Love’s Labors Found

Author: Queenie

E-mail me at: happygolucky4@hotmail.com

Rating: G (sweet fluff story)

Summary: Harm and Mac experience the blessings only children can bring 
in 
the form of the two Robert's children. :)

Disclaimer: JAG is not mine, but baby Morgan is. Even though she has 
already 
been “created” on the show, I named her and gave her a personality. J

Authors Note: Okay guys. Here’s my second fic. Hope you all like it. 
It’s a 
long 2 parter. I guess I’m just a bit wordy. Hmm… oh well. Anyway, this 
takes place in the near future. Harriet has had her baby and it’s a 
girl. 
Her name is Morgan. Umm.. I’ll try to have the next part out by 
tomorrow. 
It’s long so it takes me a long, long, LONG time to type it. So anyway, 
hope 
you all like it. Feedback is muy bien. Mucho gusto.



Love’s Labors Found

	As Harm rushed up the steps to Bud and Harriet’s front porch, he 
pulled 
down his umbrella and shook all the clinging raindrops off to the side. 
What 
a night, he thought. After three hours of downpour the streets and 
lawns 
were finally starting to flood. Ringing the doorbell to their home, 
Harm 
waited outside for someone to let him in. He had decided to drop in and 
pick 
Bud’s brain about a certain case he was working on. Bud had offered his 
help 
earlier in the week, but Harm had declined, assuring Bud that he would 
be 
able to manage it by himself. Now, stuck with no leads or 
comprehensible 
evidence, he decided it was about time to throw pride to the wind and 
shift 
this thing into gear.

	Inside, he could ear a muffled “ I’ll get it,” and the pitter-patter 
of 
little feet running down the stairs. Harm grinned to himself. Harriet 
had 
told him that ever since they had started letting AJ answer the door, 
there 
was absolutely no way to reach it before him. He heard the lock jiggle 
a bit 
as the little boy behind it fought with the doorbolt and then finally 
the 
doorknob started to turn hesitantly, as if apprehensive to let him in. 
Finally, the door swung open with a swoosh and a little boy in race car 
pajama bottoms and an Indian headdress popped out from behind.

	“Hey buddy,” Harm said as AJ instantly recognized his face.

	“Uncle Harm,” AJ said as he flung himself into his Uncle’s arms. Harm 
picked him up and held him before him.

	“ What’s with the outfit kiddo?” he asked as he threw him over his 
shoulder, carrying him upside down like a potato sack into the den. AJ 
giggled.

	“ We was playing Cowboys and Indians, Uncle Harm,” he said into Harm’s 
back.

	“Oh you were, huh?” He felt a slight nod and heard a muffled ‘yep’. “ 
Well, 
I see the Indian but where’s the Cowboy?” Harm asked as he lowered AJ 
onto 
the couch.

	“Right here, partner,” he heard a woman’s voice answer behind him. He 
turned around to find Mac holding a cooing baby Morgan, who was just 
about 
as dressed as AJ was.

	“Mac,” he laughed. “ What are you doing here?”

	“ I could ask you the same thing. Unless, you had a sudden lapse of 
memory 
and got a little confused as to where home was,” she teased, shifting 
Morgan 
to her other hip, while walking towards an AJ, who had not so 
inconspicuously just hidden himself underneath the couch pillows. He 
tried 
not to laugh when he looked over and saw three red feathers and a foot 
poking out from beneath.

	“ So, what are you doing here, Harm?” she asked again, handing Morgan 
to 
him as she snuck up on little Sitting Bull. He cradled the baby on her 
stomach and started to lean, side to side.

	“ Actually, I was coming by to pick Bud’s brain for the Collin’s court 
martial. I need some help with some major brainstorming. But, you know, 
I 
don’t think I noticed your car on the way in,” he inquired.

