenge. It was spoken with a confidence that knew the answer it would receive – if not the exact words, at least the sentiment. A look and a voice reserved only for lovers who are comfortable with each other. Not a look of unrequited love, but simply a look of love that is secure in it’s reciprocation.

She took a deep breath “Well I can’t be sure Flyboy, but I think it’s you”

His mouth attached itself to hers so gently she almost couldn’t bear it. Her body succumbed to his like a magnet. He lifted her up in his arms swiftly – almost as he had last night – although last night had started in a more humorous fashion.

‘God, last night – would she ever forget the events of last night?’

“Fate could keep us together forever”, then that look again. ‘Forever’ – that had done it for her. The passionate kiss that had followed had almost caused her to faint until he’d pulled away to look at her with that cocky Flyboy smile – his eyes twinkling.

“So” he had said “Since we’ve waited nine years, are we going to wait until our wedding night?”

Still reeling from his kiss, it had taken her a second to get her mind around what he was implying. The idea of him saying that had caught her completely off guard, but it suddenly sounded like such an honourable thing to do – and Harmon Rabb was nothing if not honourable.

“Oh Harm, that is so sweet!” Of all the times she’d wished she’d had a Polaroid, it would have been then – just to capture the exact expression on his face when he thought she might actually take him up on that offer. “But, there’s no way in hell…” she had finally ended his sudden surge of panic “…that I plan on waiting another minute for you.”

Oh God, there had been that look again. She was never going to get tired of it. When Harmon Rabb, Jr. let someone in, he really let them in.

“I’m so glad to hear you say that” and with one quick motion he had leaned into her stomach, thrown her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry and taken her to his bedroom – detouring only briefly so that Harm could slam the door shut with his foot on the way by.

They had still been laughing when he laid her down on his bed and settled on top of her, but at the next kiss all humour fled and the flame of nine years of buried passion had been fanned to the surface. That night would forever be burned into her consciousness, but for the life of her she could not remember the exact sequence of events… how exactly their clothes had come off… when he had first touched his lips to her stomach or the inside of her thigh… but she knew she would always remember how it felt – the surge of passion and emotion that flooded through her when his bare chest first touched hers… the feel of his hands… his fingers… so gentle and loving. She almost couldn’t believe he could be so tender – had almost let herself believe he would be an arrogant lover, as one might expect from an ‘alpha male’ – yet somehow she always knew he would be this way. And when he had finally entered her, it was as if time suddenly stood still. Their eyes had been locked in a gaze so intensely meaningful, it was as if the entire knowledge of the universe was opened to her for a brief second. And in that second she was acutely aware that this was not the first lifetime they had loved one another - again, something she should have known all along, and yet somehow already did. This was not just a relationship – this was the meaning in her life and her reason for being. When he had said ‘fate could keep us together forever’, he did not just mean ‘’til death do us part’ – this was so much more than that and he knew it too.

Their lovemaking this time had been more light-hearted, but no less intense. Last night there had been a certain desperation involved. They hadn’t been sure of their future and past disappointments nagged at the back of their minds even though they had already committed themselves to the plan. Tonight, their immediate future had been secured – the General had given her three weeks leave to begin immediately. She could leave with Harm in the morning – go to London with him – there was no need to be separated from him at all… even for a short time. It was almost inconceivable that this could have been settled so easily. It had never even occurred to them that the General could fix things. They had gotten so used to the idea that a relationship between them meant a sacrifice of something great, now that great insurmountable hurdle had finally been cleared and there was nothing in their way.

“Oh Mac”. He whispered her name as a sigh as he nuzzled into her neck. They were both still out of breath - making their way back from Mars. Again, her mind was in such a reeling fog, she had to forcibly return herself to consciousness. She tried to move her mouth and realized it was incredibly dry. Had sex ever come close to anything like this before? She knew it hadn’t, not by a long shot. She had tried to half-jokingly compliment Harm last night, saying she knew now why his girlfriends had such a hard time letting go of him. She had expected a gloat, sarcastic retaliation, or at least a light-hearted joke as a response, but instead she had been rewarded with a comment that had made her heart swell once again;

“Mac, this has nothing to do with me, or you… but everything to do with me *and* you … I guess this is what happens when you make love with the love of your life.”

Where had this man come from, and why had she been rewarded with his undying affection? She was suddenly reminded of that line from Casablanca – the one where Humphrey Bogart says to Ingrid Bergman “Why is it that I should find you, here, waiting for me?” Actually, in his later years, Harm did sort of resemble Bogart – especially in his Mess Dress tonight. Why was it that men could age so well? He was no longer the fresh faced pilot she had met years ago, but he still could make her knees turn to jello with one look. Well, if he was Bogie, I guess that made her Bacall. The thought made her giggle.

“Something you find funny, Marine?” He lifted his head from her neck and gave her that vulnerable little boy look, only partially successfully hidden by a half grin. “…and careful how you answer that?” he cautioned.

“No” she continued to smile, “I’m just marvelling at how completely happy I am right now”.

Now it was Harm’s turn to laugh. There was still a thin film of sweat on his forehead and the spiky little hairs in his cowlick were wet and matted. He propped himself up with his elbow and leaned his head into his hand. “Good answer, Ninja-girl” he replied, his eyes twinkling.

Mac continued with the teasing, it was a bond that had always drawn them close and would continue to do so, always. “You know, if this is the kind of sex you get after nine years of suppressing your feelings, I think I’d have to say it was *almost* worth it”.

Harm placed his hand on the small of her back and pulled her closer to him. “I’ve got news for you, Marine. I’m not waiting another nine years.” Mac laughed softly and kissed him on the nose. “Another nine hours perhaps,” he mused jokingly, “but definitely not years”.

“How about nine minutes” her eyebrow shot up at him along with her challenge.

Harm hesitated briefly, looked away at the ceiling for a second, then countered with a shrug and a grin, “Yeah… I think I could manage that.”

END PART 2