ABOUT US 1: Harm-less
 
Author: LeE

e-mail: lee_81881@yahoo.com

 Classification: Romance H/M 

 Rating: R , NC-17

 Disclaimers: JAG doesn't belong to me. It belongs to DPB and CBS. I'm 
just having some fun while procrastinating on homework... 

 Author's Note: This story is set sometime after The Mission, but 
before the whole Afghanistan ordeal the last four episodes.  Hope you enjoy 
this one. As always, I promise I will post the parts in a timely 
fashion, not once a week...thanks to my wonderful beta readers, who did an 
awesome job helping me, as always...:) LeE
 

 HARM'S OFFICE
JAG HQ
1000 EST
 Harm looked up from his desk when he heard a door slam across from 
him. His own door was open, so he had access to what went on out in the 
bullpen. He realized it had been Mac's office door. His concern grew 
rapidly when he looked at his watch and realized what time it was. Mac was 
never late. He rose from his chair to go say hi and hopefully get some 
info on the reason for her unusually late arrival. As soon as he was 
out the door the Admiral's voice broke through the uncharacteristic 
silence.

 "Rabb!! My office, now!"

 "Great, Mac comes in late and I'm the one that gets chewed out" he 
said to himself as he walked towards his CO's office, making a mental note 
to go straight to Mac's office as soon as the Admiral was done taking 
it out on him, which he was used to by now. 

 "Commander Rabb reporting as ordered, Sir" Harm said as he stood at 
attention in front of the Admiral's desk.

 "At ease, Commander. Have a seat, please"

 'Damn,' he thought. 'First he yells at me in front of everyone and now 
he's being nice to me. Wonder what's going on.'

 "Commander, I have an assignment for you" he said, his voice calm, as 
he looked up and took off his reading glasses.

 "Sir?"

 The Admiral leaned back on his chair and regarded his senior officer 
carefully. 
 "Harm.." he started. This earned him the response he expected; a 
confused look from the man sitting across from his desk. 

 Harm noticed the look on the Admiral's face. He had learned to read 
his CO's face like a book, and he knew the Admiral could read him well 
too. Harm could tell the Admiral was about to do something he didn't want 
to but had to.

 "Webb contacted me early this morning. There's some legal situation he 
needs your help with. Your transport leaves tomorrow at 0900"

 "Transport Sir? What does that have to do with Webb, Sir?" he asked 
even more confused now than he had been before. 

 "Commander, you're going to the Patrick Henry. Why Webb needs you 
there I have no idea, but SecNav approved it and that's the way it goes. 
All I know is that it involves flying and some CIA mission that 
apparently is important to the Navy as well. You'll get more detailed 
information once you arrive there" He hated lying to Harm. He had been briefed by 
the SecNav and knew of the dangers of this mission. He knew Harm would 
never refuse to go no matter how dangerous it was, but he knew of a 
certain Marine who would definitely have a fit it she found out Harm was 
going flying into a war zone. As pictures of Mac's face that horrible 
night last May flashed before his eyes, the Admiral knew the assignment 
had potential to blow up in everyone's faces if Harm had trouble out 
there. However, he had no choice. 

 "Yes, Sir"

 Noticing Harm's hesitation to leave he said "Any questions, 
Commander?"

 "Um, no Sir, well, Sir, you know I'm a little concerned about..."

 "About the Colonel. I know you are. I'll make sure she's looked after 
while you're gone. 
She's been late a couple days this week, I've noticed"

 "Well, Sir, I'd really appreciate it. You know, we're friends again 
and well, with everything that's happened this past year I well.."

 "I know. I'm old, but I'm not stupid. I'll make sure she's okay. 
Anything else?"

 "No, Sir"

 "Dismissed" the Admiral finished

 Harm came to attention, turned on his heel, and was almost at the door 
when the Admiral's voice stopped him. He looked back and the Admiral 
spoke without raising his head to look at him.

 "I know how you feel about her Harm. She'll be fine. Just do me a 
favor and don't tell her you're going flying all right? I'd like to 
maintain some order around here while you're gone. And for God sakes, let me 
know ahead of time before you propose all right? You know, buy me a 
little time?" He couldn't resist the comment, and his mouth revealed a 
funny smirk Harm wasn't familiar with. 

 Harm was stunned. 'Propose? What is he talking about? How come he 
knows how I feel about her?' The Admiral sensed Harm's discomfort, since he 
was still standing with his mouth open staring at him. He raised his 
head and looked at him.

 "Harm. Take my advice as a friend will you? Stop playing around. 
You're not a kid anymore. Sooner or later you'll have to do it. Don't let 
her slip away, Son"
 Harm just stared at his CO like he had grown another head, and then 
tried to speak. 

 "Uh, Sir? Can I ask you something?"

 The Admiral let out a long sigh and spoke. "Harm, she loves you. You 
love her as much and probably more. She's been there for you and you've 
been there for her. You two have caused each other more pain than I 
ever thought possible, and I've seen combat. Politicians have nothing on 
you two when it comes to avoiding touchy subjects, and frankly, you're 
annoying the hell out of me and the rest of the office. So please, do 
yourself and everyone a favor and get it right once and for all" he 
finished putting his reading glasses back on and looking down at his 
paperwork once again.

 By the time he was done, the color had drained from Harm's face and he 
couldn't really tell whether he was breathing or not. He snapped out of 
his state of shock when he heard the Admiral's voice.

 "Dismissed" he said without looking at him not wanting Harm to see the 
smile that was rapidly spreading across his face. 'Please God. Work 
with me here' he thought.  

 "Aye aye, Sir" Harm managed to get the words out and turned around to 
leave. 
 When he got to his office he just sat there and thought over what the 
Admiral had told him. He couldn't believe how people could read his 
mind so easily. Was he that transparent? If so, then how come Mac wasn't 
catching on to his feelings for her? Were they the only blind ones that 
couldn't see what was going on? These were the thoughts that were 
interrupted by the beautiful Marine Colonel that haunted his dreams every 
night. Her voice brought him back to reality.

 "Hey Harm" she said nonchalantly, as she stepped into his office and 
closed the door. She proceeded to take a seat across from him, crossed 
her legs, and stared at him for a few minutes before she realized that 
he was somewhere else. She repeated her greeting and this time got a 
response.

 "Hey, Harm" she repeated a little louder this time

 Harm shook his head rapidly and focused his eyes on the amazing woman 
in front of him. He could tell she had caught him daydreaming, but 
tried to keep everything under control. 

 "Uh, hey Mac. What can I do for you?"

 'You really want me to answer that? Concentrate, Marine!!!'  "Uh, 
well, I had a few questions about the Johnson case, and I was wondering if 
you could meet me for dinner tonight. You know, a pizza and some case 
files?"

 He smiled. 'Oh, Mac. Your timing has definitely been off lately' he 
thought. "Mac, I'm sorry. I'm leaving for the Henry tomorrow morning, 
0900" he said hoping the disappointment wasn't too obvious on his face. 

 "Oh, well. Um...what are you going out there for?" she tried to hide 
it, but he recognized the nervousness in her voice. He would give 
anything to reassure her that everything would be fine. The truth was that he 
couldn't. He didn't know what Webb had in store for him. 

