TITLE:  "Deception"  Chapter 3 [concluding]
       AUTHORS:  Anne R. and Pat Steiner
       SUMMARY:  Murder on a nearby Army installation sends Harm and 
Mac into temporary 
partnership with CID agents.  A partnership that does not end when the 
case resolves.  Story 
will be posted in 3 multi-part chapters.
        CLASSIFICATION/RATING:   J/S/R/A    PG for language and mild 
violence.
         SPOILERS:  In any of our work, any JAG episode may be referred 
to.
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+++++++++++++++++++
Previously in Deception:  The murder case which the four were 
investigating was solved.  Mitch 
and Elizabeth, their CID counterparts, had invited Harm and Mac for a 
celebratory dinner.
++++++++++++++++++

"Deception" Chapter 3---
==============
THE WHARF
Alexandria, Va.
Sunday night, 10 Days later.

"I don't believe we're finally having our date," Mac giggled as Harm 
ushered her into the 
restaurant.  "And a corsage on top of the dinner out.  You're good to 
me Flyboy."

"Well we're celebrating a lot of things," he smiled.  "Your clean bill 
of health from the doctor, that 
we can have our date, your going back to work tomorrow where I've 
missed you and it will be 
pleasant that I can work and look up and see you, not worry that you're 
OK at home."

"And last but not least," Mac smiled as the door opened behind them to 
admit Mitch and 
Elizabeth.  "To thank them."

"Amen."

Greetings were exchanged all around and they were shown to their table.

"Mac you look really good," Elizabeth enthused.  "You must have had 
some TLC."  

"I had hovering thank you, but loved every minute of it.  He's a pretty 
good guy you know," she 
laughed.  "And you two look pretty close and comfortable."

"We're getting it figured out," she smiled.  "About damn time."

A pleasant hour of talk passed quickly.  They were just having coffee 
when Elizabeth's cell 
phone rang.  "Sorry.  We're on call," she apologized as she fished in 
her bag for the phone.  
"But we were third down so unless the place got sucked into an alien 
vortex we shouldn't be. . ."

"Is it our keeper?" Mitch frowned, seeing her staring at the caller ID.

"No.  It's not a number I'm familiar with, but it's my mother's area 
code."  She pushed the button 
to connect.  "Hello?. . .Yes this is Elizabeth Reith."  Those were the 
last words she said as her 
face paled and she trembled slightly.

"Honey?" Mitch's concern was sharp and immediate.

She gulped hard and shook her head at him.  "OK I'll be there as soon 
as I can get a flight."  
She hung up the phone and Mitch took her hand.  

"Talk to me Liz."

"I'm OK.  My mom.  She's had some kind of heart problem, and they're 
going to do surgery as 
soon as she stabilizes.  She's asking for me."

"I don't think I've ever heard you say more than a couple words about 
her," he said gently, 
stroking the back of her hand.  "Are you. . ."

"Close no not really," she sighed.  "We had our usual battles growing 
up.  No dad and she was 
trying to protect me way too much.  From the time I was thirteen we 
fought all the time and the 
summer of my senior year I moved out and in with a friend to finish 
school and then I ran away 
to college.  We made a kind of peace and lately it's been easier to 
talk.  But close--no.  I think 
having a dad would have helped.  She might not have been so focused on 
me."

"Your dad was an aviator?" Harm remembered from previous talk.

"Yeah Naval.  Like you and yours," she smiled.  "My mom has a picture 
of him but it's just a 
snapshot she took.  Hard to really see much."
 
  "Where is your Mom?" Mac asked.
  
  "Naples Florida" Elizabeth replied. "I just hope I can get a flight 
tonight. 
  I don't know how long they're going to wait to do the surgery but I 
want to 
  see her first."
  
  "I'm going with you" Mitch said quickly. "You shouldn't go down there 
  alone."
  
  "Mitch you can't" Elizabeth wailed. "You know how hot General Carley 
is for you to 
  get your Riley investigation wrapped up. He's not going to let you go 
with 
  me."
  
  "I just won't ask."
  
  "No. You won't do that for me. I won't let you. I'll manage on my 
own. It's 
  not like I'm going to fall apart here." Even as she spoke, tiny tears 
slid 
  down her face and she took a deep breath for calm.
  
  "Honey I can't let you deal with this alone" Mitch fretted. "Is there 
  someone else you can call?"
  
  "No" she said softly. "We never had anything to do with Dad's family 
and all 
  of Mom's family is gone. It's really just me and her. And everyone 
else I'm 
  close to is somewhere else in the world. Except you of course."
  
  "Elizabeth we could go with you" Mac offered.
  
  "I couldn't ask you. Besides it's silly. I'll be fine when I get 
there."
  
  "Elizabeth maybe you should let one of them go with you" Mitch said 
softly. 
  "I mean, if something happens there, I can't get there right away and 
at least you 
  won't be alone."
  
  "I hadn't even thought about that" Elizabeth sniffled. "But I still 
can't 
  ask you two to do that. Mac, tomorrow's supposed to be your first day 
back."
  
  "They can spare me a few more days.  I have leave out the wazoo." Mac 
smiled. "Please we'd 
like to help.   We owe you so much for what you did for us."
  
  "Yes we do" Harm agreed. "And if we can't find a commercial flight I 
might 
  be able to pull some strings and get us on a military flight. I'll 
just call 
  the Admiral and let him know we'll be gone for a few days."
  
  "Are you sure?" Elizabeth asked.
  
  "He won't mind especially when we tell him you're the one who saved 
his two 
  officers' sixes" Harm smiled.
  
  "Sounds like it's settled then" Mitch nodded. "Let's see what we can 
find in 
  flights and then we'll go from there."
  
  Ten minutes later the three were booked on a flight to Naples leaving 
Reagan 
  International in two hours.  They split up and it was just a short 
time 
  later that they met up again at the airport.
  
  "Any news?" Harm asked Elizabeth.
  
  "They still can't do the surgery" she whispered. "They can't get her 
stable 
  enough. I just hope I'm not too late."
  
  "I'm sorry," Mac said softly. "But we'll be there in a few hours and 
  hopefully once she sees you things will turn around."
  
  "I hope so. Like I said we were never close so the fact that she's 
asking 
  for me is pretty scary."
  
  "Hang tight Liz" Mitch said as he wrapped his arms around her. "It's 
going 
  to be okay. And I want you to call me as soon as you get there and 
find out 
  what's going."
  
  "I will" she nodded. "I love you."
  
  "I love you too" Mitch whispered. "You have no idea how much it's 
killing me 
  not to go with you. I wish you'd just let me go and we could have 
  dealt with the consequences later."
  
  "No way. You have a good career mister. You're not throwing that away 
for 
  me."
  
  "I'd give it all up for you. You know that."
  
  "Yeah I do but that doesn't make it the right thing to do," she 
sniffled. "We have to go. I'll call 
you when we get in."
  
  "Take care of her" Mitch said to Harm as Elizabeth started towards 
the 
  security gate. "I know she's hurting and she's not real good at 
talking 
  about these things."
  
  "We will" Harm promised. "Try not to worry too much."
  
  "Like that's going to happen" Mitch sighed. "But thanks. At least 
she's not 
  doing this alone."
  