	“Actually, my car’s getting new tires. Harriet just gave me a ride,” 
she 
said as she crept towards the couch. She put a finger to her lips as 
she 
indicated that she was about to make her move. She slowly reached out 
for 
the tiny feet poking out from beneath the pillow and seized it with her 
fingers. The pillows immediately flew from the couch and the den 
erupted 
into uncontrollable giggles as Mac tickled AJ’s feet. “ Not so tough 
anymore 
are ya little guy.” Mac laughed as she grabbed AJ round the waist and 
swung 
him in front of her, holding him so his head was just barely touching 
the 
floor.

	“ No fair,” AJ giggled. “ You’re bigger than me Aunt Mac.” She gently 
lowered him onto his back and bent over him.

	“ Then I guess you better hurry and go get finished getting ready for 
bed, 
or else I’ll stick Uncle Harm on you next time,” she said as she 
straightened up and looked over at Harm.

	“ Yikes!” AJ exclaimed as he sprung up from the floor and ran up the 
stairs.

	“ He being a troublemaker?” Harm grinned as he hoisted a tired Morgan, 
who 
was starting to fuss, up over his shoulder. He started to pat her back 
gently, hoping to help quiet her.

	“ Nah, just a typical four-year old. You just gotta show ‘em who’s 
boss is 
all,” Mac teased as she started putting all the pillows back in their 
familiar spots.

	“Oh yeah? Didn’t look to me like ‘the boss’ had everything under 
control 
when I got here.”

	Mac turned around, putting her hands on her hips and stuck her tongue 
out 
at him in play.  He laughed at her ridiculous third grade imitation. 
She 
walked towards him and reached her arms out for Morgan. He removed her 
from 
his shoulder and handed her over. Harm watched her tenderness and 
natural 
ease with the baby. He watched as Mac lifted her above her head and 
blew a 
raspberry on her little tummy, eliciting giggles from both of the 
girls. As 
she brought her back down, she placed a quick kiss on her forehead. He 
watched as she made silly faces at Morgan, who looked on with wide eyes 
full 
of amused delight. He loved how Morgan’s smile turned into a huge, 
toothless 
void whenever she laughed. And you know, the truth of it was, now that 
he 
knew Bud was not around, he could just go home and enjoy a relaxing 
evening 
on the couch with the new John Grisham her bought yesterday. But as he 
watched Mac and Morgan together and when he remembered how she had 
interacted with AJ earlier, he was filled with a feeling that he could 
not 
describe. One that came very close to a sense of devotion. Devotion to 
the 
idea of spending time with Mac and their godchildren. A devotion to one 
day 
having a family of his own so he could experience this everyday. And 
simply, 
a devotion to the incredible woman who was standing right in front of 
him. 
It was hook, line and sinker. He was being reeled in but he didn’t 
care. “ 
You know, Mac. If you want me to, I can stay here and help you put them 
to 
bed. And then I could give you a ride home so Harriet wouldn’t have to 
get 
out in this monsoon,” he offered, hoping she would accept.

	Mac quit playing with Morgan and put her on her hip. The baby gurgled 
in 
disappointment. She looked at Harm with an expression of mainly 
gratitude 
and some relief. And you know, there was something else there… what was 
it 
again? Oh yeah. Total happiness. She gave him a wide smile. “ You know 
Harm. 
I would really, really appreciate that. And maybe you’ll actually be 
able to 
get AJ to bed.”

	He grinned at that. AJ was always the difficult one when it came time 
to 
saying goodnight. “ I’ll do my best.”

	Suddenly, there was a loud crash upstairs followed by some little AJ 
giggling. Harm’s smile immediately fell in dread. They looked at each 
other 
in exasperation. But then Mac’s frown turned into a sly grin as she 
passed 
by Harm, carrying Morgan up to bed. “ I think that would be your cue, 
Harm,” 
she said going up the stairs.

