Title: Friends in Need
Author: StarTrails
Rating: PG-13 with some elements that rate higher for
violence/language, but not as high as R. Slight discretion is
advised.
Spoiler: Through Season 8.
Disclaimer: Everyone knows I don't own JAG, but I sure do like to
borrow. Not making a cent off this.
Feedback: If you like this, I'd love to know!  Address is 
StarTrails@hotmail.com
Summary: As 2002 comes to a close, thousands of miles apart, Harm and
Mac help each other by way of helping their friends, and they start
2003 together, with no looking back.
Notes: For the purpose of this story, Lt. Singer is not, and never
was pregnant. And I don't remember what Sergei's Russian military
status was when we last saw him, but for this, let's say he's no
longer a soldier. I am a total sucker for a good, old-fashioned
damsel in distress story, and who better to help her than my
favorite alpha male/pilot/lawyer?


Friends in Need

Friday, December 27, 2002
Harm's Apartment
19:00 EST

After an invigorating run in the cold after work, Harm took a shower
and changed into a pair of comfortable, worn jeans and a white T-
shirt under a dark gray sweater. He made himself an after-workout
protein drink and melted into his black leather couch. A streetlight
caught his eye through the window, and Harm was grateful to note that
he'd finished his run before the snow hit. It wasn't coming down
very hard, but about two inches of accumulation was expected. The
light flakes dancing their way to the ground had him hypnotized,
until his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Where's Mac?" Harm could barely make out the words through a sobbing
girl's voice on the other end.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"Harm..." he heard before there was a long sniffle.

"Chloe? Is that you?" His face wrinkled in confusion.

"Where's Mac?!" she wailed again.

"She's away on assignment, honey. What's wrong?" Harm received no
answer, only the sound of more crying. "Why are you crying,
sweetheart? What's the matter?"

"She's not here!" Chloe shouted.

"Where? Where are you?"

"Her building, and she's not here!" More sniffles.

Harm's mind raced with images of the young girl outside on the steps,
shivering in the cold. Or worse, of some psycho pulling up in a car
and grabbing her. "Don't move, Chloe. I'll be there in fifteen
minutes. Better yet, call up to Mac's neighbor, Mrs. Johnson, and
tell her you're waiting for me. She'll let you inside. You got
that?"

"Uh-huh," she choked out.

Wasting no time, Harm ran to get his coat and gloves. His SUV would
fare better than the corvette on the slippery roadways, so he climbed
in and let the defroster run just long enough to clear a sufficient
portion of the windshield before he sped as fast he could to
Georgetown.

He had no idea what was going on with Chloe, or why she had shown up
at Mac's out of the blue. Or, he reasoned it was a surprise, because
if Mac had known her little sister was coming, she would never have
left Washington.

He always missed Mac when she was out of town, but he had never
wished she was home more than right now. He didn't even know where
she was. Nobody did. Well, there was one person, but fat chance ever
getting him to talk. He replayed their conversation from the day
before in his mind. Anything to keep him from freaking out about
Chloe, upset and by herself in the freezing cold.

It was the middle of the day, and Harm had noticed Mac packing up to
leave. He went into her office as she was buttoning her coat.

"Christmas was yesterday, Colonel. Or are you taking a half-day to
recover?"

"Very funny," Mac replied. "No, I've just been put on assignment and
I've got a plane to catch."

"Where to?"

Mac shook her head. "Sorry. Classified."

"No. Not Webb," Harm lamented. "Not another of his spook
operations. You know these things never turn out well. I don't like
this one bit."

"I don't like it either, but orders are orders."

"Since when do you take orders from Clayton Webb?"

"Not Webb. The Admiral. Even he gave this one the thumbs up."

"Will you be back for New Year's?" Harm asked nervously. "Remember,
we have a date."

"I know, Harm. I wouldn't miss it."

"You better not," he pouted.

Back in his car, he tried Mac's cell phone, but he got the
voicemail. Depending on where she was going, she could still be on
the plane and have it turned off. He didn't leave a message,
deciding there was no reason to worry her until he got to Chloe and
found out what was going on. If Mac was working for Webb,
Harm knew all too well she'd have enough problems to deal with.

After about twenty five minutes, although it felt like forever, Harm
screeched to a halt outside Mac's building. Chloe was still sitting
outside, and she was freezing, even through her hat and scarf. Harm
could see her shaking, and he wasn't sure if it was from crying or
shivering. Not that it mattered. Neither one was good.

He jumped out of the car and ran over to her. She stood up and
collapsed into his arms, crying softly.

"Shhh...it's okay," he soothed, as he stroked her back and held her
close to him. "It's okay. I'm here." When he felt her relax, he
loosened his hold and looked down at her. "Now what's this all
about?" he asked and he cupped her face in his hand. When he did,
she flinched away with a grimace of pain on her face. Her
action caused alarms to go off in Harm's head. Chloe's hat and scarf
obscured most of her face, so Harm reached down and gently removed
both. His heart sank into his stomach as several dark bruises were
revealed on her skin.

For a moment, he was unable to breathe. His mind went from shock, to
rage, to fear. "Oh, Chloe," he whispered, "what happened?"

