Title: Same Place, Same Time

Author: Holly

Summary: Harm and Mac face a threat from their past as they are thinking about their future.

Spoilers: Many episodes are referred to up through Season 8 and speculations for early season 9. Although it starts in April 2003, it skips to July 2003 so that we don’t have to relive all the happenings of the last five episodes of the season, although the contents of some of them may be referred to.

Disclaimer: JAG is the property of Bellisario Productions, CBS, and Paramount. I have borrowed their characters for entertainment purposes only. No monetary gain will result from their appearance in my story.

SAME TIME, SAME PLACE

Chapter 1

April 2003

Sarah Mackenzie’s apartment

          Meredith Cavanaugh paced back in forth in front of the couch. She was visibly upset, but with each pass she was calming down. Sarah knew from past experience that Meredith would reach a point when she would be ready to talk. In the meantime she watched, waited and tried not to let her smile be obvious.

          “That man is going to drive me crazy! I walk in today to be congratulated on my pending marriage…marriage! He doesn’t discuss it with me and tells everyone that he’s planning to retire and marry me…and I have to hear what he’s thinking and planning from his staff? Can you believe the gall of that man?”

          “Well, Meredith, at least you know what he’s thinking and that he cares about you…I mean you did say he declared his love for you and even if its not a romantic gesture, at least he’s moving forward.”

          “Yes, dear, I know…and compared to some men I’m sure I should be grateful.” She took a deep breath and released it slowly. “Actually I guess I’m not that angry with him, but I decided he wasn’t getting off the hook quite that easy. He needs to ask me to marry him if that’s what he wants.”

          Sarah knew that she could jump in to the conversation now and be heard.

“I’m sure its coming. The admiral has almost restored my faith in most men, the way he has been able to open up with you and tell you how he feels. I’m almost sorry I won’t have the chance to see how sweet the experience is.”

          “What are you talking about?” demanded a surprised Meredith.

          “I thought at one time that there was a chance for Harm and I to have a relationship – beyond being friends and partners – but the man is so up-tight and only seems interested when there’s competition for my attention from some other man. When there’s no one else around, I’m just one of the guys.”

In her gentle but straightforward way Meredith had looked Sarah Mackenzie in the eye and said, “My friend, you gaze at that gorgeous man as if you could devour him yet all you seem to let him see is how tough you are and how much you question even your friendship. Now there’s nothing wrong with keeping a man on his toes, but you’ve got to give a little too. You’re afraid of getting hurt and taking risks, which is understandable… but so is he. You need to take risks to appreciate what you have and you are intelligent enough to know that a man can be brilliant with some things and a total half-wit with others – including AJ. He needed a wake-up call to get him to declare his love – and being ejected in the wilderness in a blizzard seemed to do the trick. He may need another wake-up call to talk about his plans and not assume anything. I plan to meet him part way as soon as I hear him attempt to tell me what he’s thinking or ask me to marry him, I’ll do it. It doesn’t matter how it comes out, it’s the idea that they get enough out so that we can then ask them if it’s what they are trying to say. Try it, with Harm, Sarah. Think about what he’s been trying to do and then confront him with your interpretations. He needs to hear how what he’s doing is being read. I’m sure that it can work out.”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Okay, let’s start with some easy things…what has he done or said that lets you think he cares about you?”

“Well, years ago when Dalton was killed and he came to be with me, he knew I was getting “shocky” and he put his coat around me and then later at the station he put his hand on my shoulder as he stood behind me; and when the poachers chased us that time and I had been shot, he did everything he could to keep me going including making me mad and carrying me; he worries about me and he worries about if things he says and does have hurt our relationship. Harm will also come to me to talk about things. He trusts me to put it on the line with him when he starts getting half-baked ideas. He fixes me dinner sometimes here and sometimes at his place. We go out for dinner once in a while. He always gives me birthday presents and if we are on different cases, he’ll drop by just to say hi. He’ll even stop by when one of us is going out of town for a few days.”

“And what does it mean to you…why do you think he does those things?”

“We’re friends and he cares about me.”

“Has he ever done anything that makes you think there could be something more?” Meredith asked.

Mac looked at her and blushed.

“Aaahhh…you don’t have to say a word, Sarah. Obviously he has said or done something that makes you think he may want more at some point. Care to share?”

“Meredith!” Mac could feel her face burning with heat and couldn’t believe she was actually blushing this bad. Taking a deep breath she decided that a woman’s advise might be just what she needed. “Well, let’s see, one time when I was in civilian attire at the office he couldn’t take his eyes off me and even reached out to touch me like he was trying to see if I was real. And he has always acted jealous when another man showed interest in me. Of course there was the kiss on the admiral’s porch and he did say I would always have someone that loved me…I asked him what he wanted most, but I could never get him to open up and say anymore then he never wanted to lose me. And then there was our deal…Oh, Meredith, I just don’t know…sometimes people tell their friends that they love them, too.”

“Okay, think about this…when he shows interest, what have you done. How have you reacted? What did you do or say when he kissed you?”

“I told him that he had someone that would always love him too…and that we were getting too good at saying good-bye…”

“What about when he acted jealous?”

“I guess I kind of laughed and a few times I challenged him.”

“Have you ever had someone laugh off something you said or did when you were unsure of yourself?”

“Yes…more times then I care to remember.”

“And how did you feel?”

“Put down, humiliated…okay Meredith, I’m beginning to see a picture I don’t like much. I need to change my mode of operation with Harm, don’t I?”

“Maybe…Harm and AJ are a lot a like in many ways…they are a man’s man that women want. They epitomize the “officer and a gentlemen” cliché and yet as dashing as they are, they are hard working, humble and private men.”

“Harm? Humble? Oh Meredith, you’ve never seen him in fighter pilot mode. He’s cocky and arrogant and thinks he knows it all…”

“Sarah. Sarah, you just said it yourself…’when he’s in fighter pilot mode,’ it’s as if he takes on different personalities to handle different situations. It’s a way for him to cope with his fears.”

“So when I challenge him by getting close to his real feelings he covers it by acting like a jerk?”

“Probably not on purpose. Now what does he do or say that you’re describing as being a jerk?”

“Well, let’s see…oh, yeah, one of his classic lines is ‘what makes you think I won’t (or can’t)?’ God, I hate it when he throws that line at me…another thing he does that always makes me mad is try to change the subject. Sometimes it even seems like he tries to turn the attention off him …and on to me. Oh, Meredith… I think I need to work on better ways to communicate with Commander Rabb…”

“Try calling him Harm or using a nickname when you are out of uniform or off duty. Works well to soften up my crusty ol’ sailor!” laughed Meredith.