  Elizabeth was silent most of the way to Naples and neither Harm nor 
Mac 
  pushed her to talk. When they landed in Naples they quickly secured a 
rental 
  car and headed straight to the hospital.
  
  "God I'm shaking" Elizabeth whispered as they reached the hospital. 
"I'm so 
  scared of what they're going to tell me."
    
  "Mac stay with her while I ask at the desk," Harm told her firmly, 
catching her eye and Mac 
knew at once what he was thinking.  If the worst had happened, it would 
be better coming from 
him than a bored clerk.
 
 "Elizabeth calm down  now," Mac counseled, "You're going to upset her 
if she sees you this 
upset. Come and sit and take a few breaths while Harm finds out."
 
 Elizabeth fished in her purse for a tissue, coming up with one and her 
wallet which she opened 
to Mac.  "See there's my mom.  This was taken my last visit home, which 
I'm ashamed to say 
was a year ago minimum.  And that's my dad.  She took it just before he 
took off on his last 
flight on their last night together she said.  He never even knew she 
was pregnant.  It's a terrible 
picture and the only one she had."
 
 "Your mom is a nice looking lady," Mac smiled, taking her wallet to 
look closely at the two 
pictures.  "Yeah you're right.  Hard to make out this guy.  He looks 
like the total typical naval 
aviator of the time.  He could be Harm.  Or Harm's dad."
 
 "I guess his dad and mine were of the same time period.  Both in 
Vietnam," Elizabeth sniffled.  
"Where was he based?"
 
 "His last duty station was aboard a carrier.  The. . "  Harm's return 
cut short her words and 
Elizabeth looked up anxiously.  
 
 "She's holding her own for the moment and asking for you.  It's room 
449."  He offered her his 
hand, helping Mac up with the other and led them to the elevators.
 
 "I'm scared," Elizabeth whispered outside the door. "I mean if she's 
asking for me she must 
think she's going to die, and I don't know how to deal with that.  God 
I wish Mitch was here."
 
 "You know he wanted to be.  But you did the right thing reminding him 
of his duty," Mac told 
her, patting her shoulder.  "Go ahead.  Harm and I will be right out 
here."
 
 She swallowed hard and nodded.  "Thanks.  You guys are great."  With a 
stifled sniffle, she 
slipped through the door.
 
 Harm took Mac's arm and quickly led her to a nearby bench in the 
hallway.  "Sit and relax," he 
ordered her.  "You're not that far removed from being in one of these 
beds remember."
 
 "I'm just tired.  A hotel room would look really great.  Even a crappy 
one.  But I don't want to 
leave Elizabeth to deal with this alone."
 
 "We'll wait and see how it goes for a while," Harm nodded.  "Hey who's 
the wallet belong to?  I 
know that's not yours." 
 
 "No it's Elizabeth's.  She was showing me pictures of her mom and dad, 
and then you came 
back and I forgot to hand it back to her.  That's her dad.  I was 
telling her it was kind of a generic 
aviator picture.  You guys have all looked alike for years.  It was 
taken by her mom the night 
they were last together apparently.  And this is her mother.  Good 
grief I didn't even ask her the 
poor lady's name."
  
 "Jenny" Harm whispered as he looked at the picture. " My god it's 
Jenny."
 
 "Excuse me?" Mac frowned. "You know Elizabeth's Mom?"
 
 "Unless she has a twin, this is Jenny Lake. The woman I met a few 
years ago 
 at the Wall on Christmas Eve. She knew my Dad."
 
 "Why did you never tell me about that?" Mac frowned even more.
 
 "That was during that time when we weren't exactly communicating" Harm 
 sighed. "A few months after I came home from the Henry. My God Mac, I 
can't believe 
 Elizabeth's Mom is Jenny."
 
 "You want to go see her?" Mac asked.
 
 "I don't want to interrupt," he said quietly. "From what they told me, 
it's 
 not good. They want to get in and do the surgery, but she's too 
unstable. 
 They're not even sure she'll survive the surgery. That's why they 
wanted 
 Elizabeth here right away."
 ===============
 Inside the room Elizabeth sat down in the chair beside her mother's 
bed and 
 gently reached for her hand, careful of the IV lines that ran into it.
 
 "Mom I'm here" Elizabeth said softly. "I'm here like you wanted."
 
 "Elizabeth you came" the older woman smiled weakly as she opened her 
eyes. 
 "I'm sorry to drag you all the way down here."
 
 "It's okay Mom. You don't have to be sorry. All that matters is you 
getting 
 better. Which is what's going to happen."
 
 "You know I wish we'd spent more time together Liz. But I knew you had 
your own 
 life.  And there was the time we weren't really getting along."
 
 "Mom it's okay" Elizabeth sniffled. "We've still got plenty of time. 
And I 
 want you to meet Mitch, you know the guy I always talk about. He's not 
 here but I want you to meet him real soon."
 
 "He didn't come with you?" she frowned. "Tell me you didn't come all 
this 
 way alone."
 
 "Mitch couldn't come. But it's okay. I didn't come alone. I have two 
new 
 friends I met on a case a few weeks ago. You'll like them a lot. Harm 
and 
 Mac are really nice. Harm's dad was a pilot during Vietnam just like 
Dad 
 was."
 
 "Harm?" the older woman whispered. "His name is Harm?  His dad was a 
flier?"
 
 "Yeah why?" Elizabeth frowned. "Mom what's wrong?"
 
 "I want to see your friend. Please ask him to come in here."
 
 "Sure" Elizabeth said as she stood up. "You just stay calm okay. I'll 
go get 
 Harm and Mac."
 
 "Thank you" she said softly as her eyes closed again. For a moment 
Elizabeth 
 was afraid to leave but finally she turned and hurried from the room 
to find 
 Harm. She didn't have far to go, as he and Mac were just coming down 
the hall.
 
 "Harm Mom wants to see you" Elizabeth said slowly. "I don't know why. 
I just 
 told her that you and Mac had come down with me and she suddenly 
wanted to 
 see you."
 
 "I know why" Harm said quietly. "Mac just showed me the picture of you 
and 
 your Mom. I met your Mom a few years ago at the Wall in D.C. She knew 
my father. He 
 saved her from committing suicide on Christmas Eve aboard the 
Ticonderoga."
 
 "Your father knew my mother" Elizabeth gasped.
 
 "I'll explain later. Or your Mom will. But we'd better get back to 
her. Mac 
 come on."
 
 "Harm maybe I should just stay here" she said slowly.
 
 "No it's okay," Elizabeth said quickly. "Please come with us."
 
 Mac nodded and followed them back to Jenny's room.
 
 "Mom Harm is here," Elizabeth said softly as she reached again for her 
 mother's hand.
 
 Jenny's eyes opened and she smiled softly as she looked up at the face 
of 
 the handsome young man in front of her. "Hello Harm" she whispered.  
"We meet again."
 
 "Hi Jenny" he smiled. "Talk about a small world. I had no idea 
Elizabeth was 
 your daughter. Course now I see the resemblance."
 
 "Take care of her Harm" Jenny whispered. "You're a good man like your 
father 
 was and I know I can count on you to watch out for her."
 