	“ You know, Mac if you want-,”

	“ Oh no. He’s all yours!” she tossed over her shoulder, leaving Harm 
at the 
bottom of the stairs with a lopsided grin creeping across his face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	AJ had already gone through two glasses of water, one ‘ I seriously 
have to 
go to, Uncle Harm’ trip to the bathroom and Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and 
Ham 
ritual bedtime story before Harm was finally able to get him in the bed 
and 
under the covers. He was beginning to wonder what Mac had fed the kid 
when 
AJ’s voice popped his thought bubble.

	“ Uncle Harm?”

	“ Yeah, kiddo,” Harm said, kneeling down next to AJ’s twin bed. He 
gave 
AJ’s hair a ruffle and propped his head up on his elbow. AJ giggled.

	“ Are you and Aunt Mac married?” he asked totally innocently.. Harm 
just 
about croaked, his eyes widening in astonishment, wondering where in 
God’s 
green earth this had come from. He’d rather explain the birds and the 
bees.

	“ What? AJ what--why… why would you ask that?”

	“Because mommy and daddy told me that when two people are in love with 
each 
other, they get married.” Harm looked at AJ’s face. Good God, the kid 
was 
totally serious. “ What makes you think that Aunt Mac and I are in love 
with 
each other?” Oh Lord, why couldn’t it have been the birds and the bees?

	AJ propped himself up on his elbow, imitating Harm’s previous 
position. He 
looked him straight in the face. Harm had to bite down on the urge to 
laugh 
at the totally bizarre situation. With his eyebrows squished together 
in 
total seriousness and his mouth pursed, AJ looked like he was getting 
ready 
to analyze Harm’s mind.  And though he would never admit it, Harm was 
getting nervous. Well,  maybe not nervous… a little anxious perhaps. 
But the 
worst part was that this preschooler turned shrink was four and a 
half-years 
old. In the position that he was in at the moment, Harm could almost 
imagine 
that the next words out of his mouth would be something like, ‘Well, 
the way 
I see it…’ or, ‘ According to my calculations…” So, he was not 
expecting the 
words that AJ did say.

	He simply answered, “ Because you just are.”

	The nervous smile that was on Harm’s lips disappeared quickly with 
that 
one, straightforward statement. So simple, yet so profound. So… 
un-complicated. There were no formulas or calculations that he needed 
to 
work out in his head. There were no measurements AJ took to reach his 
conclusion. A four-year old was able to see what he had been trying to 
decipher for… forever. And then he realized. It wasn’t complicated. It 
wasn’t mind-boggling. He wouldn’t need to quit JAG to become a Rocket 
Scientist. He was in love with Mac just because he was. And the amazing 
little boy in front of him was the result of that same kind of love. 
Bud and 
Harriet had loved each other from the moment they had met. They weren’t 
scared of rejection. They were never in denial. They weren’t happy 
because 
they had to be. They just were. And as he turned his head to look out 
AJ’s 
open door to see Mac cradling Morgan, humming a tune he couldn’t 
recognize 
and gently rocking her in the rocker, across the hall, he came to a 
conclusion: he didn’t want to hold back any longer. He wanted to be 
with Mac 
whenever he wanted. He wanted to hold her and laugh with her whenever 
he 
wanted. He wanted to touch her, and kiss her and make love to her 
whenever 
he wanted. He needed to because he truly, for the first time, realized 
that 
he could love her without any inhibitions.

	He turned back to AJ with a new expression on his face. One of 
ultimate 
release and happiness reached. He leaned forward and kissed AJ on the 
head 
gently, thanking him for his guidance that he was oblivious to. “ You 
know 
what AJ?” He said pulling back. The little boy smiled. “ You are 
absolutely 
right. You are so smart.” He tapped his finger to AJ’s forehead.

	“ Do you think I’m the smartest kid in the world?” he asked, his eyes 
excited, waiting for his Uncle Harm’s approval. Harm laughed and 
pinched his 
nose with his index finger and thumb.