Chloe shook her head and her eyes began to tear again.

"All right," he said softly, "we'll talk about that later. For now,
let's just get you out of the cold." Chloe nodded as the tears fell
again. Harm put his arm around her and guided her to the car,
helping her up into the high seats.

He started the car and turned the wipers on to clear away the
snowflakes that had collected on the windshield. He started in the
direction of Georgetown University Hospital. "I'm taking you to the
hospital," he announced.

"No!" Chloe exclaimed through her tears.

"Chloe, you need to have those looked at. Where else are you hurt?"

"Nowhere," she sobbed.

"Please don't expect me to believe that."

"I'm fine," she sniffled. "Please, no hospitals."

"You're about the furthest thing from fine I've ever seen, Chloe."
Harm tried not to be harsh with her, but his worry was going a mile a
minute, and really, she looked terrible. A pretty face like hers was
never meant to be so black and blue. Now he was glad he hadn't been
able to reach Mac.

"It's all right, I swear," Chloe insisted. "I just want to lay down
somewhere and get warm."

How the tears and pleadings of a fourteen year old girl could turn to
mush the resolve of a six-foot-four, solid muscle Naval officer was
beyond Harm, but that's exactly what happened. He sighed in
defeat. "All right, honey, but I reserve the right to change my mind
if necessary. Deal?"

Chloe nodded her agreement and sniffled.

"So how did you get here, all by yourself?"

"Train."

"From Vermont?!"

"Sixteen hours on the high-speed line."

"By yourself?! Chloe, that was not a smart move. There are some
real sick people out there." His reprimand only made her feel worse,
and she started crying softly again. "Oh, Chloe," he said, taking her
hand, as he kept the other on the wheel. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean
to upset you again. It's just that it's really dangerous these
days. Girls your age disappear every--nevermind. You're here now,
and you're safe."

They drove on in silence for a few more minutes until they reached
Harm's building. "Home sweet home," he declared. "Wait a
minute...Speaking of home, does anyone know you're here?"

Chloe shook her head.

"No?! My God, your father is probably worried sick!"

"His ship is in the Gulf. He hasn't been home in weeks."

"Then who are you staying with?"

"My aunt."

"Well then your is probably worried sick. I bet she has all the
state police in New England out looking for you. You're going to
call her *right now* and tell her where you are."

Chloe was still trembling, and her voice was shaky. She dialed the
number on her cell phone, but passed it to Harm as it was ringing on
the other end. "All right, I'll do the talking," Harm said. Chloe
nodded her thanks. "What's her name?"

"Mimi. Mimi Anderson."

"Hello?!" came a frantic voice. The woman was probably on the edge
of her seat waiting for news.

"Hello, may I please speak with Mimi Anderson?"

"Speaking."

"Ms. Anderson, this is Commander Harmon Rabb calling. I'm a friend
of Sarah Mackenzie's."

"Of course, Commander. Chloe's spoken very highly of you."

"Yes Ma'am, that's why I'm calling. I've got Chloe right here, safe
and sound."

"Oh God, thank you, Commander! Thank you!!" Harm could hear her say
something to someone else on her end. "Officer, it's all right. We
found her, she's okay." She returned to the phone. "She *is* okay,
isn't she, Commander?"

Harm looked over at Chloe, debating how he should answer that
question. Chloe's aunt was so excited she was speaking very loudly,
and Chloe could hear every word. In silent exchange with Harm, her
eyes went wide and she shook her head.

"Uh, yes Ma'am, she's fine. A little underpacked for such a big trip
by herself, but I'm sure we can get her anything she needs."

"Yes, I think all she has is her backpack. She never came home from
the mall yesterday. I thought...I thought..." The woman was overcome
with emotion.

"I can imagine, Ma'am. But she's all right. Apparently she hopped
the overnight train to come see the Colonel, but Mac's out of town."

"Good heavens," the woman said. "Well, I apologize on her behalf,
Commander. If you would be so kind and put her runaway, soon-to-be-
grounded butt on the first flight back here, I'll pay you back right
away."

Harm saw Chloe tense up violently at those words. "Umm...I don't
think that's necessary, Ma'am. It's the weekend, and Mac may be home
at any time. She can stay with me in the meantime."

"I couldn't have her impose on you like that."

"It's not an imposition at all." Harm watched Chloe as he spoke.
She seemed calmer. "She's very welcome to stay."

"Really, Commander, the last thing a bachelor like you needs is a
teenage girl who's likely to give you the slip just like she did me."

Harm smiled. "I think you're being a little hard on her, Ma'am.
Lord knows what she did was very, very stupid, and she's had quite an
adventure, but she's all right now. I think she came down here
because it was important. Let's give her the benefit of the doubt,
and I'll see if I can't get to the bottom of this."

The woman relented. "All right, but you have my permission to get
her one of those retractable kiddie leashes so she doesn't wander off
on you."

Harm chuckled. "I don't think so, Ma'am, but I'll keep it in mind."

"Can I talk to her?"

"Sure." He passed the phone to Chloe.

"Aunt Mimi?"