 "I will" he promised. "But you're not going anywhere just yet you 
know. 
 They're going to take you in for surgery and you're going to be fine."
 
 "Always the optimist like your father" she smiled softly. "Please just 
look 
 after Elizabeth. You're all she has now." She looked over at her 
daughter 
 and gave her one last weak smile. "I love you Elizabeth" she whispered 
 before her eyes suddenly closed.
 
 "Mom" Elizabeth whispered as the alarm on one of the monitors began to 
go 
 off. "Mom please don't leave me."  She began to sob as the nurses and 
 doctors ran into the room, and Harm quickly led her from the room, Mac 
 following behind them.
 
 "No she can't die" Elizabeth wailed as Harm wrapped his arms around 
her. "I 
 didn't get to spend enough time with her. She can't die."
 
 Her sobs continued as the flurry of activity went on in the room until 
 finally the dejected looking doctor walked out.
  
"I am so sorry," he sighed, wiping his hands on a towel as he spoke.  
"She went into V-fib.  
Ventricular fibrulation.  The heart quivers but it doesn't pump.  We 
tried our best.  She didn't 
want to give up in fact but in the end we had to let her go.  Even if 
we had managed to get a 
heart rhythm, it likely wouldn't have lasted and there could have been 
brain damage.  I'm so 
very sorry.  What can I do?"

Elizabeth listened to his words in muted horror until he was finished.  
Finally she opened her 
mouth and a long scream started, only to be stifled a few seconds later 
when Harm pulled her 
against him, letting her bury her head in his shirt while Mac rubbed 
her back.

"Doctor thank you.  Can we just have a few hours to figure this out and 
then we'll make 
arrangements?" Mac asked softly.

"Of course.  I'll have the body taken to the morgue.  Uh. . .would you 
like to come in and say 
goodbye?"

"No.  No thanks." Elizabeth lifted her head from Harm's shirt and 
dabbed at her eyes.  "I'm 
sorry.  This is all just such a shock.  I mean I didn't know she was 
even having problems.  Of 
course I didn't really bother to check much."

Mac gave her back another pat.  "What's going to happen right now is 
that we're going to a hotel 
so we can at least have a place to regroup."

"No no need for that.  I have the house key.  There's plenty of space 
and Mom would want us to 
do that."  With another sniffle Elizabeth nodded thanks to the doctor 
and allowed Harm to propel 
her and Mac both out to the front where they hailed a cab.

The small bungalow greeted them with chilly silence when Elizabeth 
opened the door.  "Good 
grief it hasn't changed from the last time I was here a year ago," she 
whispered.  "Not that that's 
a surprise.  She never moved anything, from her knick-knacks to the 
furniture.  And it still has 
that same mom smell.  The Shalimar she always wore mixed with the 
cooking and baking she 
did all the time."

"Should I make some coffee?" Mac offered and Elizabeth shook her head.  

"None for me.  Guys would it be OK if I just went to my mom's room?  I 
just need some time.  
You can take the guest room or the sofa opens as well."

"No of course that's fine," Mac assured her.  "And you'll want to call 
Mitch."

"No.  Not while he's working on this case.  It's important and I don't 
want him distracted or 
worse--running down here.  If he calls and says it's wrapped, then yeah 
I want him here."

Mac gave her a quick hug and when she had gone, turned to Harm.  
"Flyboy you are awful quiet 
there.  Are you still hung up on the fact that your dad knew Jenny?  
And what happened at the 
Wall that night anyway?  I know you always go.  But I didn't hear a 
Jenny Lake story."

"That was the year you and I were talking business only," he reminded 
her with a grimace.  "Uh. 
. .let's get you lying down and I'll tell you what happened that night.  
You know what's even 
scarier, you could be Jenny in thirty years.  The resemblance didn't 
hit me then but it does now."

"You are scary.  Let's check out that guest room."

It was not until they were lying down, their bodies curled together 
that Harm spoke again.  
"Christmas Eve, December of 99.  I made my wall trip and there was 
someone behind me.  It 
was her.  Jenny Lake she introduced herself."
 
  "Why was she there?" Mac asked.
  
  "To honor a Naval Aviator is what she told me. And then she said my 
father's 
  name. And that's when I found out that she met Dad the night before 
he went 
  down."
  
  "She was on the Ticonderoga?"
  
  "She was part of Bob Hope's USO Tour that year. There was some 
problem with 
  Bob Hope's flight so she and the others from the troupe stayed aboard 
the 
  ship. She ended up sharing quarters with my Dad."
  
  "Wow. This is incredible. I can't believe you never told me about 
it."
  
  "I just never figured out how to bring it up. She told me a lot that 
night 
  about her and my father."
  
  "She and him actually talked?"
  
  "He talked her out of committing suicide. Apparently she'd just lost 
her 
  fiancé, who obviously would be Elizabeth's dad, and was pretty upset. 
And 
  then she witnessed Dad and another pilot almost crash and it was too 
much 
  for her. She was on the fantail about to jump over when he found 
her."
  
  "And in true Rabb fashion, saved the damsel in distress" Mac smiled.
  
  "Yep. And I guess she told him all about her fiancé and he told her 
all 
  about me and Mom. From what Jenny told me, they talked for quite a 
while and 
  she admitted to me that they'd even kissed."
  
  "Your Dad kissed another woman?"
  
  "Yeah. And then he went on his mission the next morning and she never 
saw 
  him again. But she claimed she never forgot the sailor who'd kept her 
from throwing her 
  life away."
  
  "I wonder if Elizabeth knows any of this" Mac said softly. "Or if 
Jenny kept 
  it from her."
  
  "I doubt she told her. If she had she obviously never mentioned Dad's 
name 
  or Elizabeth would have asked. I'm sure she never wanted Elizabeth to 
know 
  that she'd considered taking her life."
  
  "Especially since she was pregnant with Elizabeth at that time" Mac 
nodded. 
  "Wow. This is such an incredible story. I still can't believe you 
knew 
  Jenny."
  
  "She was a nice woman," Harm said quietly. "You would have liked 
her."
  
  "I'm sure I would have. I'm just sorry this happened like this. And I 
wish 
  there were more we could do for Elizabeth. She's in shock right now 
and she 
  really needs someone."
  
  "She needs Mitch" Harm sighed. "I wish she'd let him come down here 
with 
  her."
  
  "He'll be here. As soon as she calls him and tells him what happened 
he'll 
  be on the first plane down here. And that's what she needs."
  
  "Good. And I'm sure you're ready to crash. You have to be exhausted.
  
  "A little" Mac admitted. "You going to settle down here with me or 
are you 
  still too wound up to sleep."
  
  "Actually I'm too wound up to sleep. I'm just going to flip on the TV 
if 
  that won't bother you."
  
  "No that's fine. You go on. I'm just going to get comfortable then."
  
  She snuggled closer to him and he brought his arms around her as he 
flipped 
  on the TV. He needed mindless TV and that was what was on at that 
hour of 
  the night. He was still trying to get over the shock of finding out 
that 
  Jenny was Elizabeth's Mom. And that she too was now dead.
  
  ***************
  The smell of coffee greeted Harm the next morning and he untangled 
himself 
  from Mac and headed to the kitchen to check on Elizabeth.
  
  "How you doing?" he asked as he sat down at the table with her.
  