	“ No, I think you are the smartest kid in the universe.” AJ’s mouth 
opened 
into a silent ‘WOW’ and his widened in astonishment. “ G’night buddy,” 
Harm 
said, tucking AJ into his ‘snug as a bug in a rug’ preference. He stood 
up 
and turned off the bedside light, leaving AJ’s nightlight to subtly 
light 
the room. He gently closed the door behind him as he took a deep breath 
and 
turned around. It was about time to get on with his future.

End Part 1/2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Love’s Labors Found

Disclaimer: Same stuff as before. JAG isn’t mine. The song ‘Somewhere 
Over 
the Rainbow’ sung by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole isn’t mine either. But it is 
just 
such a beautiful song, I felt that I wanted to use it. The words are 
not 
used, but the song is referenced to.

Authors Note: Okay, this is all of it. Hope you guys liked it a bunch. 
I was 
trying for something sweet and easy. I’m not very good at all the 
technical 
military stuff, so if I write anymore, this is probably what it will be 
like. Also, if you are able to, try listening to Israel 
Kamakawiwo’ole’s 
version of  ’Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ as you read this. ( has 
anybody 
else here heard that song. It was used on an episode of ER. It’s just 
gorgeous.) It really sets the mood I was trying to create. Umm… I think 
that’s all, so enjoy the last of this. Thanks for all the reading and 
great 
feedback. You guys are so great!!!



	As the she hummed along to the light melody of  a ukulele strumming  
‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’, she studied the tiny moonlit form of her 
goddaughter. So tiny and fragile and yet so perfectly… perfect. As 
Morgan 
looked up at her with her big blue eyes, trying desperately to keep 
awake, 
Mac couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness. Why couldn’t this be her 
daughter that she was cradling to her breast? Why couldn’t she be the 
one to 
wake up to this little girl’s cries in the middle of the night? It 
wasn’t 
that she wanted Morgan as her own. It was simply, that Morgan embodied 
everything she did want. A beautiful, happy child who had parents with 
a 
beautiful, happy relationship. Parents who loved each other deeply and 
eternally. No, it wasn’t Morgan in particular that she wanted- it was 
this 
ideal life she was in the middle of at the moment.

	She smiled down at the little girl and brushed one of the few tendrils 
of 
hair she had away from her face. Morgan cooed in delight. She reached 
her 
tiny hands up towards Mac, extending her chubby little fingers. Mac 
gave the 
little girl one of her fingers to borrow and suck on. She marveled at 
the 
difference in size between the two of them. Morgan’s fingernails were 
so 
small, so new. It was hard to believe that this is how every human 
being 
starts out. So fragile and innocent, unaware to the troubles of the 
world 
and the hardships and trials they would face later on in life. God 
knows she 
did. And she only hoped that this gorgeous child  would never have to 
experience half the heartache.

	As she pulled the cotton blanket that had slipped down to her knees 
back 
over Morgan’s tiny body, she saw their silhouette on the wall disappear 
as 
the light across the hall flickered off. The only illumination now was 
the 
moonlight. Harm must have finally gotten AJ into bed, she grinned. She 
heard 
his door click shut and waited for his footsteps to echo of the walls 
as he 
went downstairs to wait. But there was not a sound. And then she knew 
why. 
She could sense his presence behind her, standing in the doorway, and 
she 
knew he was watching her. An she noticed that although the tiny fist 
still 
had a loose grasp on her finger, Morgan had finally fallen asleep. She 
heard 
Harm take soft steps across the room to avoid waking the sleeping 
infant. 
She looked up when she felt him peer over her shoulder, checking to see 
what 
stage of consciousness she was in. his eyes shifted from the tiny form 
to 
Mac as he caught her eyes on him. He gave her a little smile and she 
reciprocated. With that little encouragement, he crossed in front of 
her and 
squatted down before the rocker. He reached his hand up to lightly 
caress 
the soft inside of Morgan’s arm that was outside the blanket. Mac 
ceased 
rocking.