"Don't you ever, EVER do anything like this ever again young lady!
I've been going up the walls! You could've been killed!" Chloe was
holding the phone away from herself, and could still her the yelling.
When it stopped, she listened again. "Okay, I'm sorry to do that to
you, but what you did was very dangerous. I love you and don't want
anything to happen to you. You behave yourself for the Commander,
or you heard me, you'll be on the first plane outta there."

"I'll be good, Aunt Mimi. Love you." She hung up and slid the phone
into her coat pocket.

"You owe me," Harm said, pointing at her. "Big time."

She nodded.

"Come on, let's get you inside."

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

Previous Day (December 26, 2002)
Dulles Int'l Airport
Washington, DC
16:0 EST

Webb paced back and forth by the gate, looking for Mac in all
directions. Finally, he saw her approaching quickly. She removed
her gloves and shoved them into her carry-on bag, the only luggage
she had with her.

"Webb," she said when she reached him, "I can't thank you enough for
this. This really means a lot to me."

"Well, I owed you a favor. But don't thank me yet. Not until you
come back with company."

"Oh, Clay, do you really think he'll come with me?"

Webb shrugged. "I don't know. That kid's as stubborn as his big
brother, but I hope he does. I really do."

It didn't help Mac that Webb wasn't overly confident, but she would
try her hardest to convince Sergei to come back to the U.S.. It had
been a difficult year, and she would be glad to bid it goodbye in a
few days. And she wanted to do something special for Harm.
Something big to start the new year right.

"That's an awfully small bag for such a big trip," Webb noted, eyeing
Mac's tote.

She smiled. "Marine Corps. You learn to pack light. Besides, I'll
only need a day or two. If it doesn't happen by then, it never will."

They made small talk until Mac's flight was called to board.

"So, how was your Christmas, Mac?"

"It was very nice. Big party at Bud and Harriet's. Everyone was
there."

Webb nodded, and then looked away, almost sadly.

Mac surprised herself with the sincerity of her natural
reaction. "You should've come! It was crowded, but there's always
room for one more at the table on Christmas!"

"I doubt that," Webb said. "I'm not exactly on the Admiral's
Christmas card list."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous. We're all friends. It's just that you
have that pesky little habit of almost getting us all killed at one
time or another."

"I rest my case."

Mac smiled. "Well, maybe next year then. But how was your holiday?"

"The usual. Fancy dinner with mom, then enough brandy and eggnog for
it to not bother me when she bugged me about finding a wife, having
kids, and getting a safer job."

"She ought to talk to Harm's mother."

"Hmmm?"

Mac smiled. "Never mind."

"Well, anyway," Webb continued, "big house, expensive suits. But
sometimes even piles of money can't buy a nice Christmas."

Mac's heart went out to him. He wasn't usually so forthcoming about
himself. "I know this is a little late, but Merry Christmas, Clay."
Mac leaned in to him and placed a kiss on his cheek.

Webb smiled and touched the spot lightly.

"It's the least I can do, after you arranged all this for me."

"Well, like I said, don't thank me yet. You think you'll be home for
New Year's?"

"That's the plan. And if everything works out, 2003 is going to
start with the best surprise for my partner."

Just then, a voice came over the public address system. "Attention
passengers, flight 1206 to Moscow with stop in Frankfurt now
boarding. We'll start with our first class club members."

"Well, that's you," Webb said.

"First class. Very nice, Webb."

He nodded. "It was a *big* favor."

"I don't know how I'll ever repay you."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll think of something."

"More like *you* will."

Webb couldn't help but smile. She was probably right. "Be careful,
Mac, and keep me posted."

"I will, and thanks again, for everything." She gave Webb a quick
hug before heading for the line.

Webb stayed until he saw her disappear down the jetway. "Partner, my
ass."

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

19:55 EST
Harm's Apartment

Harm shut the door and quickly hung up his coat before helping Chloe
off with hers. He unbuttoned it and gently pushed it off her, but
even that made her wince. He kneeled down so he was closer to her
height and maybe wouldn't seem so tall and intimidating. He eyed her
sternly and rolled up the sleeve of her shirt. He wasn't surprised,
but still horrified at the sight of more bruising along her arm.

"This is ridiculous," he said. "We should be in the emergency room,
not my living room."

"No," Chloe said, and she pulled her arm away sharply. "No
hospitals. You said so."

"What I *said* was I would take you if I think it's warranted."

"Well it's not," she insisted, tears threatening to fall again.

From how he was bent down, Harm was looking up at Chloe. He asked
again, "What happened to you? Who did this?"

"I...I can't," she said, her voice shaky.

Harm took her small hands in his and spoke in the most gentle voice
he could. "Chloe, whatever it is, you can tell me. I promise."

She gave no reply, just continued sniffling. Harm reached up and
ever so lightly ran the back of his hand along her
cheek. "Sweetheart, I want to help you, but unless you tell me
what's wrong, how am I supposed to make it better?"

She shrugged, still trembling.

Harm thought for a moment. "You came to see Mac, right? Well, would
you feel better talking to Harriet? I can call her and I'm sure--"

Chloe shook her head and he stopped mid-sentence.