“I use to call him ‘stickboy’ but he’s bulked up now so that name doesn’t really work anymore…I use Sailor and Flyboy sometimes.”

“Ever snuck in a ‘doll-face’ or sweetheart or honey along the way?”

“No!… He’d have me committed if I did that…”

“I don’t think so…just casually use a term of endearment sometime when you thank him for something…like bringing you a cup of coffee or when he brings you home some evening.”

“I don’t know Meredith…maybe if I thought we were moving forward…”

“Then use that for a response after he’s made what you think could be a move forward…if he questions it then you have an out when you say, ‘well when you did such and such I thought you were trying to tell me you wanted something more then friendship. My mistake…’ and then you change the conversation or end the encounter with a smile and make him wonder what’s in your head.”

“Meredith, where do you get all these ideas?”

“Sarah, my dear, literature is full of ways to turn a man’s head…some are good some are not so good. Now you mentioned a deal. What’s that all about?” Meredith’s interest was piqued and she wanted to know more about the kind of deal these two hard-headed people would make that Sarah would consider as something that could indicate that Harm wanted more.

“Umm…ahh…ohh…yeah our deal…I did mention that huh?”

Meredith nodded her head and smiled at Sarah Mackenzie. “The deal?”

“It was several years ago. I had just said good-bye to Chloe, my “little sister” who was moving to Vermont with her grandparents. I was still recovering from the humiliation of my husband showing up and everyone finding out about him after I was arrested for his murder. My father had just died and I saw my mother for the first time in about fifteen years. Harriet and Bud had just had baby AJ and on top of that I knew Harm was going to leave JAG to go back to flying. Anyway, I was feeling pretty rotten about my life and envious of Harriet who had such a great thing going – a loving husband and a new baby – and I got weepy and Harm asked me if I was okay. We got to talking and he said he thought I’d be a great Mom someday and I told him that it probably wouldn’t happen cause I kept hitting the snooze button on my biological clock. So he said that if neither of us was in a relationship in five years, we’d go halves on a kid…”

“Wow! When he makes a commitment he goes for it doesn’t he?” Meredith was wide-eyed and smiling from ear to ear. “That man made a life time commitment to you in his own way and you still don’t even date! Sarah Mackenzie you are ruining my faith in your innate intelligence and your training as a Marine officer. Go after that man Sarah…it’s time for you two to get it right and you need to meet him part way.”

“You think we can finally make it work?”

“Yes…if you still both want it, then yeah, I think you can make it work…besides, won’t AJ turn five next year? Time is flying by…has the subject ever been brought up by either of you since then?”

“Yes…the night on the admiral’s porch and then a couple of months ago when Harm saw the gift I bought our godson…I accidentally said fifth birthday instead of fourth and it messed up his head a bit…although he did bring it up and talked to me about it on his own…even asked if I wanted to move the time table forward.”

“And how did you respond?”

“I guess I kind of laughed it off and assured him I didn’t want to move the timetable forward…I think I told him he was funny.”

“Sarah, if you were to do it all over again, after what we’ve talked about, do you think you might have handled it differently?”

Mac thought about it for a minute and then nodded, “I might have asked him to wait to talk about it until after hours, but as we were in my office at JAG, I guess I would stand close to him, look him in the eye and say something like, ‘I think we could start getting ourselves lined up so that we are ready to take that step by next year…besides we may have to practice a little before then so that we get it right when it’s time…’ What do you think Meredith?”

“I think things would have heated up with you two.” Meredith grinned and nodded her head. “ I think you get the idea, Sarah. And now, I think I’ve disappeared off AJ’s radar long enough so I’ll head home and see if he’s trying to reach me yet…You take care and try some of these things on your Sailor and keep me posted.”

“Thanks Meredith, you’re a great friend.”

Chapter 2

July 2003 

0210

Georgetown

Apartment of Colonel Sarah Mackenzie

          The ringing of the phone penetrated through the fog of sleep to rouse Sarah Mackenzie. Looking at the clock as she stopped the irritating noise by picking up the receiver, the caller heard, “Colonel Mackenzie.”

          “Petty Officer Coates, Ma’am. Sorry to disturb you Colonel…”

          “What is it Coates?”

          “It’s about the Commander, Ma’am…”

          “What’s he done now?” Sarah Mackenzie thought back over the past few months and all that Commander Rabb had faced. First Lindsey setting his sights on them to make them pay for his short-comings; then being accused of Loren Singer’s murder; followed by her own barbs and disappearance; his fake marriage to Catherine Gale; his rescue of her and Webb followed by another plane crash; and then having to find a way to get himself out from under the agencies thumb so he could return to active duty. A call in the middle of the night with Rabb’s name being mentioned was trouble.

          “Nothing…that’s the problem. He said he was going to check-in by 0100 and again at 0200. He said not to worry if he was late on his first check-in, but there was no way he would miss the second. He said if he missed his second check in I was to call you right away and tell you to follow-up on the ‘wilderness of mirrors.’ Do you know what he’s talking about Ma’am?”

          “I think so Coates…did he leave any files for me there?”

          “Not that I know of Ma’am. I was in both your offices earlier and didn’t see any files left out or anything. Ma’am, the Commander has always been good about check-ins. What kind of trouble do you think he might be in?”

          “I’m not sure Coates, but I’m going to go to his place and see if I can pick up his trail there. Would you call the admiral and let him know what’s happening. He can reach me on my cell or meet me at Commander Rabb’s place.”

          “Aye, aye, Ma’am. Good luck Colonel.”

          “Thanks, Jen. Call me on the cell if he does check in, okay?”

          “Yes, Ma’am!” Jen hung up and immediately dialed the admiral’s number. His gruff voice made her a little nervous but she kept it together remembering some of the tips the Commander and the Colonel had given her for dealing with high ranking brass. In her most professional voice she clearly identified herself and stated the reason for her call, “ Petty Officer Coates calling for Colonel Mackenzie sir. Commander Rabb missed his last two check-ins. The Colonel is on her way to the Commander’s loft to try and pick up his trail. She asked me to let you know and to tell you that you can meet her there or call her on her cell phone, sir.”

          “Good job Coates. Let me know if you hear anything from Rabb. I’m on my way.”

          “What is it AJ?” asked Meredith who had been nestled against him in bed.

          “Rabb missed his check-ins and Mackenzie’s going to look for him. I’m going to provide back-up.”
          “Oh, dear…those two do manage to keep things interesting don’t they?”