  "I don't know. I still can't believe she's actually gone. It's just 
not 
  possible."
  
  "I'm sorry. If there's anything I can do, please let me know."
  
  "Thank you. Right now I'm just trying to digest it all. And figure 
out what 
  on earth I'm supposed to do for the funeral."
  
  "She never told you what she wanted?" Harm asked.

  "We never talked about it" Elizabeth said quietly. "I should have 
found out 
  but I just never thought anything like this would happen."
  
  "Does she have any papers around the house?" Harm asked. "Like a will 
or 
  anything that might guide you in what she wanted you to do."
  
  "I'm sure there is around here somewhere. I do remember her saying 
several 
  times that she didn't want me to waste the money on a funeral. That I 
should 
  do something simple like have her cremated and then scatter her ashes 
in the 
  ocean."
   
 "That sounds nice," Mac smiled, wrapping a robe around her as she 
joined them.  "Harm wants 
to be jettisoned out of the afterburner of a Tomcat."
 
 "That works," he smiled as well, giving her hand a quick squeeze.  
"And I wanted you to sleep a 
bit."
 
 "I woke up in a big lonely bed.  As for the other, change of subject 
please," she said at once.  "I 
don't want to think about death and Tomcats in the same process."
 
 "Mac doesn't like me flying any more.  A couple close calls and she 
worries."
 
 "Yes Mac does because she loves you so give it a rest.  Elizabeth what 
can we do to help?" 
Mac sighed.
 
 "Well I wish I knew more about her affairs.  The house is deeded and 
titled in my name so 
that's going to make that easier.  And her bank accounts are in my name 
as well. She did at 
least plan that part OK.  I know there's a will too, but it's just a 
real simple thing leaving 
everything to me.  I'm really actually more concerned about what should 
happen right now.  If 
she didn't leave instructions I'm going to have to decide for myself.  
But I don't like the idea of 
burying her.  I know she'd not approve on two fronts--the cost and the 
fact of being sealed in the 
ground."
 
 "We'll help you arrange what you feel is best," Harm assured her.  "Is 
there someplace she 
might keep personal papers together that she might have left you a 
letter?"
 
 "All her papers are in a cedar chest in her room," Elizabeth sighed.  
"She's got receipts for gas 
for cars we haven't owned for years.  Why don't we take some coffee in 
there and maybe see if 
we can get a clue."
 
 "Elizabeth this is a great house," Mac enthused as they walked.  "You 
could say to hell with DC 
on those cold damp January days we get when spring seems six months 
away and come down 
here."
 
 "Right.  I'll just tell the General I'm going to switch to part time 
duty," she laughed despite her 
distress.  "OK see that monstrosity sitting there.  Most people would 
store blankets.  Not Mom.  
She's got it filled with papers."  Elizabeth lifted the lid and the 
fragrant scent of cedar filled the 
room.  "She was actually pretty organized.  See there's a box that she 
just crammed receipts 
and that sort of thing into, and then there's taxes, house papers etc."
 
 "USO." Mac pointed to another box.  "From her time with them?"
 
 "Yeah.  She had a pretty good start on a singing career before I was 
born actually," Elizabeth 
explained.  "She did some local clubs, sang with a few bands, and her 
big break of course was 
to join the Hope troupe that year."
 
 "What happened with her career?" Mac asked.
 
 "A six pound four ounce green eyed baby girl," she smiled.  "She still 
did some local singing but 
only for fun.  Mostly she worked and raised me.  And I didn't make it 
very easy for her.  As I look 
back now I wish she'd had some diversion other than me.  I chafed under 
her protectiveness 
and that made things between us pretty strained."
 
 "So what's in the USO box?" Harm inquired, reaching for it hesitantly.
 
 "Be my guest." Elizabeth waved her hand in permission.  "She saved a 
lot of things from her 
time with the tour.  It was the only one she got to do.  A few personal 
things from Mr. Hope and 
Phyllis Diller.  She always called him Mr. Hope by the way.  To me at 
least.  Anyway, she was a 
big saver of little things like a matchbook or a napkin of places she'd 
been.  All that stuff is in 
there.  And she kept a day by day journal of the trip.  Mr. Hope signed 
the back inside cover in 
fact."
 
 "Have you ever read it?"
 
 "I knew she had it and used to nag her to read it see.  Then one day 
she gave in and I started 
and didn't get real far.  It's pretty dry stuff.  Just talked about 
where she was that day, how the 
troupe was received, funny things Mr. Hope or Phyllis Diller did.  I 
got through maybe the first 
ten days and then put it away.  Never had any desire to pick it up 
again.  And then later I 
realized it would have the stuff about my dad and how I happened and I 
didn't want to get into 
that.  It seemed too private I remember thinking."   
  
  "I bet there's some interesting stuff in there" Mac smiled.
  
  "Oh I'm sure there is" Elizabeth sighed. "I guess one day I'll sit 
down and 
  read it. It's really the only connection to my father that I have. 
What Mom 
  would have written about him in there. And here's the important 
stuff." She 
  pulled a legal file out of the chest and sat down on the bed. Harm 
handed 
  Mac the journal and sat down next to Elizabeth.
  
  "Anything like a will or final wishes?" Harm asked as Elizabeth 
leafed 
  through the paper work.
  
  "There's a Last Will and Testament" Elizabeth nodded. "It might be in 
  there."
  
  With Harm leaning over her shoulder Elizabeth paged through the short 
  document, finally finding Jenny's last wishes.
  
  "She finally put it in writing" Elizabeth said quietly. "No services. 
Just a 
  cremation and her ashes scattered off the coast."
  
  "Nice and simple" Harm said softly. "Is that okay with you?"
  
  "Yeah. This is what she wanted. And I have no right to do what she 
wouldn't 
  have wanted."
  
  "Would you like us to go with you to make the arrangements?" Harm 
asked. "Or 
  is this something you'd like to wait for Mitch on."
  
  "I talked to Mitch this morning. He wanted to come down but he still 
hasn't 
  wrapped the investigation and there's nothing he can really do here. 
There's 
  not going to be any service. I'll just go make the arrangements and 
once 
  it's over, take her where she wanted to be."
  
  "Let me go with you at least" Harm offered. "This isn't something you 
should 
  do alone."
  
  "Thank you" she sighed. "I hate asking since you guys have already 
been so 
  good to me."
  
  "No problem. I don't mind. Mac do you mind staying here if I go with 
  Elizabeth."
  
  For a moment she felt a stab of jealousy but quickly dismissed it 
away. It 
  was silly for her to think that Harm was doing anything besides 
helping a 
  friend at a time of need.
  
  "Of course not. Just let me know if there's anything I can do to help 
while 
  you're gone."
  
  "Not really" Elizabeth said softly. "But thanks for the offer and 
thanks for 
  letting Harm go with me."
  
  "Why don't I go make us all some breakfast and then we'll go take 
care of 
  business."
  
  "I'll pass thanks" Elizabeth sighed. "I'm not real hungry."
  
  "At least some toast" Mac urged. "Today isn't going to be easy and 
you need 
  at least something in your system."
  
  "All right. I guess I can manage that."
  