"Look, Chloe, you've got to tell *someone*. You won't talk to me,
and I don't know how to help you."

"I just...I need some time. Need to...warm up."

"All right," Harm said. "You want to take a hot shower?"

Chloe nodded, her tears finally subsiding.

"Okay, I'll get you some clean towels." In a few minutes, Chloe was
set with everything she needed. Before she turned the water on, Harm
called to her.

"Chloe, when was the last time you ate?"

"I don't remember," she answered.

Harm figured as much. "Well I hope you like spaghetti. And hot
cocoa. With lots of marshmallows."

"Um...yeah. That...that sounds...good." What Harm didn't know was
that her broken speech was the result of her horror at seeing herself
in the mirror, bruises and scrapes everywhere.

Harm went about preparing dinner for them, and he made the hot
chocolate from scratch, with milk, rich cocoa powder, and sugar.
After a while, everything was ready, and he realized Chloe was still
in the bathroom. He didn't hear the shower running anymore.

He walked up to the thick glass wall and called to her, "Chloe,
everything all right? You've been in there a long time." There was
no answer. He knocked lightly on the wall. "Chloe?" Still no
reply. What if she had fallen and hit her head? His mind raced
through all kinds of scenarios, none of them good. He couldn't
wait any longer. His concern for her would have to outweigh her
modesty.

"Chloe, honey, I'm coming in, okay?"

He stepped around to the other side and was in shock for a second
before he reached her. She was sitting on the edge of the bathtub,
wrapped in a towel, gripping the sink for support and her eyes were
closed against the pain.

"Chloe, what is it?" he demanded. "Where does it hurt?"

She put her hand to her left side. Her breathing was ragged as she
fought the pain.

"That's it. We're going to the emergency room, end of story."

Chloe nodded, no longer able to deny the need for it. Harm picked
her up and sat her down on the end of his bed.

"We've got to find you some clothes. I don't think I have anything
you won't be swimming in." Harm tore through his closet, looking for
the smallest things he owned. Suddenly, he remembered something and
he lunged for a box at the back of the closet. Renee had left a few
things there, and even after all this time, he'd never gotten around
to getting rid of them. If that entire relationship had been leading
to this moment, his frantic mind reasoned, it was worth it.

He pulled out a pair of pants and a long-sleeved shirt. "Here, I
think these'll work. They'll be big, but much less so than anything
of mine." He considered her for a moment. "You don't...need any
help, do you?" Chloe shook her head. "Okay, then I'll be waiting
right outside, okay?"

Chloe emerged after a few minutes, looking a little funny with the
sleeved of Renee's blouse hanging down past her hands, and the cuffs
of the pants rolled up so she wouldn't trip."

"Well," Harm said, taking in the sight, "that'll have to do for now.
We can buy you a few things tomorrow."

Chloe's coat was still wet from the snow, so Harm wrapped her in his
warmly-lined flying jacket. She was still stooped over in pain, so
he put one arm around her waist and let her squeeze his other hand as
they made their way down to his car.

20:35 EST
Bethesda Naval Hospital

The emergency room was a bit overwhelmed when they arrived. They
waited and waited and Harm was finally able to flag down a doctor.
She took Chloe to be examined while Harm filled out the paperwork as
best he could. He didn't know all that much about her. She was
Mac's friend, and that had always been enough for him to know. After
a few minutes, a nurse came out and took the clipboard from him.

Harm jumped up. "What's going on?! IS she okay?"

"I'm sorry, Commander, I'm not at liberty to say. The doctor will be
out to talk to you soon."

Harm paced the waiting area, with his hands clenched in tight fists.
He had always been short on patience, and times like this brought it
out even more. After what seemed like an eternity, the doctor
approached him.

"Doctor, please, is she all right?"

"Commander...Rabb, is it?" she asked, looking down for his name on
the form in her hands.

"Yes."

"Commander, what exactly is your relationship to the patient?"

"We're...friends, I guess."

The doctor eyed him skeptically. "Friends, you guess?" she asked,
her tone accusatory.

"I'm sorry, but why is that relevant?"

"Well, Commander, put yourself in my place. You brought in a young
girl who looks like she had a run in with someone much bigger and
stronger than herself. She's wearing clothing that obviously isn't
hers. And," she held up the admittance form, "you know practically
nothing about her."

Harm's eyes went wide with shock. "Are you suggesting that *I* had
something to do with this?"

"Oh, I don't know, Commander. Maybe you got yourself a nice little
Christmas present this year, found a pretty girl, knocked her around
a little..."

Harm's stomach turned at the woman's implications. If she had been a
man, Harm would've already broken his jaw. He didn't raise his
voice, but instead let his icy tone convey his outrage. "How dare
you accuse me of something like that. I work for the Judge Advocate
General, *Lieutenant* Commander, and I could have you up on
insubordination charges so fast it would make your head spin. This
girl is the friend of a friend, and she's the dependent of a Marine
risking his life in the Persian Gulf to defend *your* sorry ass. So I
suggest you take back your unfounded accusation and thank your lucky
stars you've got such a cushy duty station, because I could have you
on the next flight out to Bahrain if you prefer. I'm sure they're
gonna need all the doctors they can get in the next few months. Is
that understood?"