          Despite his concern for Harmon Rabb, AJ had to chuckle at the understatement his fiancé had uttered. “Go back to sleep dear…I hope that it’s nothing much and that by the time I get there Rabb is back.”

          Admiral Chegwidden dressed in civilian clothes and headed North of Union Station. He called Colonel Mackenzie as he got underway.

          “Mackenzie.”

          “Colonel, have you heard from Rabb?”

          “No sir, I just parked at his building and I’m going to make my way up to his loft to see if he left any clues to follow. Oh and Admiral, he said something about the wilderness of mirrors…”

          “Clark Palmer?”

          “That’s what I’m wondering sir.”

          “Don’t go in without back up Mac! I’ll be right there.”

          “Sir, I’ll be fine and I know you’ll be right along… I’m afraid to wait in case we’re already too late.”

          “Mac, be careful.”

          “Aye, aye, sir…” Mac ended the call on her cell phone, checked her weapon and ammunition, looked up toward Harm’s apartment windows to watch for any movement and exited her car. In a crouched position she hurried to the building and then followed it around to the fire escape stairs. Carefully she reached for the bottom rung and pulled herself up onto the telescoping staircase/ladder that served as Harm’s back stairs. Silently she climbed until she reached the balcony outside his kitchen window. Carefully she peered into the window letting her eyes adjust to the interior lighting. Seeing nothing inside moving she decided to try the door. She heard a car pulling up in front of the building and she figured the admiral had arrived and it would be safe to enter. She allowed a few seconds to pass to give him time to enter the front of the building and then she tried the door. The knob turned but the door was stuck so she pushed with her shoulder and the door opened. Quietly she entered the kitchen and scanned the room. Now that her eyes had adjusted, she knew turning a light on would be a detriment and give her position away. Constantly scanning the room she looked for Harm. The glass blinds between the kitchen and the bedroom were open and Mac could see that the bed was made and empty. She advanced toward the living room, her heart pounding in her chest – hoping she found nothing to indicate Harm was in trouble yet hoping to find Harm and be assured he was safe. A noise at the front door drew Mac’s attention and she spun with her gun drawn holding her aim at the intruder at the same time the lights came on.

          “Mac! It’s me!”

          “Harm! You’re safe!”

          Harm and Mac simultaneously became aware of the other person and identified each other as the interloper.

          “I’m fine…what are you doing here?”

          “You missed two check-ins and Petty Officer Coates called to alert us.”
          “Us?”

          “Yes Commander,” came a voice behind Harm.

          “Admiral…Mac, what check-ins are you talking about?” a bewildered Commander Rabb asked.

          “Did you call in to HQ tonight to tell Coates that you would be out on an investigation that could get a little risky and that if you missed check-ins at 0100 and 0200 that I should be alerted and told to review the wilderness of mirrors case?”

          “No. And what are you talking about the wilderness of mirrors case?”

          “Commander, I may live to regret this, but where have you been this evening?” asked the somewhat annoyed commanding officer.

          “Sir, I was at Norfolk this evening questioning some witnesses and I was able to get to all of them tonight so instead of staying over, I decided to head home. I did not call into the duty desk at HQ, and I did not speak to Coates. Sir, may I suggest we turn some lights on. Come in and sit down so we can try to get to the bottom of this.”

          The admiral nodded his approval while Mac put away her weapon. They all moved to the kitchen island and pulled up a stool or leaned on the counter. In turn they went over the events as they were involved. Finally the admiral said, “Look, this has all the markings of Clark Palmer on it, but I couldn’t get a hold of anyone to verify if he has escaped or not. Webb and Palmer both have referred to the wilderness of mirrors on different occasions when they wanted to explain that things were not as they seemed and that what appears to be one way may in fact be the opposite. I do know that Webb is still healing and is not currently working any cases.”

          “Admiral, if Palmer is on the loose, none of us will see him unless he wants to be seen. Wait a minute…” Harm turned on the water in the sink and then started checking his wall phone. Mac jumped up and started checking the phone on the desk, while Harm finding nothing in the kitchen headed to his bedroom to check the phone there. “Nothing in here either,” he announced as he returned to the kitchen.

          “Nothing in there either,” Mac indicated the living room.

          “Look, why don’t we call it a night and tomorrow morning I’ll call to have someone scan all our places for transmitters and wire taps. In the meantime, lets try to get some sleep. Mac, will you be okay to drive home?”

          “I’ll follow her to make sure she gets in safely,” Chegwidden announced.

          “Both of you call me when you get home so I know you are safe,” Harm requested.

          “Look,” insisted Mac, “Admiral you do not have to follow me home. I’ll be fine. Harm, if it makes you rest easier I will call you when I get there.”

          The admiral then took out his cell phone and when the other party answered he said, “Everything seems fine and I’m on my way home. If I’m not there in 30 minutes call Rabb….Me too…see you soon.” The admiral’s voice softened at the end of his call and Mac and Harm glanced at each other and grinned.

          Harm went with his uninvited guests to the door and as Mac stepped beside him as she was leaving he touched her arm and smiled as he looked her in the eye and said, “Thank you for coming. It’s nice to know that if I ever do miss a check-in that someone will be on it.”

          Mac blinked her eyes and in the unspoken language that they used, Harm knew she was telling him she would always be there for him as his partner and friend. “I’ll call you soon…as a matter of fact I’ll call you from my car on the cell when I get home and talk to you as I go up my stairs and enter the apartment, how’s that?”

          “Good plan, Mac. Thank you Admiral.”

          Thirteen minutes later, Harm’s phone rang. He had just gotten out of the shower, dried off and was sitting on his bed in clean boxers, ready to turn-in. “Mac?”

          “It’s me Harm. The admiral is driving away and I am entering the building. Everything is quiet here so far.”

          “Mac, I’m sorry you and the admiral were called out in the middle of the night on a wild goose chase. Seems like lately I’m causing a lot of trouble…even if I’m not doing anything on purpose!”

          “Hey, Harm…running across town in the middle of the night and loosing a few hours sleep is nothing compared to giving up your career and possibly giving up your life for someone…I don’t want to hear anymore about this okay?” Mac heard Harm’s rich, deep chuckle vibrate in her ear as she exited the elevator and headed for her apartment door.

          “Alright, Mac, point taken. Everything still check out?”

          “I’m at my door; key in the lock; doors open; apartment is just like I left it from what I can see.”

          “Check out all the rooms and the closets and when you have done that and secured your door, I’ll say goodnight so we can get some sleep.”