  Two hours later Harm and Elizabeth headed to the cremation facility 
to make 
  the arrangements while Mac stayed at the small bungalow. She felt 
weird 
  being in the house of a woman she'd never met and finally she decided 
to 
  learn a little more about Jenny Lake. She headed to the bedroom and 
picked 
  up the old journal before returning to the living room. She read a 
few pages 
  in the beginning before realizing what she really wanted to know was 
what 
  Jenny had written about Harm Sr. and the last night she'd seen him 
before 
  that fateful flight on Christmas Eve. She skipped through the pages, 
  blessing Jenny for dating each page.
  
  She reached December and stopped, remembering that Harm had mentioned 
  Jenny's fiancée had been killed just before she'd gone to the 
Ticonderoga. 
  She flipped a few more pages before she found the reference and she 
felt her 
  own tears as she read how Jenny had found out about the death of the 
man she 
  loved. There was no mention of Elizabeth at that point and Mac 
realized it 
  was likely Jenny may not have known she was pregnant when David had 
died.
  
  She skipped forward again, this time to December 23, 1969 and began 
to read.
  
  >>I was going to end it all today. But he stopped me. Never before 
have I 
  looked into such a warm and caring pair of eyes before. I would have 
  jumped if he hadn't come looking for me. He got me to talk about 
David 
  and how much I miss him. He told me about his wife and son at home, 
and 
how much he misses them. I guess that's how we ended up kissing. I was 
  missing David and he was missing his wife. And in the middle of this 
  hell called war, sometimes you turn to whoever you can.<<
  
  ****************
ENROUTE TO THE FUNERAL HOME

  "So how did you know my Mom" Elizabeth asked. "I was going to ask you 
last 
  night but I was just too gone at that point to even think straight."
  
  "Your Mom was at the Wall a few years ago on Christmas Eve" Harm 
replied. "I 
  was there on my annual pilgrimage and she was there to pay her 
respects to 
  my father."
  
  "She knew your father?"
  
  "Her USO troupe came aboard the Ticonderoga where he was 
  stationed. She was with him the night before he was shot down."
  
  "With him?" Elizabeth frowned.
  
  "How much did you Mom tell you about your Dad?" Harm asked.
  
  "Not much. Just that he was killed right after I was conceived. Why?"
  
  "Well your Mom being on the Ticonderoga was right after he was 
killed. She was 
  still pretty upset. She told me that my father had stopped her from 
taking 
  her life that night."
 
 "That may be in her diary, but she never mentioned it to me," she 
sighed.  "She really didn't talk 
about my dad much either for that matter.  Just that they met and fell 
in love and I happened by 
accident and she gave me his name.  Reith.  I guess she would have 
called me David if I'd been 
a boy."
 
 "Well I'm David," he smiled.  "David runs in my family.  As does 
Harmon and then there's a 
good number of Peter's named after the first Rabb who came to the U.S. 
in the 1700's.  Not 
sure how Harmon came about.  But one thing's for sure, it made me learn 
to defend myself in 
school; and of course it gave Mom a way to let me know when she was 
upset with me.  Soon as 
I heard Harmon instead of Harm I knew to make myself scarce."
 
 "That's funny.  Mine never called me anything but Elizabeth.  Mitch 
calls me Liz now and then 
and in college some of the girls did."
 
 "So how did your mom and David meet?"
 
 "He was on leave from Pensacola," she shrugged.  "His thirty days 
before being shipped out, 
and they had kind of a whirl-wind courtship I guess.  A few weeks 
together and then they were 
both gone.  She said they promised each other they'd talk of the future 
when she got back, and 
then one of his buddies sent her a wire that he'd been killed.  
Obviously it hit her pretty hard."
 
 "Yeah I would say," Harm agreed.  "And she said she and my dad talked 
and for that I'm glad 
too."
 
 They reached the mortuary and it did not take long for the 
arrangements to be made.  "Your 
mom was so smart in specifying how she wanted to go out," Harm said as 
he watched Elizabeth 
sign the papers.  
 
 "Yes thankfully.  I want Mitch to be with me when we scatter though, 
so I'm going to hold off on 
that for a few days until he can get leave."
 
 "Well Mac and I will stay with you until then if you'd like," he said 
firmly.  "We've got a lot of 
leave and frankly I'm just as glad Mac is taking the extra time.  She'd 
be one to go back before 
she was ready and totally overdo and get sick."
 
 "You love her so much," Elizabeth smiled.
 
 "Oh yeah.  As Mitch does you."
 ==============
HOME OF JENNY LAKE

 Mac stared at the diary reading the words again.  'Turn to whoever you 
can'.  "Jenny Lake how 
far did you turn to Mr. Rabb Senior?" she murmured aloud.  Her 
curiosity up full, and ignoring 
the flickering light of suspicion in the back of her mind, she turned 
the page.
 
 >>I committed adultery last night.<<
 
 There it was, in faded ink on old paper, but right there for her to 
read.  

>>God forgive me for what I did.  I can't even go to confession.  But I 
did it.  Lt. Harmon Rabb 
and I found a quiet part of the ship. 'Just to talk' is what we said.  
And we did.  About everything.  
For hours.  His love for his wife and son was a prime topic.  I told 
him of David and how we'd 
gotten engaged on the night he shipped out and how we'd spent the night 
in a quiet cove on the 
beach, wrapped in blankets with a fire keeping us warm.  And I told 
Harm how David and I didn't 
do anything.  Just like on the other nights we were together.  We're 
waiting for marriage, old 
fashioned as that sounds I told him.  He told me there was nothing 
wrong with old-fashioned 
and then he kissed me.  And kissed me again.  And then before either of 
us knew what was 
happening, we were making love.  Two lonely souls, no one else to hold 
at that moment and we 
reached out to each other.  God in your infinite mercy, if what we did 
was so wrong, forgive 
us.<<
 
 Mac's trembling hands dropped the book to her lap.  If Elizabeth and 
her fiance never. . .then 
Harmon Rabb Sr. was. . .and Harm--her Harm--and Elizabeth were. . . Her 
hands trembled 
again and she picked the book up, clutching it to her chest as if she 
could hide a secret--a 
secret now more than thirty years old.
   
 She was still sitting there when Harm and Elizabeth returned a short 
time 
 later.
 
 "Mac you okay?" Harm called as he made his way through the house. 
"Mac. What 
 are you doing in here?"
 
 "I was just reading" Mac said slowly. "I wanted to know more about 
Jenny so 
 I started reading her journal."
 
 "Did you find out anything about my father?" Elizabeth asked.
 
 "I'm not sure how to tell you this" Mac started and then stopped. She 
 couldn't just blurt out to them that they brother and sister. That 
Harm's 
 father had committed his first adulterous act by sleeping with Jenny 
Lake, a 
 woman who had just lost her fiancé.
 
 "Tell me what?" Elizabeth frowned.
 
 Before Mac could answer the phone rang and Elizabeth reached for the 
phone 
 on the stand next to the bed.
 
 "Mitch thank God" she whispered when he identified himself. "Please 
tell me 
 you're coming soon."
 
 "Mac come on" Harm urged softly and Mac allowed him to lead her from 
the 
 room, the journal now clutched to her chest.
 