The doctor was standing at attention, none too thrilled to be
receiving a major chewing in the middle of the waiting room. "Sir,
yes Sir! Understood Sir!"

"At ease."

"Permission to speak freely, Sir?"

"Seems to be a habit with you." He nodded.

"Sir, I apologize. I had no right to judge you. It's just that
we've been seeing lots of domestic abuse cases lately." She shook
her head. "Always happens this time of year. The stress of the
Season, especially this year with the economy how it is. Well, the
holidays don't always bring out the best in people."

Harm was much calmer now. "No, doctor, they don't. You and me
included, apparently. That girl's very special to me, and I would
hate for any of this to compromise her care here."

"Not at all, Sir. In fact, I'm almost done. Just waiting for some
test results to come back."

"Tests? What tests?"

"A few x-rays to make sure nothing's broken, and some screenings to
be sure there's no internal bleeding."

"But she's okay?"

"For the most part. She's had a quite a scare, though."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Can I see her?"

"In a few minutes. First, umm, Commander, I had to ask you that
before because children, well, they sometimes make things up to
protect people who abuse them. But I think she's telling the truth.
Are you aware that Ms. Madison's injuries are the result of an
assault?"

"Assault?! No, I didn't know. She wouldn't tell me."

"I know. We managed to pry it out of her. She said she has a
history of telling tall tales and she wasn't sure you'd believe her."

Harm sighed, and tried not to show the hurt he felt. "She does have
a habit of making up stories, but I wouldn't have doubted her. Not
about this." He thought about how afraid she was to come to the
hospital. "Doctor? The assault. It wasn't...sexual, was it?"

"Oh, no Sir. Thank goodness."

Harm heaved a sigh of relief. God only knows how much worse that
would've been. Not to mention the time he'd wasted before getting
her to the E.R.

"She was mugged. Pretty brutally."

"Mugged?! She lives in Vermont!"

"This whole country's becoming a war zone, Commander. Big cities are
actually getting safer, but small towns are going to hell in a
handbasket. This was probably about drug money. Group of kids sees
a girl with a fancy backpack, an expensive coat, they think they've
hit the jackpot."

"You think that's what happened?"

"It's possible. But you should take her to the police station and
she can fill out a full report. They can fax all the information to
the authorities in Vermont."

"Sounds like you've done this before, doctor."

The woman nodded. "Too many times. Too many times."

"Can I see her now?"

"Sure. I'll take you to her. You lucked out. They had an extra bed
upstairs. It's a semi-private room, so she's got a roommate, but
she's been through a lot. I didn't think she'd want to wait near the
gunshot and car accident victims."

"No, probably not. Thank you, I appreciate it."

They found her room upstairs and the doctor opened the door.

"Look who I found, Chloe."

Harm stuck his head through the doorway. "Harm," Chloe said, half
smiling.

"I'll leave you two alone now, but I'll be back in a bit when the
tests come in."

"Thank you doctor," Harm said. She nodded and closed the door after
her.

Harm sat in the chair next to the bed. "Hey sweetheart, how you
feeling?"

"Better," she said. "They gave me something for the pain."

"Good." Suddenly, the other patient in the room, concealed by a
privacy curtain, began a coughing and wheezing fit.

Chloe rolled her eyes and whispered, "He's been doing that the whole
time."

"Chloe," Harm began, "why didn't you tell me?"

She looked away from him. He touched her face and turned her back
around. "Look at me. You know you can trust me, right?"

She nodded. "Uh-huh. I was afraid *you* wouldn't trust *me*. I've
told lies before."

"Yes, you have, and that's something you and I need to have a talk
about someday. But something this serious, I would've believed you,
Chloe." He tried to lighten the mood. "Now you just be glad Mac
wasn't around tonight. I'm a much bigger softy than she is. She
would've told you to quit crying and do some pushups."

Against her strongest efforts, Chloe laughed at that.

"Much better," Harm said. "People always look better when they
smile."

"Even when their face looks like a toxic waste dump?"

"Especially then. Hey, you must be hungry. You want me to get you
something from the machine? Candy bar? Potato chips? You know I
don't have any of that stuff at my place, so now's your chance." He
got up to leave, but Chloe grabbed his hand. "No! Don't leave!"

The fear in her eyes tugged at Harm's heart. He sat back down, still
holding her hand. "Okay," he said softly. "I'll stay right here."

Chloe nodded and settled back comfortably in the bed.

"Chloe, I need you to do me a big favor. It's going to take a lot of
courage on your part."

"What is it?"

"I want you to talk to the police and tell them everything you can."

"I can't."

"Chloe, this is important. You don't want what happened to you to
happen to someone else, do you?"

She shook her head.

"Then you need to be brave and tell them what you remember so they
can catch these guys. Do you think you can do that for me?"

"I guess," she answered quietly.

"You guess?" Harm teased. "That's no way for the little sister of a
Marine to talk, is it? Boy, if Mac were here--"

"All right, all right, I'll do it. But you'll go with me, right?"

"Every step of the way."