          “Well, you anyway…I slept enough before the call that I probably won’t be able to go back to sleep now.”

          “Mac, I’m sorry…:
          “Harm, its fine. If I can’t fall back to sleep, I’ll work on some reports. Stop worrying.”

Mac checked her apartment as Harm had requested, made sure the door was locked and said her goodnight, “Harm, every thing is fine. Get some sleep and I’ll see you at HQ tomorrow morning. Don’t forget to set your alarm.”

“G’night, Mac…and thanks again for looking out for me.”

Mac’s voice came back to him softly and he could hear her smile as she returned, “Hey, Flyboy… We take care of each other…’night.”

Outside of Mac’s apartment no one saw the figure calmly watching and waiting in the shadows below. The plan was working to perfection so far. The fates had smiled on him when he had heard Rabb telling Roberts that it looked like it would be a long night and day at Norfolk interviewing the witnesses and that he’d check in when he returned the next night. It had given him the opportunity to test his vocal ability, set up Rabb’s apartment and get Mackenzie out of hers so he could set that one up too. The admiral he hadn’t expected but knowing for sure that the admiral would most likely provide back-up in the future lent itself to a back-up plan should one be needed. It was time to go into hiding as it would be daylight soon and sleep was needed if one was going to be alert and ready to set the plan into action soon. Harmon Rabb and Sarah Mackenzie would pay for the loss and pain that he had endured. He felt that the Achilles’ heel for the two officers had been found and he would use one to get to the other.

Chapter 3

0745

JAG HQ

          “Ma’am, I’m sorry about the false alarm last night. I swear it sounded like Commander Rabb. He even teased me like the Commanders does about my testimony during the trial.”

          “It’s alright Jen. We’ll get to the bottom of this…but you need to think hard and remember as many details as you can about the call…phrasing, accented syllables, back ground noises, anything that might be a clue.”

          “I’ll do my best Ma’am…Commander Rabb!” Coates stood at attention as Harmon Rabb joined Colonel Mackenzie in her office.

          “At ease Coates…so you thought I missed my check-ins last night, huh?” Rabb leaned up against the back wall behind next to the window, arm crossed and

squinted down at Petty Officer Jennifer Coates.

          “Yes, sir.”

          “Well you did the right thing calling the Colonel. If it had been a real problem, you would have handled it right.”

          “Thank you sir…but it really did sound like you sir…especially when you are tired.”

          “What do you mean?” both Mac and Harm leaned toward the young petty officer who was a little uncomfortable with their sudden intense interest and alert manner.

          “Well, when you are tired, sir, your voice seems a little deeper and is rougher sounding…it’s hard to explain…Ma’am, you’ve heard the difference in the Commander’s voice haven’t you?…like when we were waiting for word on Lt. Roberts when we were on the ship…you know what I mean?”

          Mac nodded and looked up at Harm, “It’s true…your voice gets almost raspy sounding when you are tired…I’m not sure I would call it deeper, but rougher yes…kind of…go on Jen, what else can you tell us. These are the kind of details I was asking you to dig for.” 

          Harm nodded at both Mac and Jen letting them know he approved of the plan and then turned his attention back to Jen. Mac had glanced at him quickly to see if he had picked up on her near blunder. She had almost described that rough, whiskey voice he had when he was overtired as sexy, but had caught herself at the last moment. Although they were more open with one another since the rescue in South America, Mac knew that they needed to take extra care that they did not do or say anything unprofessional when they were in uniform if they had a chance of their growing and improving relationship to work. Describing the Commander’s voice as sexy would probably be ill advised.

          “I can’t really think of anything else right now, Sir, Ma’am.”

          “Okay, Coates, you know where to find us if you do think of anything else. Dismissed.” Jennifer Coates stood, nodded to the command given by Colonel Mackenzie and left the office.

 Just then the admiral entered the bullpen area. Noticing his senior officers in Mac’s office he detoured there before going to his own office. He shut the door behind him as Commander Rabb and Colonel Mackenzie came to attention as he entered.

“At ease people. What did Coates have to say this morning?”

“Sir, she apologized for disturbing everyone, but she was convinced it was the Commander,” explained Mac.

“You didn’t bully her this morning did you Rabb?” the admiral deadpanned as he shot Harm a questioning look.

“No sir, I wasn’t even here for most of the interview. I just joined the Colonel and Coates a few minutes ago and they recapped things for me.”

“Any ideas from either of you?”

“Well sir,” Mac began, “I am pretty sure that someone was trying to impersonate the Commander’s voice and doing a fair job of it. Coates said that it sounded like the Commander when he is really tired. His voice does get rougher almost like when he has a cold…and Palmer did sound like that before when he tried to impersonate the Commander!” Sarah Mackenzie rose from her desk and approached Harmon Rabb with an intent look on her face. Before either could guess what she was thinking, Mac reached up and pinched Harm’s face as she had after the crisis had passed the last time Palmer had posed as Harm and she had told him that ‘one Harmon Rabb in her life was all she could handle.’

“Ow! Mac, what are you doing?”

The admiral laughed as Sarah Mackenzie let go satisfied that it wasn’t an imposter and returned to her desk muttering, “Just checking.”

“Well, next time find another way to check, please!”

Mac looked up at her partner’s face and was a little chagrined at seeing the red mark she had left on his face. “It’s nothing permanent. Your natural beauty will return in a few hours,” she said with as much aloofness as she could muster.

The admiral bit his lip to keep from laughing and looked away. Meredith was right, these two certainly kept things interesting. In the last few months they had been through a lot, together and apart. Each had made it through all that they faced knowing the other was there to provide whatever support, comfort and back-up that was allowed. Sometimes it wasn’t much, but each one just knew they could count on the other. The only thing they seemed to have trouble expressing to each other was their deepest feelings…they would hint…they would tell each other they knew the other knew, yet each was uncertain where they stood, afraid to believe that the feelings were the same and were returned. In his newest role as fiancé, the admiral hoped that they could find their way to each other. He thought the world of these two people as individuals and as officers on his staff. As he turned to leave he stated, “I’ll check with Leavenworth on Palmer and see you at senior staff meeting at 0900.”

“Aye, aye, Sir,” both Harm and Mac responded to the admiral’s exit line and then looked at each other. Mac spoke first, “Any ideas?”

“If it’s Palmer, I don’t think it’s just me he’s after this time. Whoever it is obviously knows we work together and that we get called whenever the other is at risk. He’s going to use that somehow to get to one or both of us.”

“Do you think it’s Palmer?”