 "Harm what did Jenny tell you about the night she was with your 
father?" Mac 
 asked as they sat down on the sofa.
 
 "Why?" Harm frowned. "Mac you're acting weird here. What's going on?"
 
 "You have to read the journal," Mac said finally. "It's in there."
 
 "What's in there? Mac come on. Tell me what's in the journal."
 
 "Mitch will be here tonight," Elizabeth said happily as she walked 
into the 
 living room. "He's got a five o'clock flight."
 
 "I'm glad" Harm smiled. "Obviously you need him around right now."
 
 "I do" Elizabeth nodded. "I was thinking we could all pick him up and 
then 
 go have that dinner we promised you back home. And tomorrow we'll take 
care 
 of Mom's ashes and then go home and I'll just figure out what I'm 
doing with 
 this place later."
 
 "You really might want to keep it just for now. It's really too soon 
to make 
 any decisions."
 
 "Yeah it is. Now Mac, what were you saying earlier?"
 
 "Nothing" she said finally. "It's not important. Did you have any 
plans for 
 the afternoon?"
 
 "I could use some down time at the beach if you two are up to it" 
Elizabeth 
 replied. "Just zone in the sun and then some swimming in the ocean."
 
 "I'm game," Mac said quickly, glad of the chance to avoid the issue 
for the moment. "Harm what 
do you think?"
 
 He was going to ask her about the journal when something told him not 
to.
 "Sounds good to me" he nodded.
 
 An hour later they spread out the blanket and at once Elizabeth slid 
off her 
 shorts and t-shirt and headed for the water.
 
 "You two coming in?" she asked.
 
 "I'll pass" Mac smiled. "I content just to lay in the sun."
 
 "Do you mind if I take a quick dip?" Harm asked as he looked down at 
Mac.
 
 "No of course not. Go ahead. I'm probably just going to crash here and 
take 
 a quick nap."

 "Let me get some lotion on you first then" he smiled as he sat down 
beside 
 her.  "So you don't burn."
 
 She nodded and lay down on the blanket, Harm's hands slowly working 
the 
 lotion onto her back.
 
 "Feels good" she sighed. "Thanks."
 
 "Mac what did you want me to read in the journal?" he asked as he 
finished 
 putting the lotion on her.
 
 "Nothing" she murmured, now not wanting to broach the subject at all.
 
 "We'll talk later. You rest."
 
 He hurried towards the water and with a long sigh she opened her eyes 
and 
 watched as he jumped into a wave, coming up beside Elizabeth. Like 
Harm she 
 had no problem in the water and Mac watched them swim out to the 
buoys. 
 Somehow she would have to tell them what she'd read. She just wasn't 
sure 
 how to do that without hurting either one of them.
 
 ***********************
 Naples International Airport
 6:30 PM EST
 
 Elizabeth was in Mitch's arms as soon as he passed through the 
security 
 gate, finally giving in to the tears she'd managed to keep back most 
of the 
 time.
 
 "I'm sorry honey" Mitch whispered. "But I'm here now and it's going to 
be 
 okay."
 
 He held her for several minutes while Harm and Mac looked on. Finally 
 Elizabeth raised her head from his chest and wiped her tears.
 
 "Looks like just what you needed arrived," Mac smiled, stepping 
forward.  "Hi Mitch.  Good 
flight?"

"Long.  I had her word that she was OK, but I needed to see for 
myself."

Elizabeth lifted her head and looked at him intently. "Mitch you did 
wrap the case now right?  I 
mean I'm not going to go back and find you're demoted to second 
lieutenant and on your way to 
Yuma or something right?"

"It's totally cool.  Sam was glad to step up and finish."

"Oh I bet so," she sighed.  "And to treat you to drinks and dinner."

"This Sam has ideas about Mitch?" Harm raised an eyebrow in amusement.  
"Colonel you want 
to be careful about that.  Don't ask-don't tell doesn't work real 
well."

"Oh please.  Samanatha.  Colonel Samantha Ellis.  And I don't take any 
notice of her."

"Uh excuse me.  Labor Day picnic," Elizabeth murmured.  "Ms. Bright Red 
Hot Pants."

"Whoa can I come to the next one," Harm laughed while Mitch hugged 
Elizabeth tighter.  

"Sam took good care of the case.  Not of me."

"She offered."  It was a statement not a question by Elizabeth.

"She did and I said hell no and right now all I care about is that 
you're OK."

"Yeah I am.  I'm just giving you a hard time.  Harm and Mac have been 
great.  But I'm so glad 
you're here.  I want you to help with the ashes in a couple of days OK.  
And between now and 
then, well just having you here is good."

They collected his bag and drove back to Jenny's house.  "Liz this 
place is really cute," Mitch 
declared.  "Your mom has always lived here I'll bet--looks real lived 
in and comfortable."

"Her mom and dad helped her buy it just before I was born," Elizabeth 
said softly.  "So yeah I 
grew up here.  What's now the guest room was my room as a little girl 
and then as a teenager.  
It's always felt strange to come back here and sleep in there.  So the 
same and yet so different.  
Anyway, should I make some coffee?"

"I'll help you," Mitch said at once, going into the kitchen with her 
and Harm took advantage of 
that to take Mac's arm. 

 "OK you and I are going to take a walk and talk.  Or sit under one of 
the trees in the back yard 
and talk I don't care, but something has been eating at you all day.  
About Jenny's journal.  You 
started to tell me earlier.  It's apparently about my dad and it's 
bothering you and you need to 
tell me.  It's surely not your problem anyway and once you tell me, it 
can be all mine."  

"We do need to talk," Mac nodded.  "Come on.  You need to read what she 
wrote."

Quietly, with Harm frowning in puzzlement as to what it could be, she 
led him to the bedroom 
and picked up the journal from where she had set it aside earlier.

It took him less than a minute to read the passage.  "Oh--my--god," he 
managed, his hand to his 
mouth in shock and revulsion.  "That son of a bitch.  I don't believe 
this.  He cheated on my 
mom not just with Sergei's mother but before that even with . . .that 
son of a bitch.  Elizabeth is 
my sister Mac."

"Half sister, but yes she is," Mac said softly.  "I mean you can do DNA 
testing if you'd want but 
really why would you.  And the question is, what do you do with that 
knowledge?"

"I don't know.  I don't have any idea.  Right now I just need some air.  
Excuse me."

"Harm please. Please let's handle this together," she begged, reaching 
for him.

"Mac I need some time to process this."  He pushed her hand away and 
shook his head.  "I 
mean you've known about it all day and waited until now.  Now let me 
have some time to think 
about it."  With that he scrambled to his feet and was gone.

"Mac--Harm coffee's about done," Elizabeth's voice reached her a few 
minutes later.  She had 
not moved as she stared at the faded paper.  Harm's father had let him 
down.  At least in 
Harm's eyes. And there was still the matter of telling Elizabeth.

  "Mac where's Harm?" Elizabeth frowned when she walked into the room a 
few 
  seconds later. "I thought he was in here with you."
  
  "He went out for a walk," Mac said quietly.
  
  "Now? Is something wrong?"
  
  "Liz what's going on?" Mitch asked as he wandered in after her. "Is 
there a 
  reason we're all gathering here in the bedroom. And where did we lose 
Harm?"
  