 "I don't know, Mac. I guess some legal matter that needs to be taken 
care of. No need for both of us to take the trip. Besides, Webb will be 
in charge"

 "What the hell is Webb doing on a carrier?" she asked and frowned.

 "Who knows, Marine?" he answered trying to sound casual. He knew 
better than anyone how she would react if she found out he was going flying, 
and for a CIA mission of all things. She had done her best to keep her 
emotions in check after he'd had trouble landing his Tomcat a couple 
weeks before, but Harm knew her better than anyone. Even if she didn't 
say anything, he knew he would only worry her if he told her about 
flying. 

 "Oh, well, can we at least have lunch?" she asked with a hopeful look 
in her eyes. How could he say no to those eyes?

 He smiled. "All right. I'll go pick you up at your office at around 
1100. We'll have an early lunch and I'll go straight to packing from 
there, all right?" his tone of voice resembling that of a parent bargaining 
with a little five-year-old child.

 "Sure, Harm. That's great" she noticed the amused look on his face and 
realized she was acting like a girl with a crush on the team's 
quarterback.  "Well, you know. I really wanted to go over this case with you, 
well, before you left, because, well..you get the point" she stammered 
and looked away blushing a little.

 "Blushing, Marine?" he teased her. She regained her composure as 
quickly as she had lost it and rapidly stood up and walked towards the door. 

 "Don't flatter yourself, Commander" she said, and without a glance 
back left his office. Harm sat in his chair for a long time after she 
left, just thinking of how weird his morning had been. When he first got 
there that morning, he expected to walk into a battlefield. It turned out 
a lot better than he thought. He got up from his chair and headed for 
the break room. 

 "Good Morning, Commander"

 "Morning, Bud, Harriet" he nodded his greeting and Harriet responded.

 "Uh, Sir. I was wondering if you'd be available later this afternoon. 
I have a few questions about a case I'd like to ask you, if you don't 
mind"

 "Sorry, Bud. I'm leaving for the Henry tomorrow morning. I probably 
won't be in this afternoon." Harm replied with a somewhat sad tone in his 
voice, which earned him a weird facial statement from Bud. 'When was 
the last time the Commander got orders to go out to a carrier and didn't 
look like jumping up and down?' Bud thought as he regarded his senior 
officer and friend. 

 "Uh, that's fine, Sir. I'll try to catch Commander Turner later on 
then" Bud said with a sideways glance at his wife. 

 "Well, Bud. You can always talk to Mac"

 "Sir?" Bud asked confused. At Harm's blank look Bud widened his eyes. 

 "Sir, the Colonel is not going with you?" he asked surprised.

 Harm smiled and sighed. "No, Bud. She'll be staying here. I don't know 
how long I'll be gone"

 At the news, Bud and Harriet exchanged a worried look. It wasn't lost 
on Harm, although he had no idea what the big deal was. They didn't 
know about the mission, and they certainly didn't know Webb was behind it. 
Why did they look so apprehensive all of a sudden?

 Harriet excused herself. "Oh, great, just what I needed this week. A 
*Harm-less* Lt. Colonel" she muttered under her breath as she walked 
away, not realizing that Harm had heard and understood what she said.

 "What was that Harriet?" he asked with an amused grin on his face.

 "Uh, nothing Sir. Just a note to self" she smiled nervously and 
hastily retreated.

 Harm glanced over at Bud who was sweating by now. "Uh, Bud. You 
wouldn't know what your wife's comment was about now would you?" Harm said as 
he studied Bud's face intently. 

 "Uh, no Sir, well, yes Sir, I mean... permission to speak freely Sir?" 
he said with pleading eyes.

 "Go ahead Bud" Harm said with a chuckle.

 "Sir, with all due respect, we'd rather you take the Colonel with you. 
Isn't there a way to sneak her into the transport, Sir?" Bud asked with 
that hopeful statement that was uniquely his. 

 Harm laughed heartily at this and after a few moments sobered up. 
"Now, Bud. Why would you say such a thing?"

 Bud simply whined, throwing his hands up in the air to accentuate his 
point.  "Commander! There's not a single person who can handle the 
Colonel when you're away, Sir. Ask anyone. The Colonel is definitely off 
limits every time you're away on assignment and she stays behind. Even 
the Admiral tries to stay out of her way. The same thing happens when she 
goes and you stay. I mean, you're definitely miserable and not the 
easiest man to...." He trailed off as he realized what he had said and 
clasped his hands together nervously. 

 Harm raised an eyebrow at him. "What was that Bud?" he grinned. Bud 
didn't take it lightly. 

 "Uh, sorry Sir. That just popped right out, I mean, it's not that we 
don't like you, it's just that..." Harm cut him off laughing out loud.

 "Bud, relax. I'm not about to charge you or anything. It's just funny. 
That's all. Why don' t you go see if you can find Sturgis?"

 "Uh, yes Sir. Right away, Sir" Bud snapped two and rapidly retreated 
much like his wife had done minutes before, leaving an amused Harm 
behind. 
 Harm finished pouring himself some coffee and walked out towards the 
bullpen. He spotted Sturgis and walked straight towards him. 

 "Sure Lieutenant, I'll be happy to. Swing by my office some time this 
afternoon" Sturgis said with a smile.

 "Thanks Commander. I really appreciate it" Bud replied grinning. His 
smile faded as he saw Harm approaching them and rapidly excused himself 
and hurried off, leaving a confused Sturgis.

 "Later, Bud" Sturgis said louder so Bud could hear him. Bud simply 
nodded his head not looking back.

 "Hey Sturgis" Harm said cheerfully. Not that he was happy about lying 
to Mac, but Bud was just too funny not to laugh at. Sturgis turned 
around to see Harm approaching him and smiled shaking his head. 

 "Harm, what did you do to Bud?"

 "Whatever do you mean, Sturgis?" Harm said with a small smile tugging 
at his lips.

 "Don't play innocent with me Rabb" Sturgis warned.

 "Ah, I'll tell you when I come back. Listen, I have a favor to ask 
you..."

 "Hold it, hold it. Come back from where?"

 "Well, I'm leaving for the Henry tomorrow morning" His voice lowered 
significantly and Sturgis knew instantly there was something wrong.

 "Oh, do you and Mac need a ride to the airport or some help with a 
case?"

 "Ah, that's what I was getting at. Listen, Mac is staying here. I'm 
going alone this time"

 Sturgis groaned audibly and rolled his eyes with a heavy sigh. "Buddy, 
why are you doing this to me? Am I really that bad of a friend?"

 Harm laughed. "Not you too! Come on, she can't be that bad"

 "No? Ask the rest of the office" Sturgis said shaking his head in 
amusement.

 "I'll take your word for it. Listen, I need to ask you a favor"
 Sturgis sighed. "Shoot"

 "Do you think you could keep an eye on her? I mean, I'll be out there 
flying a mission, and if something were to happen, well, you know, if 
it comes on the news or something she'll get frantic, and I just want to 
know someone will be there for her"

 "Harm..." Sturgis warned "I wasn't here last year when you went down 
before her wedding, but the stories I hear are not pretty ones. If 
something happens to you while you're flying she'll go crazy, and you know 
that"

 "I'll make it up to you!" he said with his famous flyboy grin in 
place.