“That would be the obvious choice…but something tells me that’s much to easy. If it’s not Mac, it’s someone that has had similar training…look I sent a team over to check both your place and mine for signs of anything – fingerprints, line taps, broken locks, anything that might have indicated that someone had gotten in without a key. Mac, I know you’re not going to like what I say, but we need to be very careful until we are sure that Palmer or whoever is behind this is behind bars. Don’t trust anyone or anything to be as it appears.”

“I’m glad you included yourself in that warning…” the intercom on Mac’s desk buzzed, “Yes?”

“Colonel, you have a call on line two from the admiral’s fiancée …”

“Thank you Tiner…Harm, I need to talk to Meredith, but I’ll see you at staff and maybe by then we’ll know the status on Palmer…” Harm inclined his head, pushed off the wall and left Mac’s office, closing the door after him so Mac could have privacy for her call. “Hi, Meredith.”

“Sarah, how would you like to meet me for lunch so I can share some of my wedding plans with you and maybe you can help me decide on a couple of things that I’m struggling with?”

“Shouldn’t the admiral help you make those decisions?”

“Well, Sarah, he has told me what he likes and hopes I will consider that information as I make my decisions, but he has pretty much given me the freedom to do as I wish. There are a number of things we discussed and now I have a battle plan and must execute it as scheduled!” Meredith laughed and Mac couldn’t help but envy her friend’s light hearted approach to her up-coming wedding.

“I should be able to get away for lunch. Where shall I meet you?”

“How about I pick up some sandwiches at the Deli and meet you at the tables outside JAG? That way you won’t lose travel time and I can bring AJ a sandwich too. As a matter of fact, why don’t you ask your Commander to join us as well…and I’ll grab him a salad.”

“If you mean Commander Rabb, he’s not ‘mine,’ Meredith, but I’ll check with him. As a matter of fact, if you go to the deli for sandwiches, he likes the veggie pockets they make there better then the salads.”

“Wonderful… now, be a dear and let the men known I’ll be by for lunch and they should keep it open if they can and I’ll see you then…’bye-bye!”

Mac shook her head in wonder and amazement. The woman was brilliant but could be such a whirlwind as she bounced from one thing to another in careless abandon; but she was a sweet person and good friend. Nothing seemed to phase her for long and when things started to get her down, Meredith had come through for her several times this spring with some words of wisdom that gave her hope and faith that it would all work out. She had also helped Mac see how she was sending mixed messages and helping to cause confusion when they had a serious talk last March after the admiral announced that they were getting married before he had asked her if she wanted to marry him.

          It had taken a little while for Mac to be able to put the pieces together of what Harm was trying to do and say. She had been slowly taking some steps toward dealing with major issues they seemed to have, but wanted to perfect the technique with little things and get him use to her dealing with him in a slightly different way – partly so he wouldn’t get suspicious and partly not to scare him away. She had changed tactics on him too fast in Sydney Australia a few years ago and put both of them into a tailspin that they almost couldn’t stop and recover from. She wasn’t planning to do that again. Meredith’s word of wisdom had made sense. The first thing that Mac had done after Meredith’s talk, was to watch what she said and did and check herself for sending mixed messages. Then before she left for the undercover assignment with Webb, she had gone to make sure he knew what she was doing and what little she could share with him she had. Then he had caught her off guard and told her he didn’t want her to go. If she had it to do all over again she would have done it differently. She wasn’t sure if she would have gone to him, hugged him and told him that it was a start or if she would have just smiled and said something like, ‘One of these days Rabb we’ll be in the same place at the same time. Until then, take care of yourself…’ but she was pretty sure she wouldn’t have issued the challenging wake-up call she had given him when she had basically told him it was only because she was out of reach that he wanted her…she knew that wasn’t true, and in some ways it had had the desired effect, but in other ways it had set them back, too.

          Mac’s internal clock told her she had accomplished nothing on her work related to-do-list and that it was now time to go to the staff meeting. She hoped the admiral and Harm had news and that her news about lunch was well received.

          Harm joined her as she approached Tiner’s office and he sent them in. They were the first ones there so Mac took the opportunity to inform them about lunch. “Admiral, Commander, Meredith is bringing by sandwiches for lunch and has asked me to inform you both that you are welcome to join us on the patio at 1200.”

           Both men raised their eye brows and looked at the Colonel with something resembling dread on their faces. Too late, Sarah remembered hearing tales of her friend’s lack of culinary skills but decided not to make the men suffer any longer so that they would refuse to come.

          “Yes, she’s stopping by the deli that we like,” she glanced at Harm, “and I even remembered to tell her that you like the veggie pocket they make, Commander.”

          “Well, thank you. In that case I will do my best to be free to join you,” Rabb gallantly accepted the invitation.

          “Thank you, Mac…Did she say what prompted this little get together?” inquired the admiral.

          “She wanted to share some of the wedding plans with me over lunch and the next thing I knew she was telling me to inform both of you that she wanted you to join us.”

          The admiral relaxed then and smiled and said, “It should be an enjoyable mid-day break.” A knock on the door announced the arrival of the other senior staff, namely Commander Sturgis Turner. “Enter, Commander…at ease. Let’s have a seat shall we?”

          Once they were all seated in his office, he started with the most pressing issue, the fraudulent check-in call that prompted the middle of the night jaunt shared by himself and Sarah Mackenzie in Rabb’s behalf. “I have good and bad news people. I’ve been in touch with Leavenworth and Clark Palmer is still there…he has not escaped. Although he could still be masterminding this plan, he is not the one executing it. We have to dig deeper to find this madman by the sounds. Commander what have you been able to discover?”

          “Well, sir, it seems that both the Colonel’s apartment and mine were compromised. They found one set of partial prints in both apartments that did not belong to any of us, but matched. They are running them through the data bases as we speak. The phone lines were tapped at the main juncture where they enter the building and tracking devises were found in both ‘vettes and my SUV. A surveillance camera was located in the hall near Mac’s apartment aimed at her door and there was one across the road from my building aimed at my outside door. It’s obvious that both the Colonel and I are being watched. So far we don’t know if anyone else is being targeted. They did not find anything at your place Admiral.” Harm looked around at the other occupants of the room before he allowed himself to make eye contact with Sarah Mackenzie. “Mac, where do you think we should go from here?”

          “I think we need to pull files on cases we worked together as prosecutors and for defense clients we did not get cleared…and I think we need to see if any of them were cases that would have been active when we were also dealing with Palmer.”

          “Can’t let the Palmer idea go, huh Colonel?” asked the admiral.

          “No, sir…although Webb uses the term wilderness of mirrors too, so perhaps we need to widen this to cases involving CIA.”