  "Elizabeth I don't know how to tell you this" Mac started slowly. 
"But 
  there's something in your mother's journal that you need to read." 
That said 
  she opened the journal to the passage Harm had just read and handed 
the book 
  to Elizabeth.
  
  "I don't" she started before her hand flew to her mouth and the 
journal 
  dropped to the floor. "NO. NO. This can't be."
  
  She turned and ran from the room, the front door slamming a moment 
later.
  
  "Mac what the hell is going on?" Mitch demanded. "What did you just 
have her 
  read?"
  
  "Elizabeth's Mom knew Harm's Dad" Mac said quietly. "They met on the 
  Ticonderoga on Christmas Eve, 1969."
  
  "Yeah so?  Quite a coincidence but I don't get it. Why would that 
upset Elizabeth?"
  
  "Because according to Jenny's journal, David Reith wasn't Elizabeth's 
  father. Harmon Rabb Senior was."
  
  Mitch's eyes widened and for a few moments he simply stared at Mac as 
if 
  she'd grown two heads. "Elizabeth's Mom and Harm's Dad?" he managed 
finally.
  
  "Jenny was upset" Mac explained. "David had just been killed a few 
weeks 
  earlier. Going to a carrier was the last place she wanted to be. 
Somehow she 
  and Harm's Dad met up. He found her later on the fantail about to 
jump over. 
  They talked, and obviously a lot more happened after that."
  
  "Obviously. This is in the journal?"
  
  Mac picked up the journal from the floor where it had fallen and 
found the 
  page again. Silently she handed it to him and he read Jenny's 
passage.
  
  "I don't know what to say," he said as he shook his head. "Obviously 
no one 
  had any clue about this."
  
  "No. Harm had met Jenny a few years ago at the Wall" Mac said 
quietly. "She 
  told him she'd known his father but she never told him this had 
happened."
  
  "Why did she lie about it all these years?" Mitch sighed.
  
  "Likely to protect Elizabeth. Harm Sr. was married and Jenny had no 
idea if 
  he was ever going to come back. David was dead and there was no one 
to 
  question whether or not they'd ever actually been intimate. So she 
put him on the 
  birth certificate and no one suspected a thing."
  
  "Until now."
  
  "I'm sorry" Mac whispered. "I was the one who started reading it. I 
just 
  wanted to see what Jenny had said about meeting Harm's Dad. I wish 
now that 
  I'd never even opened the journal."
  
  "I'm not blaming you Mac. I'm just worried about Elizabeth and how 
she's 
  going to deal with this. Especially since Jenny isn't here to explain 
any of 
  it to her.'
  
  "And I'm worried about Harm. He's been through this once before and 
it's not 
  easy for him either."
  
  "Before. As in he has another half-sibling somewhere?"
  
  "Russia. His father was a POW in Russia for many years. When he 
finally 
  escaped he met a woman and they had a son together. Sergei. Harm just 
found 
  out about him a few years ago. When he read Jenny's passage, I know 
he felt 
  his father had betrayed him again."
  
  "Do you think we should go find them?" Mitch asked. "Or give them 
some 
  space?"
  
  "Maybe we should give them some space. You have no idea how bad I 
feel about 
  bringing this all up. Elizabeth said she'd never read the journal and 
didn't 
  ever intend to. And of course I had to go and read it and find this."
  
  "Like I said, it's not your fault. I blame her mother for not telling 
her 
  about this at some point. I can understand when she was younger, but 
she 
  could have told her before something happened like this."
  
  Harm had fled to a playground just down the block and was sitting on 
a swing when he saw 
  Elizabeth come running by. She spotted him and stopped, for a moment 
not 
  sure if she wanted to face him yet.
  
  "You read it didn't you?" he asked as she slowly made her way over to 
him. 
  "You read what a cheating son of a bitch my father was."
  
  "What about my mother?" she whispered. "She knew he was married. God 
how 
  could she? Especially when she supposedly loved my father. Who isn't 
really 
  my father." Her voice broke and she started to sob, her whole body 
shaking 
  as she did so.
  
  "Elizabeth I am so sorry," Harm said awkwardly as he rose and he put 
his arm around her. 
  "I don't know what to say."
  
  "Why did she lie to me all those years?" Elizabeth wailed. "My whole 
life is 
  a lie. For thirty-two years I believed my father was David Reith. Now 
I find 
  out, it's really Harmon Rabb Senior. And besides being born out of 
wedlock, 
  I'm the product of an adulterous relationship."
   
 "But no less loved," Harm told her, his arm going around her shoulders 
as best he could.  "Your 
mom loved you and wanted to protect you and that's not a bad thing.  
And it's not like she didn't 
have the information available.  I'm sure if you had discovered it she 
would have talked to you 
about it."
 
 "Well she did tell me I could read, but I suspect she knew that given 
my attention span, and 
how dry the stuff was, that I wouldn't stick with it long.  She was 
probably counting on that in 
fact."  She gave another long sniffle and looked at Harm through 
tear-filled eyes.  "You must 
feel upset too.  I'm sorry."
 
 "It's hard," he admitted.  "My mother and my grandmother both 
portrayed my dad as a saint, 
and I of course bought into every syllable.  The great Naval Aviator 
who made the ultimate 
sacrifice for his country.  Well I guess he did that, but a saint on 
the ground no he was not."
 
 "I'm sorry," she repeated.  "And this is so weird.  You're my brother.  
Do you know how many 
times growing up I wanted a brother.  An older brother who would bring 
his cool friends home 
for me to meet.  And in high school I could point to him in his 
football uniform and go--see that 
guy, he's my brother."
 
 "Well you have me," he sighed.  "And another one besides.  My dad was 
a busy guy."
 
 She did not miss the sarcasm there and squeezed his hand.  "What about 
him?"
 
 "His name is Sergei Zhukov, and like you, I met him totally by 
accident in Chechnya.  Long long 
story there.  My dad was a POW and fathered him after he escaped the 
Gulag.  Sergei was 
here for a while, but we couldn't prove his paternity after all this 
time and INS sent him back."
 
 "Does your mom know?"
 
 "Yeah I told her, and afterwards I wondered exactly why I did, because 
all I did was cause her 
hurt."
 
 "You shouldn't tell her about me.  You're right--there's just no need.  
It's all part of the past."  
She drew a long breath and smiled through her tears as best she could.  
"On the other hand, 
you've got stuff of my dad's don't you.  Stuff I would enjoy seeing."
 
 "Some yeah.  A box of this things they shipped home from the Tico 
along with some other 
things," he nodded and then laughed softly.  "You know what, there was 
a pink scarf in that box.  
I remember my mom laughing and saying there had to be a good story 
there but she'd never 
know what it was.  I'd bet money it was your mom's."
 
 "Yeah.  Harm what am I going to do now?  What are you going to do?"
 
 "We're both going to cope with the knowledge somehow," he replied.  "I 
won't deny that his 
halo is more tarnished today for me than it was yesterday.  I don't 
know.  I'm going to need 
some time to brood over it that's for sure."
 
 "You should let Mac help you sort it through," she said softly.  "Harm 
you know how much she 
loves you don't you?"
  
 "I know and your saying that makes me feel like a jerk for pushing her 
away 
 and running out when she wanted to help."
 
