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Date Posted: 13:17:21 12/04/13 Wed
Author: mj ;)
Subject: Light of My Heart--repost I just finished reading this, again, and although, it's a repost, it's STILL the way I would've loved The 4% Solution to end!! I'll keep posting the continuing story each day. Hope you like!!

Title: Light Of My Heart
By mj


HBX December Challenge
Harm: “If you need me there to make it work for you, maybe you should reconsider who you’re marrying.”

A/N – Just a little Christmas take on how the story of Harm and Mac could have been ‘solved’ after ‘The Four Percent Solution’. I WILL get to the challenge lines in the next concluding chapter – don’t worry! You know me -- it takes awhile. LOL!

Light Of My Heart/Chapter 1 – The Accidental Prince

December 24th, Christmas Eve, 2004
2218, in front of Mac’s apartment building, sitting in Harm’s Lexus

‘A friend, a friend, a friend, a friend, a friend, a friend’ As she recalled Harm’s answer to the doctor, the thought kept repeating and racing through her head the whole way home. ‘Of course, he was, is, and always will be.’ She was glad it was him with her right now, but now she needed to let him go – to let him get back to his life after being the good friend to her – the best friend she could ever have.

Mac. “Harm, please, I’ll be fine! Thank you so much for coming and being there for me and for taking me home. You heard the doctor, it looks worse than it actually is. Aside from a few nasty bumps, cuts, and abrasions and the sprained wrist, I’m fit, healthy, and very very lucky!!! He would never have released me if I needed more attention. Look, before I left the ER, the nurse helped me shower and ‘suit up’ in these hospital scrubs, so I’m all set to get into my own apartment and so looking forward to crawling into my own bed. It’s been a long day!! Please, go home or wherever you need to be or would like to be or was planning to be before I bothered you!”

Harm, looking sternly into Mac’s eyes as he put a hand over hers, “First of all, you are *not* bothering me – there’s no where else I was planning to be or, for that matter, where I would like to be! I’m just so relieved to be here with you – to know what happened to you – ah, not that I’m happy or relieved about the accident. But, when you didn’t show up at the Christmas Eve service, I *knew* something was wrong. I’m glad they phoned me, Mac. AND – (as he now got out of his side of the car, swaggered around and opened Mac’s door, and reached for her good arm to usher her out, closing the door, locking the car, and heading up to her apartment, holding her one arm in one arm and his other hand at the small of her back, as they walked together) -- you wouldn’t even be here, at your apartment, if it wasn’t for me! The doctor *only* released you in *my* custody -- because I promised I would take care of you! As loathe as you are to admit it, you need some Navy back-up tonight, Marine! Now, I’m bringing you upstairs, making you a nice pot of tea, and getting you tucked in. I then have to go to the pharmacy to pick up a couple prescriptions, some sterile bandages, and a few other items the good doc put on this list (looking down at the paper he just took out of his inside pocket)” Just as Harm inserted his copy of Mac’s apartment key into her door and before he clicked the door open he chuckled as he exclaimed, with finger raised in the air, “On second thought, it’s Christmas Eve! Let’s ditch the tea in favour of big old mugs of chocolatier-than-chocolate hot cocoa, all frothy and delicious, with mini-marshmellows, a few lashings of whipped cream – I might even throw in a cherry on top!! If I know you, your place is all Christmassy and demands nothing less tha…..” as he opened the door and flicked on the light, he took one look and gasped. He looked back at Mac – speechless, as his eyes genuinely started to fill up.

Mac, with a quivering lip as she took her good arm over to cross her sling, trying to make folded arms to ‘protect’ herself “I….I…I took the box of decorations out weeks ago…but I kept putting it off – you know – just got busy. Then, it was like…well…what was the point? I thought I’d pick up a tree this week…but then….got busy…I was planning on doing some decorating after the service….I….I….” She just looked down with her eyes now filled up.

Harm had never been to Mac’s apartment at Christmas time when it wasn’t decorated to perfection. Even last year, when she was dating Webb and still suffering from the fall-out of Paraguay, she managed to make her place all cozy and welcoming. But, tonight, when they walked in, it was cold, dark, and bare. There, indeed, stood a big box of what looked like sparkling Christmas colors and bows, spilling out of the box, but the box was relegated to a far corner of the room. There were a few wrapped presents on her desk – probably for the kids, maybe Chloe, all of whom were either out-of-town, as of tonight, or spending the holidays with others. Harm’s heart melted.