          “What about flagging the cases where technical gadgets were used,” added Commander Rabb. “This person seems to be into every surveillance gadget that he can get his hands on.”

          “Good call, Commander,” praised Sarah Mackenzie.

          “Harm you just picked up some new cases and did several interviews yesterday, correct?” asked the admiral.

          “Yes, sir. My plates full, but I can probably move some things to Lt. Roberts and to Petty Officer Coates to ease things up.”

          “We’ll see…Commander Turner, how’s your work load at the moment?”

          “Actually it is fairly light right now…I had two cases settle out of court yesterday; one opposing counsel was granted a continuance for two weeks just this morning and the rest I am waiting for reports from other sources.”

           “Mac?”

          “Mainly reports to write, one active investigation, and one continuance until next week, sir.”

          “Good. Mac, I want you to transfer your cases to Lt. Roberts. You can do your reports and then I want you working Rabb’s cases with him. I do not want either of you working a case outside JAG without the other physically present, understood?”

          “Aye, aye, sir…” they both answered.

          “Commander Turner, I want you to have PO Coates help you pull information and investigate this situation…before you complain…you are the victims here and you will not investigate this case. Is that also understood?”

          “Yes, sir…but Admiral?”

          “What is it Rabb?”

          “Can Commander Turner keep us apprised of the findings and may we brainstorm with him over options?”

          The admiral thought for a few seconds while Mackenzie and Rabb watched him intently. He knew they’d find a way to be involved, so he opted to give them some options so that he could keep control over the major part of this investigation by keeping it out of their hands. “I think that would be acceptable,” he grudgingly acquiesced. “Commander Turner, are you okay with this?”

          “Yes sir.”

          “Good, let’s get back to business. Dismissed!”

Chapter 4

1158

Patio at JAG HQ

          Mac, Harm and AJ met at the elevator on their way to join Meredith for lunch. They found her already seated at a patio table with sandwiches, drinks, and apples for each of them.

          “Right on time…I’m so glad you could all make it,” gushed Meredith.

          “What have you brought for us, Dear?” AJ asked as he placed a kiss on Meredith’s cheek.

          “I brought you the smoked turkey club with apple butter that you liked so well last time. Harm, Mac said you liked the veggie pocket so that’s what I got you. Mac, would you prefer roast beef club or seafood salad?”

          “I can’t turn down their roast beef club, thank you.”

          The conversation was lively as they ate and talked, and time was passing quickly. Meredith said, I really had hoped to talk to you about the wedding plans, but we’ve just been so chatty we haven’t spent much time on the wedding. Before you both have to go back to work, we want to ask you both if you would do us the honor of standing up with us.”

          Harm and Mac glanced at each other and then at AJ and Meredith.

          “I’d be honored,” said Harm.

          “We both are honored to be asked, Meredith. Now as your maid of honor and Harm as best man, what can we do to help?” Mac asked.

          “Things are really shaping up fairly well. We have chosen a fall wedding but we haven’t confirmed the exact date and time yet. It will either be the third Friday or Saturday in October. The foliage should be spectacular – well as good as it gets in D.C. – nothing like New England of course, but it will do…now if I could just find someone to sing at the wedding, I would have the major pieces in place.”

          Mac looked sideways at Harm and then back at Meredith, “Meredith, Commander Rabb can sing and play the guitar…”

          “Mac!” Harm couldn’t believe Mac was volunteering him to sing at the admiral and Meredith’s wedding.

          AJ perked up, “That’s right, Commander. I’ve heard you sing several times at McMurphy’s and at other gatherings.”

          Harm bowed his head, took a deep breath and said, “Let me know what you have in mind so I have plenty of time to work on it…as a matter of fact, Mac can sing too so if you want a duet, we could probably pull it off if we have time to rehearse.”

          “Harm!” Mac couldn’t believe her ears.

          “All’s fair my dear…” Harm turned the tables on Mac neatly and sat back grinning obviously pleased with himself.

          Meredith bumped Mac’s foot under the table and Mac knew what Meredith was hinting at, so she responded, “Fine, Dear, I’d be honored to sing with you at their wedding.”

          Harm and Mac gazed at each other, smiling, knowing that they were communicating without words again, each reassuring the other that it would be fun and an excuse to spend time together.

          Soon lunch was over and they headed back inside.

1235

JAG HQ

          “Sturgis!” Harm called as he spotted his colleague and friend upon entering the bullpen after lunch. “Any leads on who’s messing with us?” asked Harm.

          “Not a one. I’m sorry, Harm, but you and Mac have really ticked off a lot of people over the years…and not just the ones you’ve prosecuted and investigated.” They entered Sturgis’ office and closed the door as Harm asked, “What are you getting at?”

          “Harm, I’ve lost count of the files that are classified. We’re trying to get them released, but there are road blocks and brick walls every where we turn!”

          “You want to get together with Mac and I for a brainstorming session and pick our brains to see what we can remember based on what we do have in the classified files?”

          “Do you guys have time?”

          “Our schedules are pretty similar right now because they Admiral ordered us to work the cases together. Hey, why don’t you meet us at my place tonight at 1900 for dinner – I’m cooking.”

          “ ‘Us’ as in you and Mac?” questioned Sturgis with a grin.

          “Yes Sturgis, Mac and I often get together at her place or mine and fix dinner together. Sometimes we work on cases together and other times just relax together.”

          “How long have you been doing this as a regular thing?”

          “What makes you think it’s a regular thing?” challenged Harm, feeling a bit of the old defensiveness resurface.

          “You just said you got together often.”

          “Yeah, okay…right now it’s becoming a ‘regular thing’ as you called it. We’ve done it before at times…”

          “…Until one of you guys starts seeing someone else and you are too busy or no longer comfortable to get together,” finished Sturgis.

          Harm just inclined his head and blinked his eyes in acknowledgement of Sturgis’ observation.

          “Remember when you first got here you asked me if I had a girl and I told you no, she had me?” asked Harm.

          “Yeah, I remember…it was Mac you were talking about wasn’t it?”

          “Yeah, I just didn’t know if she wanted me anymore…she did at one time, but I was too messed up and wasn’t ready to make a commitment to her and I almost lost her to Brumby. We’ve had another chance but I’ve been hesitant because I’ve hurt her so many times that I thought she might lash out at me or ask more than I was willing or able to give her. I don’t want to hurt her anymore, but I don’t dare move too fast, for fear of losing the good things we’ve got. Does that make any sense?”