 "Buddy, I hate to break it to you, but unless you're in South Beach, 
Florida that flyboy grin only works on women" Sturgis said with a raised 
eyebrow

 Harm laughed at his comment and tried his puppy dog eyes. "All right. 
I'll keep an eye on her. You'll owe me big buddy. She gets like a 
disturbed hibernating bear when you're not around, and now that you're going 
flying....."

 "Who's going flying?" They both froze at the sound of Mac's voice 
coming from behind them. 'Damn it, not again' Harm thought as he remembered 
other conversations with Sturgis that ended with Mac storming off 
steaming. 

 "Busted" Sturgis said to Harm and walked away. Harm 'admired' his 
choice of footwear for a minute and then turned back to look at her. 'Our 
Father, who art in heaven.....' Her voice interrupted his quiet prayer.

 "You're going to fly over there aren't you?" She said evenly, trying 
hard not to let the emotions cloud her face. 

 "Mac, it's not a big deal..."

 "Harm, don't give me that crap. You're going to fly a mission for 
Webb. God Harm, do you know how dangerous that'll be? What am I gonna do 
if..." she shut her mouth closed quickly as she realized her voice had 
risen and they were in the middle of the bullpen. The Admiral came out of 
his office moments before the conversation started and heard every 
word. 

 "Is there a problem here?" he asked in his best commanding voice, 
trying not to let the smile show on his face. 'Oh, Rabb, you're in trouble 
now'
 Both officers turned at the Admiral's voice. "Uh, no Sir. Everything's 
great actually. Just great." Mac finished, excused herself and went 
towards her office, firmly shutting the door behind her. The hurt was so 
obvious in her face that it broke Harm's heart, and elicited sympathy 
from their commanding officer. 

 "Commander?"

 "Sir, I'm sorry. I didn't want to tell her, but it slipped when I 
spoke to Sturgis and well..."

 "Commander, you and the Colonel have both the afternoon off. If I come 
here tomorrow and have to subject my staff to a boot camp drill 
sergeant instead of a Lt. Colonel, there's gonna be hell to pay, understood?"

 "Yes, Sir" Harm answered firmly, even though in his mind, he knew 
nothing short of having the Admiral order her to go with him would calm her 
down. 

 "Good. Now go knock some sense into that Jarhead of yours, or I'll 
make some calls and have you married to her before you blink again!!!"

 "Uh, Sir?" Harm asked thoroughly confused now.

 "It's a joke Commander. Dismissed" the Admiral finished with an 
exasperated sigh.

 "Aye aye Sir"
 
 MAC'S OFFICE
Five minutes later

 "I can't believe he's flying for Webb and he didn't want me to go with 
him" she said to herself. She didn't want to admit it, but she was 
scared. God only knew what could happen, and what type of mission Webb 
wanted Harm to fly this time. He had had so many close calls. Images from 
his last landing a few weeks back flooded her mind. She could still hear 
his RIO yelling "Eject!, Eject!" 'God, please keep him safe' she 
thought. A knock on her door startled her and she quickly tried to get her 
composure back, realizing that it could only be one person on the other 
side of the door.

 "Enter" came her strained reply

 Harm stuck his head in. "Ah, Mac? Is it safe to come in? I mean...I 
realize you're mad..."

 "Come in, shut the door, and don't you dare say a word until I'm done" 
she said firmly, and loudly, her eyes never leaving the file in her 
hands. The bullpen froze as her voice carried out through the open door, 
and they all whispered a prayer for the Commander that was about to 
enter the war zone. The Admiral was amused to say the least. Who in their 
right mind would miss a humbled Harmon Rabb getting chewed out by a lady 
Marine? 'Yeah, love is a wonderful thing' he chuckled at the thought 
and headed towards his office, ordering Tiner to prepare a full report of 
the events. 

 'Jesus! Why me?' Harm thought as he walked slowly and cautiously 
towards the chair across from her desk. 

 "Commander, is there something inhibiting your ability to move your 
six faster? I don't have all day!" she practically barked at him, and he 
rapidly quickened his pace and sat down. His hands were clasped tightly 
together in his lap, as he waited for the verdict. He'd never been 
sentenced to death row, but he was sure it couldn't be as bad as this. 

 After a few minutes, his nerves were about to kill him and he 
tentatively opened his mouth to speak. Mac heard him breath in and spoke first.