	“ She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

	Harm looked up into Mac’s eyes, his attention immediately drawn to the 
delicate features of her face. Her almond-shaped eyes, and olive skin 
glowing in the moonlight. Her divine lips parted and gleaming in the 
faint 
illumination. He stared directly into her eyes when he said, “ Yes, she 
is 
very beautiful.

	She looked at him for a moment longer, realizing he wasn’t talking 
about 
Morgan. She glanced away quickly as the flush started to creep up her 
neck. 
Harm in turn looked down to the sleeping baby and noticed how even in 
sleep, 
her tiny fingers were still wrapped around Mac’s. She trusted her Aunt 
and 
felt safe with her. And most of all, she loved her.

	“ I guess I should put her in her crib,” he heard Mac whisper. She 
started 
to stand up but he stopped her gently with his hands to her shoulders.

	“Here, let me do it.”

	“No, it’s okay. You already put AJ to bed.”

	“No… I want to. Let me see her,” he said reaching out for her. Mac 
gave in 
and let him slide his hands underneath the sleeping body. His fingers 
crept 
across her arms as he slowly tried to resituate Morgan in his own. She 
shivered a little at the contact, forcing herself not to catch his eye. 
Morgan’s fingers slowly unwrapped from her own as she was lifted into 
the 
air. Harm held her against his chest. She handed him the cotton blanket 
that 
had been discarded once again. He draped it over her body. Mac watched 
as 
Morgan snuggled into his chest but never waking up. He swayed back and 
forth 
a few times before he lifted her up and lightly kissed the top of her 
forehead. She watched him as he crossed the room to lay her down in her 
crib. It was as if he was handling a porcelain doll. And for the second 
time 
that night, she wished that this could be real. She wished that he 
would be 
putting their daughter to bed right now. She shut her eyes and dropped 
her 
chin to her chest. Watching Harm and the baby reminded her of all she 
was 
missing out on. All the time they had wasted. Why couldn’t anything 
just be 
simple between them? When she looked back up, Harm was finishing 
tucking the 
blanket around her tiny body. He felt her eyes on him and he knew what 
she 
was thinking. And what she was feeling. And that was because he was 
feeling 
the exact same thing. He too began to think about all the decisions and 
circumstances that had brought them to this point. After seven years 
together as best friends and a strong partnership, he wondered why they 
were 
never able to express how they felt. If you’re supposed to be able to 
tell 
your best friend anything then why couldn’t he tell her that he was in 
love 
with her. For many years he tried to rationalize his decision, telling 
himself that it was simply because she was his best friend. That is 
they 
were to have a lover’s quarrel or a petty argument and broke up, he 
would 
lose not only her love but the most important thing she ever gave 
him---her 
friendship. Now, since they had ‘started over’, one thing he realized 
was 
that that fear would never be realized. Because he didn’t just love 
her- he 
was in love with her. He had loved Jordan, and Renee and even Annie to 
some 
extent. But when he reflected back, he was never in love with them. 
They 
weren’t the first faces he wished to see every morning or the last ones 
at 
night. They were never the ones he wanted to bring chicken noodle soup 
to 
when they were sick or write songs on the guitar for. No, that spot in 
his 
heart had always belonged to Mac. And as he turned his head and locked 
eyes 
with her, his musings were made concrete. He had never known to love 
any 
woman like he did Sarah McKenzie. He summoned up every fiber of courage 
to 
say what he was going to say next.

	“Mac?”

	“ Yeah,” she asked timidly. She had an idea by the tone of his voice 
and 
the look in his eyes of where this was going.

	“Do you think-,” he paused and closed his eyes. When he reopened them, 
he 
crossed over to Mac who was still sitting in the rocker. He squatted 
down 
next to her like he had done before. When he spoke again, his voice was 
almost unheard. “ Do you think that this is what it will be like?”

	She concentrated on his face, knowing exactly what he was asking. She 
knew 
that at this very moment, his head and heart were finally in the same 
place 
as hers. She gave him a small smile and grasped his hand that was 
resting on 
the armrest of her rocker.