Harm, reaching out to hug Mac, “C’mere, you” Hugging her gently, tenderly. “Listen, it doesn’t matter. You should see *my* place! Not only is there not a stitch of Christmas spirit anywhere – since Mattie left, I’ve only gotten messier and even more cluttered. I don’t think Scrooge would move in with me if I asked him!”

Mac mustered a smile as she chortled, “And I bet it’s colder than cold there, too – even when you’re home! Maybe Scrooge would actually feel right at home!”

Harm laughed. He loosened his hug on Mac as he said, “C’mon, let me get a nice toasty fire going, you go put up the heat, and go lie down in your bed. I’ll make that pot of tea -- a grilled cheese, if you like, too. You can take your pain meds in about 20 minutes. I’ll wait till you’re settled and then go to the pharmacy to pick up the stuff you’ll need for the next couple days. I have a seabag in the car with some sweats and a clean T-shirt and underwear. I’m not going anywhere, Mac – I’m staying the night. That’s not negotiable, so don’t even try!”

Mac just exhaled as she knew this was a battle she shouldn’t even begin to fight. Frankly, she didn’t have the energy. She walked to her linen closet in the hall “Actually, Harm – do you mind helping me make up my couch. It’s warmer by the fire and I’d rather be here than in my room for a little while. Truth be told, I’ve been sleeping on it, if you can call it that, for weeks. I’d rather you take my bed anyway, if you insist on staying, Sailor. And I’m not really hungry – a cup of tea sounds wonderful. I use three sugars and lots of milk, so that’ll give me a burst of nutrition for the night. But you go ahead and make yourself something, Harm – you must be famished!”

They made up the couch together and Harm tucked Mac in after she gingerly lay down as Harm helped her to prop herself in a sitting position, so she could drink her tea and look at the TV, with ease and comfort. He put an extra pillow under her knees to help ease some of the aches she was experiencing there and in her back. He gave her her pain meds. He made himself a grilled cheese, but noticed that Mac hardly had any food in the house. She didn’t even have cocoa or Christmas cookies or any of her usual junk! He would go to the 24-hour supermarket to pick up a few groceries when he went out to pick up the prescriptions.

He put the TV on which had a special showing of ‘The Nutracker’ featuring the Bolshoi Ballet. He ate his sandwich and drank his tea, sitting in the big chair across from the couch. As they watched the TV together, Mac was mesmerized. She was truly enjoying it and it seemed to take her mind off her pain and discomfort. The fire was roaring now and the music of ‘The Nutracker’ was festive, yet soothing. Harm smiled as he noticed Mac getting somewhat drowsy.

He stood up to gather the empty plates and cups. He stooped over to kiss Mac’s head.
“You rest, Marine. I’ll be back in about a half hour.” He placed her cell phone on the coffee table next to her “Call me, if anything – but I’ll be back in no time, I’m just going to that 24-hour market and pharmacy right down your street.”

Mac rasped, “OK, sailor – I’ll be right here when you get back.”

As Harm entered into the crisp night air, he looked up to Mac’s apartment. He smiled at the thought of her up there waiting for him. A feeling of comfort and coziness washed over him. He took a deep breath and exhaled contentedly. What started out as his usual cold, restless, and depressive Christmas Eve day and evening, ended up being a night of warmth, rest, and calm. Out of the black cloud of Mac’s accident, came a silver lining of them sharing a night together. Just like the first Christmas -- what looked like a dire, hopeless situation turned into a glorious event that changed the world. Indeed, maybe Christmas *was* a time of miracles -- a time to reflect on all that was still right with the world, despite the reality of everything gone wrong. Mac survived while her car was totaled, they had both survived dangerous missions and assignments over the past nine years and a horrendous ordeal, physically and emotionally this past year, and, yet, as Mac said earlier, they were *both” still alive – even still best friends. And, now, they were given a second chance to find their way *home* -- to each other. He felt as if the light in his heart had suddenly switched on. Tonight it was time to change *their* world. For the first time ever, Harm felt a true peace on earth and a sense of joy to the world.

TBC....

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Replies:

[> Thank you mj, remembering and enjoying all over again... -- JoyZ, 19:15:38 12/04/13 Wed [1]


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[> Thanks for the memories. -- achaon, 21:38:04 12/04/13 Wed [1]


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[> Beautiful thanks for sharing -- Beth, 05:36:18 12/05/13 Thu [1]


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[> Think I missed this one, mj, but looking forward to see where you are going.... -- carramor, 22:20:50 12/07/13 Sat [1]


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