 "Harm, why didn't you tell me?" she said in a low voice, anger still 
there, but at least she wasn't drilling him.
 Harm was startled by her tone. "Mac, I'm sorry" was all he said. He 
didn't know exactly what kind of mood Mac was in at the moment, and 
truthfully, he valued his life enough to not force anything on her. Every 
other woman that had been in his life, well, he never cared enough to 
think too much about the effects of his words. Mac was different. He loved 
her, and he knew he had to keep his big mouth in check if he ever 
wanted to get on her good side. Saying 'I'm sorry' seemed like such a lame 
thing to say to her, but it was the safest thing he could think of at 
the moment.
"Listen, Harm. I'm sorry, too. I guess I overreacted a little"
"A little?" he teased with a grin hoping to relieve some of the tension 
of the past few minutes. She glared at him. 'Stupid, Rabb, stupid' he 
thought as the smile disappeared from his face.
 "Don't push it Commander" she warned him, but her eyes were smiling 
back at him.
 "So, this whole episode was just to get me alone in your office?"  He 
wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively. Little did he know he'd get 
more than he bargained for.
 'Rabb, you sure are dense sometimes' she thought.  After a few seconds 
she simply couldn't resist him any longer. He was so adorable when he 
was vulnerable. The lines of worry that formed on his forehead, the 
widening of his eyes, the hard grip he had on the lower part of his uniform 
jacket, it all served to paint the most adorable picture in her eyes. 
'Right where I want you, Rabb' 
 Harm noticed the statement on her face and swallowed hard as a 
seductive smile grew on her lips. She quickly stood up, locked her door and 
closed the blinds. Without a trace of hesitation, she walked over to 
where Harm was and sat down on his lap. She took his face on her hands and 
pressed her lips to his. 
 Harm stilled. His muscles weren't cooperating. Oh, yeah, neither was 
his brain. He wanted so bad to kiss her back, but he couldn't move. 
Moments passed that felt more like hours to him, until he was finally able 
to react to her. He wrapped his arms around her, and a delightful sound 
escaped her throat as she felt his lips move against hers and his 
tongue enter her receptive mouth. 
 They kissed each other breathless and finally came up for air. She 
rested her forehead on his and sighed contently. With her fingers buried 
in his hair, she gently rubbed her nose against his. 
 "Marine, are you trying to kill me?" he said huskily, his eyes still 
closed.
 "Well....."
 He laughed at her teasing tone and opened his eyes to take in the 
beauty of the courageous woman on his lap. "How did you go from 'drill 
sergeant mode' to 'Sarah mode' in 5 minutes?" he asked almost to himself.
 She smiled at his words. "Sarah mode?" she teased and raised an 
eyebrow at him
 'Damn it, Rabb. That was supposed to stay somewhere in your head, not 
come out through your overworked mouth' he thought as he tried to think 
of something to talk his way out of this particular explanation.
 "Harm, it's not nice to keep secrets from your best friend, now 
spill!" 
 "If I tell you my secret, will you tell me one of yours?" he said with 
a grin, hoping his plan would work.
 "Rabb, you might charm the rest of the female population with that 
smile, but believe me, unless you..."
 "I know, I know, it won't work unless I move to South Beach, Florida" 
he said not realizing he had said that out loud.
 "What?" she asked and frowned. "What does South Beach have to do 
with..."
 "Forget it, it was something Sturgis said. I'll explain it later"
 "Oh, ok. Well, actually the answer is yes"
 "Huh?"  Her closeness to him had reduced his IQ by 50 points, and 
there was no way he would get back to full thinking mode with her on his 
lap.
 "Rabb, did you bribe the doctor on your last physical? I think you're 
losing your hearing" she said and laughed, enjoying a little too much 
the effect she was having on him.
 "Uh, Mac. Do you think we could... uh, move this to some other place 
where I'm not required to use my brain?" 'Jesus, this is really 
degrading. Is there anything this woman can NOT do to me?'
 She laughed out loud and he simply smiled sheepishly at her. "Who are 
you and what have you done with my Harm?" she said not realizing the 
possessiveness of her declaration. This was something his brain was 
definitely ready to process, and he'd be damned if he'd let this one slip.
 "What was that Marine? 'My Harm' you said?" he teased and grinned 
broadly when he noticed her blush furiously in front of him. He reached out 
and caressed her cheek softly with his fingers.  'Yep, she's all mine' 
he thought.
 'Damn it, Mac. Why'd you let that slip?' she scolded herself for 
giving Harm ammunition for their ongoing battle. He noticed her discomfort, 
and always the gentleman, he decided to change the subject and put his 
life on the line, again. 'Here goes nothing'
 "Uh, Mac"
 "Huh?" Now was her turn to look disconcerted, but he didn't take 
advantage of it. It wouldn't work. 'She'll kick my six from here to Iceland 
if I say anything' he chuckled softly at the thought. She didn't 
notice.
 "Mac, can I kiss you again?" he asked and smiled shyly at her, 
actually blushing a little. 
 'Wow. What a man!' she thought. "Are you kidding? You better kiss me 
again or I'll show you exactly what it means for a Marine to storm the 
beaches" she teased and smiled back at him. He leaned in and kissed her 
again. This time it was slow and passionate. Their hands roamed all 
over their bodies and it went on for a few minutes until something in 
Mac's head snapped as she realized they were in the office. She broke off 
the kiss and pulled away from him reluctantly. 
 "Uh, Harm. We're still at the office"
 "I know" he sighed and kissed her forehead. Remembering the 
conversation they'd had earlier in his office, he decided to go for it. 
 "So, Marine. If you're done chewing me out, would you let me answer 
your question again?"
 "What question?"
 "Well, you asked me to dinner earlier, remember? So, would you like to 
have dinner with me? The Admiral gave us both the afternoon off. 
Something about a drill sergeant, I don't know" he said as he remembered the 
Admiral's words and smiled at her.
 "Drill sergeant?"
 "Forget about it. I think he was talking to Sturgis" 
 "Oh, okay"  
 'Whew....survived that one' he thought and leaned in to kiss her 
again, a quick one this time. He wrapped his arms around her and sighed. 
 "Yes"
 "Yes to what?"
 She rolled her eyes at him. "Are you trying word games with me, 
Commander? Not a good idea" she smiled "Yes, I'll have dinner with you. Now 
why don't you get out of here and go pack. I actually have some errands 
to run, and then I'll meet you at your place for dinner, say 1900?"
 "That sounds like a plan, Mac" he smiled and kissed her nose quickly. 
She blushed a little, not accustomed to this much attention from him. 
 "All right, then get your six out of my office and I'll see you 
tonight"
 "Yes, ma'am" He answered as she left her place in his lap and went 
around to sit behind her desk. 
 "Uh, Mac. What do I tell them?" he said pointing towards the bullpen.
 She smiled. "Tell them the truth, Sailor"
 "And what truth would that be, Marine?"
 "You know, the one about a Marine putting you in your place?"
 He laughed, but sobered up before reaching for the doorknob. 'Damn, 
how come she's always right?' he thought as he left her office and walked 
cheerfully towards his office, ignoring glances and stares from his 
co-workers. 

HARM'S APARTMENT
NORTH OF UNION STATION
1850 EST

 
He was officially nervous. Mac was scheduled to arrive anytime now, 
given that she was always on time, if not early. Everything was ready. The 
food was almost done, candlelight, china set on the table, soft music 
playing in the background. 'Tonight will be perfect,' he thought. 
'Finally, I'm going to tell her exactly how I feel.'

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, and he hurried over to 
open it. There she was. The most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes 
on. She was wearing black slacks that accentuated wonderfully her 
luring curves, and a red double-layered blouse that hugged her upper body in 
all the right places. Her lips matching her attire in color, and her 
scent he recognized as the one he had given her for Christmas. 

He motioned for her to come in, not trusting himself to speak yet. She 
walked in and he took a long look at the hallway before turning around 
and facing her. She had an opportunity to survey his appearance before 
he turned to face her. 'God, what a perfect...' His voice interrupted 
her thoughts, and she looked up at him surprised that she'd been caught 
staring at him. 

"You okay, Mac?" he asked crossing his arms in his chest, a ghost of a 
smile on his face. 

"Uh, sure Harm. Spaced out there for a minute, sorry" she said 
sheepishly and turned her head to do a quick revision of the apartment. 

"Wow, this is very nice, Commander. I'm impressed"

"You are?" he asked, his eyes bright with pride.

She laughed. "Yeah"

"Go figure. A Marine impressed by a Squid. Now THAT should make the six 
o'clock news"

"Very funny, Stickboy. Now are you planning on feeding me or not?"

"Of course, my lady" he bowed mockingly and chuckled at the amusement 
evident on her face. He led her to the table in the middle of the 
apartment. Dinner went by with them talking a little about everything. When 
they were done he led her to the couch and sat down next to her, drawing 
her towards him. She wrapped herself around him and hugged him tight.

"I don't want you to go" she said quietly. He sighed.

"I know, baby. I wish I didn't have to. But I'm glad I'm going alone 
and not with you. I've never told you before, but every time we go on 
dangerous missions together I hold my breath. I don't know what I'd do if 
I lost you"

"And you think it's any easier for me to see you go to combat knowing I 
won't be there to watch your six?"

"Honey, I'll be flying. If anything were to happen, you couldn't do 
anything anyway" he said and kissed her forehead.

"I know. It's just that.... Well..." she trailed off and a smiled 
spread across her face.

"What are you smiling about Marine?"