Just then, the doctor came back with Chloe's chart. "Good news.
Nothing's broken. That pain in your side is from a bruised rib.
It'll hurt for a few more days, but it'll heal on its own. Those
cuts and scrapes should be okay too, as long as you don't scratch or
pick at them. However, that one on your shoulder is pretty
severe. It doesn't need stitches, but you should put some vitamin E
cream on it or you'll have a nasty scar. I sent the prescription for
the painkiller to our pharmacy. It's on the ground floor, so you can
pick it up on your way out."

Harm stood up and shook the doctor's hand. "Thank you so much,
doctor, for everything."

She smiled. "So no Bahrain, then?"

"No Bahrain. That is, unless you want--"

"No, no, Washington is just fine."

Chloe cleared her throat to get their attention. "So I can go now?"

"Yes you can, but remember to take it easy. Nothing strenuous until
that rib heals."

"Aye aye, ma'am," Chloe joked.

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

22:15 EST
Local Police Precinct

The doctor had been kind enough to call ahead to her contact at the
station and explain the situation. She didn't want the police
jumping to the same conclusion she had.

"Commander Rabb?" A cop with Bud's build asked as Harm approached.
Harm nodded. "And this must be Chloe."

"Must be," Chloe retorted.

Harm tugged at her hand. "Behave yourself young lady."

"I'm Sergeant Jeffries. Why don't we find someplace quiet and go
over the incident." He led them into an unoccupied office and
cleared the desk as best he could. "Sorry. Overworked,
understaffed. You know the story." Harm nodded. "Coffee,
Commander?"

"Yes, please. Black is fine."

"Okay, and you, Chloe?"

"No. Nothing."

"All right, I'll be right back."

"Harm," Chloe said when the officer was gone, "I don't think I can do
this."

"Sure you can. I *know* you can, Chloe." She looked
doubtful. "You're a lot stronger than you think."

The officer came back a few minutes later with two coffees and a
chocolate donut for Chloe. After going through her contact
information and the standard paperwork, Jeffries asked Chloe to start
at the beginning.

She looked fearfully at Harm.

"Would you be more comfortable if I waited outside?" he asked her.

"No, don't go."

Harm nodded and went to stand behind her, his comforting hand on her
shoulder. She explained how she and some friends had been shopping
and returning things the day after Christmas. One of her friends'
brothers had picked them up at the mall when they were done. He had
a friend who lived around the block from Chloe's house and he was
going to drop her off before going there. But she insisted she'd be
fine to walk home by herself.

"It was just around the block. God, I feel so stupid."

"You had no way of knowing, Chloe," Harm told her.

"Anyway, as I walking up the street, I saw four guys coming in my
direction. I thought it was strange, because it's a real friendly
neighborhood, and I'd never seen any of them before. I got
distracted telling myself not to worry, because it's such a safe
area. And when I looked up, they were gone. But then..." she
paused, wringing her tense hands.

"It's all right," Harm said. "Take your time, Chloe."

Jeffries nodded. "You're doing great."

After a few deep breaths and Harm's hand on her back, Chloe
continued. "I passed a parked car and they all jumped out from
behind it. The biggest one grabbed me and..." she was visibly
fighting tears now, "he put a knife to my throat. He yelled, 'Give
us all your money!' The other three were surrounding us, and then one
of them started poking and pushing me. He put his hands everywhere,
looking for my wallet. I said it was in my bag and he grabbed it
from me." Chloe paused and shut her eyes tightly against the
horrible memory.

"Go on," Harm said, knowing the worst was yet to some, and wanting to
get it over with as soon as possible.

"What happened next?" the officer asked calmly.

"He found my wallet. I only had four dollars left because I spent
everything on Christmas presents. So he took the money out and threw
it into the street. He screamed, 'Four dollars?! You're not even
worth it!' And then he hit me across the face."

Harm had to use every ounce of restraint he could muster to keep from
picking up the nearest chair and throwing it against the wall as his
rage threatened to take over. Instead, he clenched his teeth and his
fists tighter than he ever had. He forced himself to stay calm, for
Chloe's sake.

Chloe continued, her voice shaky. "That's how I got the cut on my
shoulder. When he hit me, my whole body moved and the edge of the
knife caught me. Then, two of the others joined in. The big one
held me there while the other two kicked me and punched me. It hurt
so much I thought I was going to black out and I started falling
down." She had to stop again. So far, she was doing an incredible
job of keeping her composure but she wasn't sure how much longer she
could keep it up.

"You're so brave, Chloe. Can you tell me the rest?"

"When I hit the ground, I tried not to move. I wanted them to think
I was dead. I was so scared. I just wanted it to be over. And it
worked, because they ran into a car up the street and sped away. But
before they left, the big one kicked me while I was on the ground.
That's how my side got hurt."

Listening to Chloe's ordeal, Harm was glad it hadn't happened in
Washington. If it had, he'd be out looking for these SOBs himself,
and as soon as he found them, he'd be facing a quadruple murder
charge.

"But the worst part...the worst was the fourth one. He didn't do
anything. He just stood there, watching. Watching me, and watching
the street, like a lookout. To make sure nobody was walking by. He
just *stood* there and didn't help me."