          Sturgis nodded, “Harm, I could get my six kicked from here to next year for saying this, but I think you should know that you have the power to make this last forever if you want it too.”

          Harm slowly smiled until his natural “cocky grin” lit up his whole face. “Thanks Sturgis. I’ll try to keep your six out of the sling. See you later.” Harm left Commander Turner’s office with his infamous radiant smile and a bounce in his step.

Chapter 5

1830

Harm’s Apartment

North of Union Station

          Harm and Mac were working together in Harm’s kitchen getting dinner ready.

          “Car pooling was a good plan, Mac.”

          “So was having Sturgis come over for a brainstorming session tonight. You know Harm, I don’t want us to hide our new approach to things from Sturgis.”

          “You mean seeing what we really have between us?”

          “Yeah…I got so frustrated a few times that I talked to Sturgis about it. He’s a good listener and he’s been good enough not to meddle with us like he tried with the admiral. Even you got in on that!”

          “Yeah, and it’s your friend that he’s engaged too. How did you manage it?”

          “I told you before Harm, I didn’t do anything. It was a chance meeting at the elevator.”

          “And now you’ve gotten us into singing at the wedding!”

          “Come on Harm, you love being in the spotlight…” Mac teased.

          “Right… I know what you mean about Sturgis though. I’ve talked to him too a few times. He never says much, but he listens. Sometimes he’ll ask questions or tell me to get my head out of my six, but usually he just listens.”

          Mac and Harm were almost finished preparing the dinner of salad and chicken when they heard Sturgis at the door. Harm was setting the table, so Mac let Sturgis in.

          “Whoa! Let me take something…did you bring every one of our files?”

          “No just the ones that seemed to indicate a potential threat.” Sturgis carried one pile of folders in his arms, held his stuffed brief case in one hand and had a file folder full tucked under one arm. “Thanks Mac. Mmmm…something smells great.”

          “Harm’s fixing one of his chicken recipes to go with his veggie and greens salad. You do know that he expects us to eat healthy at his place?”

          “Nothing wrong with good healthy food…”

          “Don’t tell me you don’t like junk food either!” Mac exclaimed.

          “Oh I like it, but I need to watch it so that I can stay in shape.”

          Mac shook her head as she helped Sturgis to unload the files before rejoining Harm in the kitchen and dining room.

          “Hey, Sturgis, did we really tick all those people off?”

          “’Fraid so…and a few countries as well.”

          Harm shook his head and then indicated the table, “Let’s eat and then we’ll tackle those. I’m sure we could all do with some down time and nourishment first.”

          Harm served from the head of the table as Sturgis sat to his left and Mac on his right. Sturgis watched his two friends as they moved through dinner as if it they were following a choreographed routine. Harm would pause and glance up and Mac would hand him seasoning or pass him more salad, while Harm would reach for the water pitcher and pour her more water without words. Softly murmured thanks were usually exchanged without the flow of conversation being interrupted. When the meal was finished the same ease and coordination was displayed as they cleared the table, loaded the dishwasher and wiped down the table. Sturgis noted their domestic ease in the back of his mind for future reference.

          The files were retrieved and spread out on the table for them to review. Harm and Mac took the files that were labeled classified while Sturgis started on the others trying to find clues that would make one suspect stand out over the others. Two hours later, they had each identified a few cases that stood out among the rest.

          “Look why don’t we take these into the living room where it’s more comfortable,” Harm suggested.

          Mac, standing next to him put her hand on his back and gently rubbed it. “Your back aching tonight?”

          “Some…that feels good though,” he allowed himself to close his eyes and enjoyed the firm gentle strokes of her hand on his tight back muscles.

          Sturgis stopped what he was doing to watch their tender moment and then asked, “Plane crash?”

          “Controlled hard landing,” Mac corrected with a laugh, beating Harm to his standard line.

          Harm smiled, “And too many ejections. Thanks, Mac.”

          They picked up the key files and relocated in the living room. Mac refilled their coffee cups before they settled in the living room, Sturgis in the stair and Harm and Mac on the sofa.

          Harm started, “Here’s one I was suppose to lose. Ensign Lane was accused of murdering the Turkish officer and we got her off on self-defense. She figured out that he was a spy and had come after her. I went back to look something up later than night and all the files were deleted from the system – as if she had never existed. I found out later that I was supposed to lose so she’d go to jail under deep cover. They hadn’t counted on us getting her off. I embarrassed someone with that case…”

          “Where does Mac come in?” asked Sturgis.

          “Right, Harm, that case was mostly yours…and you had a thing for Ensign Lane, too,” Mac teased.

          “Mac,” Harm warned, “There was nothing between us.”

          “But you were intrigued…be honest.”

          “Okay, maybe a little back then.” He winked and picked up Mac’s hand to squeeze it where it lay between them on the sofa. “You might be right…Mac wasn’t that deeply involved in that case…What about this one? North Korean terrorist takes our plane hostage. Mac took care of the hand-to-hand combat and then helped me land that airliner.”

          “I don’t think so, Harm. Stalking us; imitating your voice; not their style.”

          “True…what did you come up with?”

          “Well, I hate to even think it, but Mark Solkov has yanked us around over the years and hasn’t always looked good in the end. Although he’s helped us, it almost seems as if he’s needed to try to save face afterward. And if it isn’t Mark, then may be one of the other Russians that have been singed by us.”

          Harm nodded, “Mac’s right Sturgis…we’ve been involved with the Russians over submarine war games, Vietnam POW’s, my brother, a crooked general, dirty nuclear missiles, jurisprudence, and espionage – WOW! I hadn’t stopped and thought about it before, but maybe we should try and convince Sergei and Galena to get married here. It could be dangerous for us to go to them!”

          “Let’s see how this plays out, Harm. I’m sure they want us to join their family and friends and couldn’t afford to bring everyone here to us.”

          “You’re right…it’s just I’d hate to miss his wedding.” Once again their hands joined in the space between them.

          “This is a really old case, but we stopped the assassination of a Princess. Perhaps their people behind that hit have decided to make us pay.”

          “Things have been going well and we’ve never had any trouble going into our out of their country…I doubt that one is coming back to haunt us.”

          “Any other country that you think might want to go after you?” Sturgis asked.

          “You mean other than Cuba?” asked Mac.

          “Or Iraq? Or Afghanistan? No, I can’t think of any others.” Harm quipped. “Sturgis, what did you find?”

          “I can see why you would have immediately thought of Clark Palmer, Harm. You got him more than once and made him look bad a number of times…but Mac wasn’t really involved in any of those cases. I focused on cases where Mac was primarily involved, but you helped out somewhere along the line…Harm, can’t you let people do their jobs without interfering?” Sturgis asked with a chuckle.