	“ No,” she simply said. His face contorted into a confused expression. 
He 
obviously had been expecting a different answer. She decided to provide 
him 
with a reason for her answer. “ No, because then… then it will be for 
real,” 
she said in a barely there whisper. He fingers were gently stroking his 
cheek, moving back to his neck and then to his cheek again in a 
continuous 
cycle.  “ And because then, I know that I won’t have to go home and you 
won’t have to go home. Home will be where we are.”

	He leaned into her caress as her words washed over him. It was a 
bittersweet moment.

	“I wish it were for real, Harm”

	“ I know, Mac. Me too.” he caught her hand and brought her palm up to 
his 
lips. He placed one lingering kiss in the middle and then a short, 
quick one 
as he pulled her hand to his chest.  He reached his other hand out to 
the 
back of her neck to pull her forehead to meet his. As their skin 
touched she 
expelled the breath that she had been holding.

	“I know you wish it were for real. But someday. I promise you that, 
Sarah.”

	She pulled back and placed both hands on the side of his face. A tear 
fell 
from her watering eyes.

	“ Don’t make a promise you can’t keep.”

	“ I will never make you a promise I can’t keep,” he said, changing 
their 
old script around a bit. He needed to help reinforce his devotion to 
her. He 
watched as her body caught on a sob and he pulled her close. He caught 
her 
shaking form in a tight embrace. He gently stroked the back of her 
head, 
winding his fingers through her fine strands.

	“ I want to believe that is true Harm. But after all this time… after 
everything we’ve---. How can I know that is true?”   He was silent for 
a 
moment, thinking about her question. And for the first time, he knew 
the 
right answer.

	“ Because I’m in love with you.” His words were muffled as he answered 
into 
her neck.

	She pulled back quickly in shock.  “ What did you say?”

	He looked into her bewildered eyes and smiled. She certainly hadn’t 
been 
expecting that. And he probably wouldn’t have either if he hadn’t had 
that 
chat with AJ.
“ I said that I’m in love with you.”

Her eyes turned from round saucers to shrunken ovals as a huge grin 
spread 
across her face. She expelled a little laugh and shook her head, 
pulling 
Harm into one of the best kisses he had ever participated in in his 
life. 
Her mouth was tender, and sweet and succulent and so giving. And more 
importantly, it was the perfect fit. Never before had he felt this at 
ease 
with any women as her mouth opened to him. If was destined to be. Mac 
slid 
off the front of the rocker and straddled his knees as the kiss became 
more 
intense. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled away.

	“ I’m in love with you too, Harm,“ she whispered. He pulled her in for 
another fierce hug as his mind, and her mind as well, reeled with what 
had 
just happened. He smiled so hard he thought his face would split into 
halves.

	“ So, what does this mean for us?”  Her voice was muffled by his 
shoulder.

	He pulled back to look at her eyes. They were smiling at him. 
Something he 
had never seen them do quite like this before. He ran his thumb over 
her 
lip. He tucked her stray chestnut hairs behind her ear. He caressed her 
cheek, and jawbone and neck with his fingers. He did all of this 
because it 
was right. And he told her.

	“ I think this means that this is right. That this is where we 
belong.”

	She smiled and leaned forward to gently press a short kiss to his 
lips. “ 
Good,” she said pulling away. “ Because that is exactly what I was 
thinking.”

	He flashed her his flyboy smile before he placed one last kiss upon 
her 
mouth. He disengaged himself from her and stood. He put his hand out to 
help 
her up.

	She snuggled close to his body as he put his arm over her shoulders, 
pulling her in. she wrapped her arm around his waist. Making their way 
through the doorway, she looked up at him and asked, “ So, what are we 
going 
to tell the Admiral?”

	As Harm pulled the door shut behind them, he guided their bodies 
toward the 
stairs. He thought for a moment then grinned at her, giving her body a 
tight, tender squeeze.

	“ Why don’t we just start at the beginning.”

End Part  2/2