The officer had been taking notes the entire time. He asked her to
go through it a second time, this time including any details she
could remember - what the men looked like, what they were wearing,
and most important, the license plate number or any features on the
car.

She did as he asked. She had only gotten a good look at two of the
men, and a third she knew had blonde hair and a bright orange
jacket. "The car was white. I don't know what kind. I don't know
anything about cars. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, honey, just tell us anything you can remember."

"I couldn't get the plate number. It was dark and they drove away so
fast and my head was spinning." Harm rubbed her back as she spoke.
After several detailed questions from the policeman, they were able to
make a good guess as to the make of the car. Jeffries assured them
the information would be sent to the force in Chloe's town. He
exchanged cards with Harm in case they needed to reach one another.

As Harm and Chloe got up to leave, the officer stopped them. He
pulled Harm aside.

"There is one more thing, Commander."

"What's that?"

"Evidence."

"What?"

"With cases like this, well, you never know what's going to happen.
With her injuries, it would be in her best interest. I hate to bring
it up, but I'm sure as a lawyer, Commander, you know how important
this can be."

Harm cringed at the thought of putting Chloe through the humiliation,
but he knew the officer was right. He kneeled down in front of Chloe
and gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. His deep
green eyes sought out her brown ones, still pink and puffy from
crying so hard earlier.

"Chloe, honey, they need to take some pictures of you. So when they
find the people who did this to you, there'll be no question how much
they hurt you."

"Do I have to?" she asked sadly.

He wanted to tell her no, and to get her out of there that very
second. But he knew from experience how evidence like this could
make or break a case. He sighed. "Honestly, no, you don't. But
Chloe, this is really important. And you've been so brave and
strong. I need you to be brave for just a few more minutes,
and then we can get out of here."

"Promise?"

"Yes, I promise." He stood up and kissed the top of her head.

"Come on," the policeman said, extending his hand to Chloe. "I'll
call the Captain down to do it." He felt Chloe tense up. "Captain
Ellen Hughes," he clarified.

A little while later, Chloe emerged with the Captain. Her face was
sullen and she stared down at the floor.

"How you doing?" Harm asked her. She shrugged. "Yeah, that's what I
thought."

"She did just great," the Captain said. "She's a real trooper."

"Whaddya say we blow this popstand?"

Chloe nodded slowly, still not looking at him.

"Officer, thanks for everything. And thank you, Captain."

They all shook hands.

"I'll be in touch, Commander."

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

When they got outside, Harm bent down to fix Chloe's scarf. He put
his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Chloe, I'm
sorry they had to do that. I know it was no fun, but it's really
important that they have that evidence. So when they find these
guys, they can put them away for a long, long time, okay?"

Chloe was still fighting her tears, and Harm could see her chin
trembling. "Oh, sweetheart," he said, "I am so proud of you. You
were *so* brave in there. I knew you could do it." She started
sniffling, and Harm held her tight and smoothed her long hair down
her back. "Y'know, your big sister would be proud, too."

On the way back to Harm's apartment, he asked, "What do you like to
eat? We can stop at the grocery store and get anything you want."

Chloe shook her head. "I just want to go to sleep," she said, and
she leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

"Okay, sweetie. Whatever you want to do." Harm realized she'd been
on the go for over twenty-four hours. She probably hadn't slept much
on the train, not to mention how talking to the police had wiped her
out.

When they got back to Harm's, he helped Chloe out of the car and up
the stairs. "Your clothes should be dry now if you want to sleep in
them. I lucked out with that other outfit, but I don't have any
pajamas for you."

"Burn them," she said.

"Hmm?"

"My clothes. I wanna burn them. They're all ripped anyway. I was
wearing them when..."

Harm closed his eyes and silently reprimanded himself for not
remembering. "That's right. I'm sorry. Well, if you don't mind
them hanging off you, you can wear some of my Navy sweats." Chloe
nodded, and Harm retrieved the clothing from his closet and handed it
to her. "Why don't you go change in the bathroom and I'll turn down
the bed for you. Check in the cabinet under the sink, I think
there's a new toothbrush in there. We can g out tomorrow for some
clothes and anything else you need."

Chloe came out a few minutes later and Harm couldn't help laughing at
the sight of her. She looked lost in the sea of fabric as the
sleeves and pants were way too long for her. "I'm sorry, Chloe, I
don't mean to laugh. It's just that I'm almost twice your size. I'm
not gonna risk it, but I'm sure I'd look just as funny if I
tried on some of your clothes." Chloe smiled. "You sure you don't
want anything before you go to bed? Toast? Tea?"

She shook her head. "I can't take your bed. I'll sleep on the
couch."

"What? Don't be silly. It's all ready for you."

"No, I'd feel terrible. I couldn't."

"Chloe, the bed's much more comfortable. Built the frame myself."

"No, please," she insisted. "I want to stay out here."

"Are you sure?" She nodded. "All right, but if you change your mind."

Chloe was relieved she convinced him. She was ashamed to tell him
she wanted to stay on the couch because some of the streetlight from
outside trickled in through the window. Harm's bedroom was pitch
black.