          “It’s called being a control freak,” Mac needled. “But he’s working on it and showing some signs of progress.” Again, their hands met and tangled momentarily as they exchanged a smile, eyes locked on each other.

          Clearing his throat to remind them they were not alone, Sturgis waited until they looked his way before going on. “I came across two cases that intrigued me and neither were JAG-man investigations. Bud had contacted the civilian courts for records of any civilian cases that you were involved in as witnesses, investigators, anything. Two cases surfaces that got my attention. Mac, I’ll apologize now if these bring up bad memories.”

          “What have you got Sturgis?” Harm asked as they both sat up as if they knew something was about to break wide open in this case.

          The more obvious of the two is a guy named Coster…”

          “That sick bastard!” Harm spat as the memory of the things that man had driven Mac to do. He has always been proud of her for getting life back on track so quickly after that experience. Their friendship had deepened as well although it could have easily torn them apart completely.

          Sturgis noticed that their hands were joined again and this time they did not let go. “Seem like a likely suspect – considering he escaped from the psychiatric hospital a couple of weeks ago?”

          Harm noticed that Mac was trembling slightly, but her voice didn’t show it as she spoke, “He would be after Harm because he said anyone that showed an interest in me wouldn’t be safe and the way Harm charges into rescue me put him in danger and that was before we started seeing each other…”

          Sturgis grinned, “So, you’re finally going to admit you two are involved?”

          Harm and Mac exchanged a look and then Harm said, “We have decided to explore what’s there and where it might go…we aren’t as sure as everyone else that we can handle more than friendship…but we’re going to give it our best shot.”

          “I’m glad…now I have one other case that I thought could mean trouble.”

          “Let’s hear it,” Mac invited.

          “You two took out a couple of guys and injured a third that had killed a game warden…”

          “Oh God!” Mac cried as she covered her mouth at the memory. Immediately Harm slid over toward her and pulled her close by wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

          “The surviving brother escaped about four weeks ago when they were transferring him to another prison. Do you think he’d come after you? And does he have the technical expertise to pull this off?” Sturgis asked while he watched the self-assured Marine Colonel cringe and shake at the memories. He knew that she had killed one brother in self-defense and that Harm had shot another with a flare gun trying to get away and that the second man had later died from his injuries as well. Sturgis watched Mac rub her right thigh.

          “Mac, are you okay?” Harm’s voice was gentle near her ear as he spoke. She nodded and leaned against him. “Sturgis, that was a long time ago…within the first year we worked together. Let’s see we met in January and that was in maybe September or October of 97 I think?”

          “I’m not sure he was sophisticated enough back then to pull off something like this, but he could have gotten training in technology while in prison and applied in devious ways I suppose. Anything else?”

          “Not really…”

          “Then I think we should call it a night and you have a few things to follow up on. We can do this again if nothing pans out…” Harm still held Mac against his side as he sat on the sofa.

          Sturgis started gathering together the files and while he was at the dining room Harm turned to Mac.

          “Mac, I know we talked about you getting a ride home with Sturgis, but if you want to stay here with me I can take you home later, or you can just stay here tonight. What do you want to do?”

          Mac looked up and Harm could see the tears in her eyes and the glazed look the memories had evoked in her. “I want to stay with you, Harm. I need to be with you.”

          “Okay, I’m going to help Sturgis with the files and then I’ll be right back, okay?”

          Mac nodded and Harm released her but touched her head briefly in a caress before he walked away.

          Harm found a box and put the lose files in it and carried it to Sturgis’ car While Sturgis carried his file folder and briefcase. As they rode the elevator to the ground floor, Sturgis asked Harm, “Mac going to be okay?”

          “Yeah, it just brought up a lot of bad memories for both of us, but what you don’t realize is that the guy she killed in self-defense tried intimidating her with a knife and was planning to rape her.”

          “Harm, I’m sorry…the file just says he was attacking her.”

          “They wouldn’t allow the word rape used in court because it was only speculation and couldn’t be substantiated. Mac had also been shot in the leg and it got infected and she was in rough shape for a while but she got through it. I always thought she had buried a lot of it and not really dealt with it…what I saw tonight confirms that…she’ll probably be mad at me all over again tonight too because it all started when I took her flying and had to set the plane down because the fuel line split and the engine kept cutting out on us.”

          “Sorry Harm. Guess you’d better get back and take care of damage control.”

          “See you tomorrow and thanks Sturgis.”

          Back in Harm’s apartment, Mac was sitting still huddled on the sofa when he returned. “Mac? Talk to me…”

          Harm sat next to her and opened his arms to her. Mac turned and moved into Harm’s arms. She put her right arm around his shoulders and neck and her left arm around his waist. Her head was against his chest where she could hear his every breath and heart beat. Harm enclosed her gently. His left hand soothed her by rubbing her back, while his right hand cupped her head. He could feel the silky smoothness of her hair on his fingers. He held her and waited for her to talk. When she didn’t he decided to talk to her.

          “Mac, I can’t begin to imagine what it was like for you. I still blame myself for not using more care checking things out before we went up. But in the same way I can’t change what did happen, I can assure you that you were so strong and brave to defend yourself and you did the only thing you could do to prevent the outcome from being much worse for yourself.”

          Mac’s voice was muffled against his shirt as she spoke, “I know all that Harm, but I guess I never really allowed myself to experience the emotions that went with the experience until tonight.”

          “Why?”

          “I didn’t feel secure enough.”

          “You do now?”
          “With you here tonight…yeah, I felt like I could let it out. Sorry…”

          “For what? Mac, I’m glad you’re letting it go finally…and the fact that you’d let it go with me tells me that you no longer feel you have to prove to me that you’re the big bad marine.”

          “Tomorrow I might feel that way again, but tonight, right now, I want to be taken care of and protected.”

          “That’s me…your hero…” Harm grinned above her head as he looked onto the top of her head. Not the cocky flyboy grin, but a gentle smile that showed contentment and love. Harm lowered his face against Mac’s hair as he continued to hold her and rub her back soothingly.

          Harm had no idea how long they sat together like that, but he knew he was getting tired and that his back was aching again. He realized he must have moved because soon Mac lifted her head and looked at him. “Harm, your back must be killing you…let me go so you can get up and stretch.”

          “Thanks Mac…”

          “Harm, you said before you would take me home or I could stay here with you, right?”

          “Yeah, do you want me to take you home?”
         &nbs