"Harm!!" she exclaimed excitedly and caught him off guard. His eyes 
opened wide as looked at her. Pulling away slightly from him, she took his 
face in her hands. 

"What is it?" he asked cautiously, completely unfamiliar to this type 
of outbursts from the always in-control Marine.

"Are you my boyfriend now?!" she asked with the biggest smile he'd ever 
seen.

He just laughed heartily, as he hugged her tight. "Yes, I am Marine" he 
replied with a chuckle. She suddenly realized what she had done and 
blushed profusely, burying her face in his chest. 

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked a little worried as he ran his big hands 
over the silkiness of her hair.

"I'm sorry, Harm. I wasn't thinking, I don't even know if you want to 
tell people about..."

"Hey, hey, stop that right now, Miss. You listen to me and listen good" 
He took her face in his hands and continued. "Sarah.." he smiled after 
hearing her gasp at the sound of her name coming from him. "I know what 
you're thinking. You think I'm about to back down from this. Well, I've 
made that mistake before, and it won't happen this time. I'm going to 
tell you something that I should've said years ago. I love you, Sarah. I 
won't give you a lame line from a movie and tell you I loved you from 
the moment I saw you. But I can tell you this much, and know that is 
true. I fell in love with you, Sarah, faster than I ever thought possible. 
That first case, in Arizona, it changed my life forever. You have 
managed to break down every single wall I ever built around myself, and that 
didn't happen overnight. Sarah, this is no joke. I want the 'whole 
enchilada' with you, if you know what I mean. Wedding, house, kids, 
grandkids...all of it. And it starts right now"

"Right now?" she whispered as a tear rolled down her face.

"Yes, Sarah. Right now"

"Oh, Harm..." she couldn't say anything else as a sob escaped the 
confines of her throat and she flung herself into his waiting arms once 
again, pressing her cheek against his perfectly sculpted chest while her 
arms encircled him. 'I can't believe I finally got him' she thought, as 
memories of all their previous mess-ups flooded her mind. 

"Shhh. Don't cry, honey. I hate to see you cry"

"Harm, these are happy tears" she said in between sobs

"I'm glad, Sarah. I am," he said softly as he used his fingertips to 
trace unidentifiable patterns on her back and neck. Several minutes 
later, she had regained her composure. Pulling away from him, she looked him 
in the eyes, with a serious expression on her face.

"I am really excited about us being together now"

Sensing it was coming he started, "but..."

"No, buts" she shook her head in disagreement. "Just that I'll have to 
get used to the fact that my boyfriend is not just a hot shot in the 
courtroom, but one of the best damn combat pilots in the Navy" He opened 
his mouth to speak and she quickly added "I'm very proud of you, you 
know?"

The sincerity of her words brought tears to his eyes. She saw them and 
wiped away a few that escaped his eyes. She knew he needed her to 
understand, and she did, even though she hated to admit it to herself. Harm 
was one of the best pilots in the Navy and possibly the best lawyer 
around. Her pride had kept her from showing him exactly what she thought 
of him before, but not tonight. He had already opened his heart to her. 
She had caused him enough heartbreak. Sure, he hadn't been clear to her 
in Australia, but she was the one who cornered him and misinterpreted 
his words. She was the one who ran to another man the day after in an 
act of pure selfishness and revenge. She was the one who put him through 
a whole year of torture waiting for that damn ring to switch hands. 
Finally, she didn't like to admit it, but she had overreacted mightily 
after his crash in May, putting off their "talk" with lame excuses. She 
had done it to punish him for Australia and she knew it. 'It's time to 
drop the strong Marine routine and tell him exactly what I feel for him' 
she thought, and seconds later started to talk. 

"Harm, I know I've given you a hard time about flying. It's not because 
I resented the planes, but because I could've lost you to them without 
ever telling you I loved you. I know now that I am number one in you 
heart. Flying is a part of you, a part of who you are. If you weren't a 
pilot, I never would've met you. I don't want to change you, Harm. I 
fell in love with you, all of you, and that includes your career. I know 
how nervous you were about telling me about this operation with 
Webb...." She paused for a minute to regroup, as any good Marine knows to do. 
Tightening her hold on his forearms she continued. "Harm, I want you to 
always be honest with me and not be afraid of me, all right? It's 
really important that you trust me. I'm a Marine, you don't need to 
sugarcoat things for me, and the only reason I got mad at you this morning was 
because you were doing just that. I heard what you told Sturgis. All of 
it. Is the mission really that dangerous?"

He heard all the emotions, one by one, as they made their way through 
her words. Pride, fear, pain, regret, and finally concern. But through 
it all, the one constant thing was the love that emanated from her. This 
brought on a new round of tears and she kissed them away this time. 

She was sensing his struggle for control, and knew that he needed 
reassurance. She had never given him reason to suspect any of what she had 
just told him could be true, and he was having a hard time digesting it. 
He looked up at her, but it wasn't the love she saw that undid her. No, 
it was the gratitude in his aquamarine depths that humbled her 
completely. Harm needed her to be strong, and he needed her to be honest. 

"Harm, every time someone mentions you, I relive all your moments of 
triumph and joy in my head. Your DFC's, your recovery from your crash, 
your father.... You have accomplished so much in your life Harm. I had a 
hard life, but you've had as many ups and downs as I have. Harm you 
have made mistakes, and I won't deny it took you way too long to get over 
your fears and tell me how you felt, but Harm, it wasn't just your 
fault. I did as much damage to "us" as you did, maybe more" she stopped and 
sighed, taking some time to think about what she was saying. 'It's now 
or never Marine. Just let it out.'

"You're still the most amazing man I've ever known. Your passion, your 
loyalty, your truthfulness, your gentleness, your sincerity, your 
honor, and even your stubbornness.... I love all that and I'll thank God 
every day for the blessing of having you in my life. When I think about 
your heroism, when I see the lines of worry and exhaustion on your face 
at the end of the day, when I see the way young kids look at you and 
then whisper to themselves as you walk by them on the carriers, God, even 
when I see how women just fall at your feet after they see you smile, 
my heart just swells with pride and I wish I could shout to everyone 
that you're mine now" she said as she traced her fingers slowly across his 
handsome face. 

"Do you want to? Tell everyone?" he asked softly when he finally found 
his voice. Sure Harmon Rabb had his ego, and his self-confidence, but 
he knew deep inside how vulnerable to her he really was. He had pushed 
Mac away for fear of her leaving him like every other woman had before. 
'Oh God, Mac. You don't know what you're getting yourself into' he 
thought. 

She looked at him tenderly, cradled his face in her hands once again 
and kissed his nose softly, rubbing against it gently a few times. "Harm, 
you've done some pretty stupid things since I've known you, and 
sometimes you drive me to the brink of insanity, but I love you, and I'm tired 
of pretending I don't. If I could glue a sign to your forehead to tell 
everyone you belong to me I would do it in a second"

"Oh, Sarah. You have no idea how much that means to me" he said and 
opted for a tight bear hug instead of words. He'd never been eloquent when 
it came to his Marine. Today was no different. 