 "That mean you're ready to go back to the house?" she asked.
 
 "I guess so" he nodded. "How about you? You gonna be okay?"
 
 "It's going to take some time. But I'll get through it."
 
 "You've got a good guy waiting for you back there too you know" he 
smiled.
 
 "Mitch is a great guy" Elizabeth smiled softly. "I'm so lucky to have 
him in 
 my life. And speaking of running out, he's probably frantic now too."
 
 They slowly walked back to the house where Mitch and Mac were pacing 
the 
 living room.
 
 "You two okay" Mitch asked as Elizabeth and Harm walked in.
 
 "Yeah I think so" she nodded. "You mind going out on the porch with me 
so we 
 can talk."
 
 "Of course not. Guys I guess we'll talk to you in the morning."
 
 "You doing okay?" Mac asked once they were alone.
 
 "Yeah I think so. I just wasn't expecting that I guess. Course looking 
back 
 I guess I shouldn't have been too totally surprised. Not after Jenny 
told me how close they'd 
 gotten."
 
 "I guess she didn't tell you because you didn't want to hurt you" Mac 
said 
 softly. "Probably figured there was no point. She'd made David the 
father 
 and there was no reason to bring up the past."
 
 "I guess. I also decided I'm not going to tell Mom about Elizabeth. 
There's 
 no reason to put her through that again. It doesn't do anything but 
cause 
 Mom more pain."
 
 "I'm sorry. This isn't easy for you is it?"
 
 "In a way, I understand why but at the same time I don't. How could he 
do 
 that to Mom? I understood Russia more easily because he probably had 
no hope of 
 getting out of there."
 
 "Maybe he knew even before he took off that he wasn't going to come 
back," Mac said quietly.
 
 "Maybe" Harm sighed. "Anyway there's nothing that can be none now. 
Jenny's 
 gone, Dad's gone and well it's all in the past now."
 
 "Except that you have a sister" Mac smiled.
 
 "Yeah. She wants to know about Dad so I'm sure we'll be getting 
together to 
 talk about him. And of course we'll stay in touch now."
 
 "I'm sorry you got hit with all this. I wish I hadn't opened the 
journal."
 
 "No it's okay. Elizabeth needed to know the truth. And likely if you 
hadn't, 
 she would never have found out. This way she knows and so do I."
 
 "Is she handling this okay?" Mac asked.
 
 "Yeah I think she'll be okay. She's a pretty tough person."
 
 "Rabb genes" Mac smiled.

 "I guess" he smiled as well. "Do you think I can just get you to hold 
me for 
 the rest of the night?"
 
 "Of course" she said softly. "For tonight and forever."
 
 ********************
 Two Days Later
Sunset
 
 "I guess this is as good a spot as any" Elizabeth sighed as the two 
couples 
 came to a halt on a quiet piece of seashore.
 
 "You want me to do this?" Mitch asked as he handed her the urn with 
Jenny's 
remains.
 
 "No I can do it," she said softly.
 
 She slowly walked to the edge of the water and removed the cover from 
the 
 urn. With a few tears, she slowly poured the ashes into the water 
letting the surf wash over it.
 
 "Goodbye Mom" she whispered. "I hope where ever you are you've found 
peace."
 
 A small sob shook her body and at once Mitch moved forward and 
gathered her 
 into his arms.
 
 "It's okay honey" he whispered. "Just let it all out."
 
 Mac sniffled as she watched her friend and Harm wrapped his arm around 
her 
 as well.

The water took out the last of the ashes and Harm reached out his hand 
to Elizabeth's arm.  
"You did good.  She's at peace.  And she's with David.  And also with 
my dad again, and they're 
looking down on you and going--wow, we had only one night together but 
we sure made one 
helluva kid didn't we."

Elizabeth's sobs became mixed with giggles as she listened and very 
quickly both turned to 
hiccups.  "Oh fine.  Would you listen to me."

"Now what?" Harm smiled.  "You want to sit here for a bit?"

Elizabeth did not answer right away and Mitch gave her a gentle nudge.  
"Honey you and I can 
stay if you want."

"No I don't.  No. I want to go back to the house.  I want us to stop 
and get some beer or wine or 
whatever and some lobsters and shrimp and we're going to party.  An old 
fashioned wake and a 
toast to her life.  That's not too off the wall is it?"

"No honey it's not at all," Mitch assured her.  
============
JENNY LAKE's HOME
Midnight

"I don't remember the last time I laughed so much," Elizabeth sighed, 
collapsing onto the lawn 
chair into Mitch's arms.  "Thank you all.  This has been just what I 
wanted and I know Mom 
would have been pleased.  I wish Mom had gotten to meet you guys. . 
.well Harm she did you 
but it wasn't for long I guess, but Mitch and Mac."

"She sounds like a great lady," Mac smiled, looking back at Harm as 
best she could with his 
arms around her as they shared a recliner.

"I'm not going to dwell on what happened," he said softly.  "I hate 
that my dad would do that to 
my mother, but at the same time, well we know enough about what 
happened to him to know 
that the next ten or so years. . .well if the enchanting Ms. Lake made 
the last hours before his 
life turned to hell pleasant for him, then I thank her for that."  With 
that he raised his glass in 
tribute to his half-sister's mother and Elizabeth smiled, her eyes 
shiny with tears.

"This has been fun but I think I'm ready for bed," Mac said after a few 
moments.  

"You are tired aren't you?" Harm realized, feeling her lean on him more 
heavily.  "Come on.  
Long day.  Bedtime."

"I don't think you'll get any argument from me," she sighed, gladly 
letting him help her up.  
"Bidding you good people good night."

"Good night Mac," Elizabeth smiled and put her hand out to catch Harm's 
arm.  "Is it OK if I say 
good night Big Brother?"
  
"Very okay" Harm smiled. "Night sis."

*************************
Two Weeks Later

It was a sunny Saturday afternoon when Harm led Elizabeth to the panel 
on 
the Wall that held the name of their father. In the two weeks since 
they'd 
returned from Florida, Harm had spent much time telling Elizabeth about 
him. 
They'd both decided that it would be best to leave the past buried and 
not 
tell Trish or Grams what they had found.

"Harmon Rabb Senior" she whispered as she ran her hands over the name. 
"Hi 
Dad. I'm glad I finally got to meet you."

They stood there for several moments in silence before Elizabeth 
finally 
turned to Harm.

"Thank you for letting me know who he was. It means a lot to me."

"You're welcome. And actually it's helped me come to terms with what 
happened a little better."

"I'm glad" she said softly. "He was a good man. He served his country 
proudly and paid the ultimate price for it."

"Yes he did" Harm sighed. "And I'm sure he's just as proud of you."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

************************
Epilogue
December 25, 2003

"Hi Dad" Harm said softly, squinting his eyes in the snow-reflected 
sunlight. "Merry Christmas. 
Elizabeth and I have brought some people for you to meet. You know 
Sarah of course. And that 
little bundle in her arms is your first grandson, Joshua Harmon Rabb."

"Merry Christmas Dad" Elizabeth whispered as she and Mitch stepped 
forward.  
"Say hello to your granddaughter, Jennifer Elizabeth Summers."

THE END
The End