Mac smiled against his chest. She couldn't believe that the great 
Harmon Rabb, Jr. was crying in her arms. She had managed to dissolve him to 
tears. Sure, she had seen evidence of his lack of linguistic skills 
before, Australia coming to mind, but she'd never seen him like this.

"Sarah, I'm scared," he whispered softly in her ear. Mac sighed and 
hugged him tighter. She knew it. That's why he didn't want to tell her. 
The mission was dangerous.

"Harm, listen to me. You're an amazing pilot, with extensive experience 
in combat situations. You'll do great, and when you come back I'll be 
waiting for you, right here"

"That's just it, Mac"

"What?"

He sat up straighter, still not relinquishing his hold on her. He 
pressed a kiss to her forehead and began.

"Sarah, honey. A long time ago, I made myself a promise. I would never 
put any woman I loved through what my father put us through. I was able 
to keep my promise very easily, until the day I realized I had fallen 
in love with you."

"Guess that answers my question" she murmured

"If your question has anything to do with Australia and a ferry ride, 
then yes, that's your answer. That's why I couldn't let go. I didn't 
want to do it then, and I don't want to do it now, but there's a 
difference"

"What's that?" she asked curiously.

"Now I don't have a choice. Mac, I've been denying that I love you for 
years now. It's been too long. I can't handle it. I'm going to give 
flying a try for this mission. If I can't handle it, then I won't keep up 
my flying status anymore. You asked me once what I was willing to give 
up to have you. I hope you know the answer to that now"

"Harm! NO! You can't do that. Flying has been part of your life for so 
long. You were born to be a naval aviator, Harm. You don't have to 
choose between the planes and me. Not anymore. I never should've given you 
a hard time about it in the first place. I'm sorry I made you feel like 
you had to choose, but I know I was wrong. Please Harm, don't quit 
because of me"

"Mac, you don't get it. I don't want to risk not coming back to you 
anymore. I'll fly this mission, and that's it. Flying doesn't mean 
anything to me if I don't have you"

"But you DO have me Harm. I'm not like Annie or Jordan, and God knows I 
have nothing in common with Renee. Harm, I know things might go wrong 
with this mission, but I understand. You've never backed out of a 
challenge before, and frankly, if you're going to start doing it because of 
me, then I think we shouldn't be together at all"

"What? You're going to force me to fly even if I don't want to?"

"No, Harm, I'm forcing you to be who you are. I'm not making you do 
anything you don't already want to do. You don't have to leave flying to 
prove you love me. I don't need proof. I can feel it."

"But...but, Sarah, what about that house, and the family, and all 
that..."

She put a finger on his lips to silence him, and gently stroked his 
cheek. "Harm, we can still have all that. It's not like you fly every day. 
We can do this together. There are many naval aviators who have happy 
families. You can have me and the planes, as long as I know it's me you 
think of, even when you're flying"

He smiled. "What would I do without you?" he said and sighed.

"Guess you'll never know!" she said with a smile and kissed his chest 
lovingly. 

"Wow" he whispered and she smiled again.

"Harm, do you have any idea how awesome this feels? To know I have the 
most amazing man on the planet all to myself?" she remained silent for 
a second and then jerked her head up and started again "Harm, promise 
me you'll take me out on dates after you come back. I want lots and lots 
of dates"

He laughed at the excitement on her voice. "What Marine? You don't mind 
being seen out in public with a Squid?"

"Oh, that's not it at all, Harm. I just want to show you off!!!!" she 
beamed and kissed him soundly. Harm laughed, but the significance of her 
statement was clear to him. She was proud of him. She didn't want him 
because he'd make her look good, like the rest of the women he had 
dated. She didn't want him because he was handsome. Actually, she didn't 
even know if he was good in bed yet, but she still loved him. She knew 
him, his virtues as well as his faults, and still she loved him. He had a 
whole new reason to pray now. Gratefulness. 

The need for air broke their connection and he smiled at her, hugging 
her tighter to him. 

"I love you," she whispered against his chest. He knew he'd never get 
tired of hearing those words coming from her. 'If this mission is as 
dangerous as it sounds, I wonder how long forever will last for us' he 
thought. 

"I love you too, baby" 

She sighed contently, but inside, a battle was definitely taking place. 
She didn't want him to go, but knew he had to. It was his job, and he 
was damn good at it. She wanted nothing more than to have him all to 
herself. Tonight had to be for them. Tomorrow they could worry about the 
rest. 'I wonder if he's thinking the same thing I am' she thought. She 
didn't know how he would feel about it, but if something happened and he 
didn't return from that mission, then she knew she would regret not 
taking the chance tonight. 'Come on Marine, just say it.'

"Harm?"

"Yes, sweetheart"

"Harm, make love to me"

He was caught off guard. Not because he wasn't thinking the same, but 
because he didn't expect her to think that too. She noticed his 
hesitation and started to pull away, but he held her close, and she didn't 
fight him.

"Harm, I know you're scared about what might happen on this mission. 
But Harm, please, I need you"

"Oh, honey. There's nothing I want more than to make love to you 
tonight. We'll worry about the rest later. Let's just be Harm and Sarah 
tonight. I love you"

"...you...too" was all she could manage to utter, while he kissed his 
way down her neck; and so their first night together began.   


Never in his life had Harmon Rabb, Jr. felt emotions as deep as he did 
when he looked into the eyes of the woman he loved. "I love you," he 
whispered repeatedly, desperate to know she believed him, and unsatisfied 
with the lack of relief he felt every time he said it. After all the 
years of feelings swept under the rug, he imagined saying the words to 
her would be enough for his heart to finally be at peace. Even though 
those three little words expressed so much of what he felt, he couldn't 
help but wonder if maybe he could invent another phrase, something else 
that could truly reveal to her what was in his heart. Three words 
weren't enough. He could talk an eternity, and still not say it all.  

All these were thoughts jumbled up in his head as he made his way 
towards the bedroom, carrying his most precious possession in his arms. 
Placing her down on the middle of the bed proved to be harder than he 
thought; he wasn't ready to relinquish his hold on her yet. Somehow, he 
managed to lower his body along with hers, succeeding in not breaking up 
the physical connection between them. 

On their way towards the bedroom, Mac had managed to unbutton his 
shirt, and amazed herself as the love and desire she felt for this man 
washed over her. Reaching for him, she slipped one hand between them and 
massaged the firm muscles of his chest, while her other hand played with 
the silky short hairs in the back of his head. His tongue had yet to 
leave the soft skin of her face and neck since the moment she had asked 
him to make love to her. 

They had already bared their souls to each other, and it was now time 
to let their love shine through their actions. Hands burning with desire 
took upon them the task of building the trail his lips were fated to 
follow. Light butterfly kisses covered every inch of the incredible body 
his eyes had only seen in dreams. Worshipping her was even more 
addicting than the smell of jet fuel, or the thrill of pulling G's in the air. 
With slow, sensual movements, he managed to explore her exhaustively, 
caught up in his desire to love her, and unaware of the amazing 
sensations inundating her soul.  

'Cocky flyboy' she thought and smiled to herself as she raveled in the 
feel of his hands on her skin and his tongue that was buried deep in 
her at the moment. 'Always has to be the best.' Moans of pleasure escaped 
the confines of her throat and made their way to his ears, snatching 
him away from the marvelous sensations provoked by none other than the 
woman of his dreams. Determined to convince himself that she was real, he 
raised his head to look at her, taking in the angelic vision that was 
Sarah Mackenzie. 

Realizing that only his skilled fingers were on her, she opened her 
eyes to steal a glance at him. A gasp was heard, and she realized quickly 
it had been her doing, as she attempted to digest the emotions playing 
across his handsomely expressive face. No arrogance, no cockiness, no 
self-assurance... only love and desire were visible, and it was then 
that Sarah Mackenzie realized her world had been transformed forever when 
Harmon Rabb, Jr. lifted the thick veil that had kept his true self 
hidden from her so long.

Smiling sweetly at him, her hand traveled down as it placed 
feather-like caresses on the majestically handsome face of her partner, and now 
lover, as his proficient fingers dipped in and out of her core. Seconds 
later she felt the tightening of her muscles and knew she was too close. 

"Come for me, baby. Let it go." His soft luring whisper almost made her 
forget it all, but she couldn't. It had to be absolutely perfect, for 
them. 

Mustering up all the strength her body allowed her, she reached down 
and pulled on his arms, trying to convey her wish to him. Understanding 
instantly what she needed and wanted, he withdrew his hand from her 
center, and kissed his way up the plains of her stomach, finally leveling 
his gaze with hers. Expressive brown eyes bore into his soul and her 
words were just an unnecessary reiteration of their mutual agreement. 
"It's about us tonight, Harm. Together." 

"About us, baby. I know"

Overwhelmed by the reality of the moment, she took his face in her 
small hands and kissed him as passionately as she knew how. A lawyer gifted 
with the art of persuasion, and somehow, she knew that no fancy 
stringing of words could make him comprehend the significance of what her 
heart was trying to declare.  

"Harm...I.." she whispered, trying to say....to make him see... to make 
him understand the enormity of the event taking place. Locking her deep 
dark eyes with his, she yearned to share the desperation and anguish 
gripping her soul knowing that only a few hours of happiness were 
guaranteed to them. In the morning he'd leave to fly that damn mission for 
Webb. Trying to put those thoughts aside proved to be more difficult than 
she'd imagined, but she had to try, for him, for them. 

"Shh...I know" he assured her softly as he planted faint kisses 
everywhere his eager lips could reach. He knew what she wanted to say. He knew 
it was only hours until he had to leave, but he also knew that this 
time, he had her to come home to. His Sarah had always been the most 
important part of his life, and now he could show it, not just to her, but 
to everyone else. He had to come back to her. He just had to. 

"Please, Harm. I need you." That was all he needed. At that instant, 
her realized his dreams were about to come true. They were seconds away 
from becoming one, forever. Slowly, he shifted his body above her and 
settled himself between her long silky legs, while his mouth danced over 
hers and his strong hands caressed her porcelain face. "Please, 
Harm..." she whispered. Her plea was his undoing and he entered her with a 
soft but firm thrust. As the amazing sensation of finally being wrapped up 
in his Sarah swept over him, his eyes closed instinctively. Not knowing 
another way, Mac reached up and touched his face, willing the adoration 
she felt for him to somehow emanate from her fingertips and reach his 
very soul. There would be time for passionate animalistic lovemaking 
when he returned. Tonight, all they needed was to love each other. 

"Please, Harm. I want to see your eyes. Look at me" she pleaded with 
him until he obliged. They both stilled their movements as his full lips 
left her skin and their eyes met. Time stopped, the earth quit 
spinning, and everything else was forgotten. Fate, such a strong word but 
somehow so appropriate, as two souls that had waited seemingly forever to be 
united were fused together by their human desire and the love pouring 
out of their hearts. Immeasurable moments passed, as they took the time 
to live out every new emotion rising. Finally satisfied with their 
perfected immaterial bond, they began moving together in a dance as old as 
time, as their deepest and truest dreams came true. Together, their 
bodies reached the pinnacle of their lovemaking; a continuous stream of 
consummated love and undying devotion flowing unrestrained as they 
silently vowed never to give themselves to anyone else but each other. 

Nothing had ever felt so marvelously right. There was a familiarity 
between them, resulting from years of loving each other in the deepest and 
most secret way possible, that made their ultimate demonstration of 
love all the more significant. For years, meaningful glances between them 
had been the lame replacement for the soft kisses and gentle caresses 
they could now savor. The memories of a slight touch of an arm, or a 
quick awkward hug had consoled them during long lonely nights when all 
they longed for was to have each other like they did now. Long heated 
work-related arguments had been the unworthy equivalent of passionate 
embraces they secretly wished for, and all the "I'm sorry's" uttered had 
been their only way of conveying, however ineffectively, the truth of the 
overwhelming feelings they kept tucked away deep inside. Never again 
would they have to settle for anything less than each other's warm 
embrace. Never again would their hearts ache for the loneliness and pain of 
hidden, undeclared love. Their time had come, and they were finally 
free...free to love. 

"I love you, Sarah," he whispered softly in her ear as they shifted 
together and got ready to sleep, their intimate connection still intact. 

"I love you too, Harm," she answered, as she nuzzled her face in the 
crook of his neck and closed her eyes, safe in the arms of the man she 
loved. When the morning came, they'd have to say goodbye, but it wouldn't 
be like before. This time, they would only say goodbye temporarily. 
They already had each other, and nothing could separate them now. Not 
time, not space, not even death. 


MAC'S OFFICE 
Four days later

The past four days had been excruciatingly hard on the strong Marine. 
She always had a hard time when Harm went alone on missions, but this 
time she had a sick feeling about it. Images of their night together were 
the only thing that had kept her sane, as she waited for news on Harm's 
mission. He hadn't contacted anyone at JAG yet. Webb's office wasn't 
handing out any details, and she was growing more and more impatient as 
the days went by. When se was home, at Harm's apartment, she couldn't 
help but smile as she thought of her flyboy. Closing her eyes, she could 
still feel his greedy hands on her, the seductive assault of his lips 
on hers, the welcomed pressure of his weight burying her in the 
mattress, and the enticing masculine smell that was strictly Harmon Rabb, Jr. 

Unfortunately, her mood changed dramatically when se was at JAG. The 
reminder of what Harm was doing affected her a lot more every time she 
glanced towards his office and didn't find him there. Finding the Lt. 
Colonel glued to ZNN News came as no surprise to the people at JAG. Many 
times she had left her office and walked purposefully towards Harm's, 
only to remember in mid-stride that he wasn't there. It was hard to hide 
these incidents from her co-workers, and as a result, her mood had gone 
from bad to worse at work. The Admiral had definitely noticed, but 
didn't say a word. He respected the way Mac handled her issues, and the 
truth was that he was a little reluctant to cross paths with the Colonel. 

It was Friday, the end of the week, and Mac couldn't wait to get out of 
the office. Looking forward to a relaxing weekend lost in thoughts of 
Harm, she rose from her chair and went about gathering her things. She 
thought it odd that the Admiral had given her the afternoon off, for no 
apparent reason. 'Oh, well. The caseload has been lighter after all' 
she tried to rationalize. 

Outside, in the bullpen, things were strained. They had been like that 
for days, since a certain Commander had left to fly. Bud and Harriet 
stood looking at each other. The Admiral had just given them a file he 
needed delivered to Mac, but hadn't specified who should give it to her. 
When Bud had respectfully asked why he didn't give it to her himself 
the Admiral had stated, "Cut me some slack, will you Lt.? I'm just an old 
washed-off SEAL" and had retreated to his office laughing softly, 
grateful he had his rank to protect him from the *Harmless* Lt. Colonel, as 
Harriet had called her. 

"All right, Bud. Go get a pencil"

"Haaarrieeeettt" Bud whined.

"Do it, Bud" Harriet insisted and Bud went and got the pencil from 
Harriet's desk. They were about to find out who had gotten the shorter end 
of the pencil when Mac walked out of her office and spotted them. 
Realizing at once what they were doing, she strode towards them.  

"Here, I'll make it easier for you" she said tersely and snatched the 
file from Harriet's desk, walking away without another word. Mac had 
seen the Admiral give them a file and motion towards her office. She knew 
the file was for her and was also aware that neither of them wanted to 
take responsibility for it. "Oh, come on. It's not like I'm a drill 
sergeant," she scoffed and went about reading the file once seated back in 
her chair. 

"What are we going to do, Harriet?" Bud asked once the initial shock 
wore off. The Colonel was back in her office, so they were safe for now.

"I don't know Bud, but we can't let her go on like this. I mean, I knew 
it would be hard to deal with her once the Commander left, but I mean, 
she's never been like this before. This is too much"

"I know Harriet, well, maybe they talked before he left, you know? I 
mean, maybe they're mad at each other again. You remember how it was when 
she got engaged to Commander Brumby, and before they went to the 
Watertown, I'm sure they're...."

"I don't think they're mad at each other, Bud" a firm male voice 
interrupted him, and both him and Harriet turned around to see Commander 
Turner grinning at them.

"Uh, Commander, we didn't know you were back"

"I am, and right now, I'm actually on my way to have a talk with the 
Colonel. I hear even the Admiral's been avoiding her. Now, why would that 
be?" Sturgis asked with amusement, waiting for the two junior officers 
to confirm his suspicions. 

Harriet tried really hard to contain herself, but failed. She finally 
spoke in a sarcastic tone as she tapped her lips with her index finger. 
"I don't know why, Commander. She's been no problem at all. I mean, 
she's definitely *Harm-less*" she finished rolling her eyes and sighing 
with frustration. She realized at once what she'd done and immediately 
started apologizing. 

"Sir, I'm so sorry, that was uncalled for and inexcusable, it won't 
happen again......"

"At ease, Lieutenant. I agree with you completely" AJ interrupted them 
from behind trying hard to suppress the smile quickly growing on his 
lips. Harriet was always right, and usually spoke her mind when given the 
chance. 

"Uh, Sir. I'm sorry, Sir. I didn't realize..."

"I said it's fine, Lt. In fact I believe the Colonel's attitude is 
indeed a problem around here. I was hoping the Commander here would have a 
little talk with her, given that we have all failed miserably at it. 
However, I'm afraid we're all going to have to stick together on this 
one."

"Uh, Admiral, what's wrong, Sir?" Sturgis asked concerned, noting the 
crestfallen expression on his superior's face. 

"Why don't I see you all in my office in five minutes. I don't think 
the bullpen is the best place to discuss this" the Admiral finished and 
headed towards his office. 

Five minutes later, they were all standing at attention in front of the 
Admiral's desk. Sturgis had been assigned the task of telling Mac about 
the meeting.  

"At ease all of you. There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going 
to say it. I just received a call from the Patrick Henry. It seems that 
there has been a problem with Webb's mission."

Harriet gasped. "What happened, Sir? Is the Commander all right, Sir?"

"We don't know, yet. He's missing at the moment. The last contact they 
had with him and Webb was yesterday at 1900 hours"

"What?"  They all whirled around as the soft whisper from Mac caught 
them off guard. The Admiral wasn't sure what to expect, but her change in 
demeanor was definitely not what he expected from the tough Marine. 
First off, he had made sure he had ear plugs handy for when she started 
shouting and cursing Webb, and second, he was ready to authorize orders 
for her to go over to the carrier and be part of the S&R team. This calm 
and resignation in her voice took him by surprise and alarm bells went 
off in his head when he saw her motion towards the chair, asking 
permission to take a seat. 

"Go ahead, Colonel. By all means, have a seat" he said softly, as Bud, 
Harriet, and Sturgis simply watched astonished. They waited a few 
minutes, as they all looked expectantly at her. Her head was still hanging 
low, and her hands were clasped tightly in her lap. Her shoulders began 
to shake ever so slightly and Harriet was at her side immediately. 

AJ couldn't believe the scene before him, and looked horrified over at 
Sturgis, who looked as dumbfounded as the rest of them. They watched in 
amazement as Mac turned and buried her face in Harriet's shoulder and 
sobbed openly for the first time in front of her co-workers. "It can't 
be, Harriet. It can't be," she murmured as she shook her head 
vehemently, tears running freely down her cheeks. 

Long minutes later, Mac had calmed down considerably, and lifted her 
face nodding at Harriet and mouthing a 'Thank You' to her. "Anytime, Mac" 
was Harriet's choked reply, not worried about protocol at the moment. 

"What can I do, Admiral?" Mac asked softly, raw emotions coming through 
clearly as she reminded herself that she was a Marine and Harm would 
want her to be strong. She remembered clearly the conversation they'd had 
a few nights before about his flying status. She had promised him she 
could deal with him flying as long as she knew she was first in his 
heart. Well, she knew now what she meant to him, and truthfully, that 
knowledge just seemed to make things even harder to deal with.  

"Mac, I...I don't know what to tell you. I mean, normally I know you'd 
want to go and look for him yourself, but I've never seen you like 
this... I mean..."

"Admiral, I sure as hell won't let whoever took him keep him from me 
too long. I'm going to find him, whether you order me to or not," she 
stated emphatically as she forcefully wiped away the sour tears from her 
face. The Admiral simply smiled, grateful to see her strength and 
determination back.  

"Well, Colonel, in that case...." The ringing of the phone interrupted 
him. 

"Sir, it's from the Henry" Tiner's voice came through the speaker phone 
and everyone looked expectantly as the Admiral picked up the phone and 
spoke. After a few "uhuh's" and "okays" the Admiral hung up the phone 
and regarded his staff carefully.  

"What's wrong Admiral? Have they found him? Oh, God, is he... Admiral 
did they tell you he's...."

"Calm now, Colonel. The Commander is not dead, and no, they haven't 
found him. However, they do know who's holding him hostage"

"Who, Sir?" Mac asked cautiously, afraid of the answer. 

"Webb" he stated simply and a number of gasps were heard in the room as 
they tried to digest the information they'd just received. 


The End..for now. Next chapter will be out soon....