She stood and watched while Harm spread heavy blankets along the
couch and fluffed a pillow for her. "I'm sorry I'm such a pain," she
said.

"You're not a pain, Chloe."

"But you shouldn't have to go to all this trouble."

"It's no trouble at all." He gave the pillow a final fluff, and bent
down to her. "Chloe, please, I'm glad you're here. I'm glad you
called me. You did the right thing. Well, no, I'm not sure running
away was the right thing, but I'm glad you came to me for help. Now
get in there," he said, pointing to the makeshift bed.
"Get some sleep."

She lay down and Harm pulled the covers up around her. He was about
to walk away and Chloe said timidly, "Harm?" He turned around to
her. "Thanks." He smiled and bent down to kiss her forehead.

He worked as quietly as he could in the kitchen and threw away the
food that had been sitting out all those hours. He would do the
dishes in the morning. He didn't want the noise to keep Chloe
awake. He got ready for bed himself and as he lay there, he told
himself this was the very least he could do. Chloe had brought so
much joy to Mac's life. He owed her. He whispered to himself, "God,
Mac, where are you?"

Harm awoke several hours later to the sound of Chloe crying. He got
up and threw on a T-shirt to go with his plaid flannel pajama pants.
He rushed out to the living room where Chloe was sitting up.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"Don't worry about that. Are you all right?"

She sniffled and shook her head.

"Did you have a bad dream?" She nodded, and fought to hold the rest
of her tears in. He went to the kitchen and brought her a glass of
water, which she drank with his help because her hands were shaking.
She put the glass down and Harm put his arm around her. "It's okay.
You're safe here. I won't let anything happen to you."

They sat like that for a little while before Harm asked, "You want to
try falling asleep again?"

Chloe nodded. "Can...can you..."

"You want me to stay out here with you?" She nodded. "Okay, Chloe,
whatever you need." He scooted down to the end of the couch, and
Chloe lay back down and rested her head on Harm's leg. She was facing
away from him, but after a few minutes, he felt her shaking lightly.
Soon she was crying unabashedly, and saying a few words in
between. "They said not to tell anyone. I was so afraid...He
grabbed me all over...they kept hitting and hitting me...I didn't
have any money." Listening to her, Harm had to fight to
hold back his own tears. Chloe was sobbing loudly and
uncontrollably, she could barely breathe.

"That's it, Chloe, let it out." Harm rubbed her back in small
circles and tried to comfort her. She was so composed at the police
station, he knew it would have to come out eventually. "Good
girl...good girl." He turned her around and held her close to him,
cradling her head against his chest while she cried.

She wore herself out after a while, and Harm gently laid her back
down and went back to his bed.

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

December 28, 2002
Moscow
18:25 Local Time

Mac had arrived in Moscow that afternoon and she gave her taxi drive
the address Webb had given her. It was Sergei's last known place of
employment. They didn't have a home address for him. They pulled up
in front of a nondescript looking bar. Old brick walls, no signs or
decorations. If they hadn't been looking for it, they wouldn't have
even noticed it. Mac paid the driver and he warned her to be
careful; this wasn't the safest part of the city. Her accent told
him she wasn't a native speaker of Russian, but she hadn't told him
she was a U.S. Marine.

She walked in and the place screamed working class. Groups of
laborers were gathered here and there relaxing after long, grueling
hours on the job, and the wall of cigarette smoke hit her full
force. Several heads turned her way. Women were a rare sight in
this place, and young, beautiful women even moreso.

Mac smiled at them cordially before taking a seat at the bar. There
was no one at the counter, but she figured she'd wait until the
bartender came out and she'd ask if Sergei still worked there. She
didn't have to wait long for either.

Sergei emerged from a back room with three bottles of vodka in his
arms. He almost dropped them when he saw who was sitting at the
bar. His shocked expression was quickly replaced by a wide smile,
bordered on both sides by his adorable dimples. He set the bottles
on the shelf behind the bar and turned back to Mac. He lifted her
hand to his lips and kissed it lightly.

"Pretty Colonel Mackenzie, this is a wonderful surprise."

Mac blushed. "Hello, Sergei. It's nice to see you. And please, if
I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, it's Mac."

"I'm sorry Colonel. It's very hard for me. Mac is a hamburger, not
a name for a woman of such beauty and elegance."

Mac blushed again. Apparently all the sweet charm in the family
must've skipped over Harm. "It's all right, Sergei. It doesn't
bother me."

"All right then, Mac. I am happy to see your lovely face, but tell
me, what is it doing so far from Washington?" Yes, Mac thought,
Sergei was definitely the romantic Rabb son.

She smiled at him. "Classified."

"Oh. Should I expect a visit from my friend Mr. Webb, then?"

"No, he's supervising from home this time. I had some time so I
thought I'd come and see you. So how are things?"

Sergei sighed. "I am doing all right. In the mornings I am janitor
in schools, and I am working here at night."

"Oh, Sergei," Mac lamented, "you could do so much better."

"I am getting by."

"But you don't have to just 'get by.'"

"Mac, please, I am fine. Now tell me, how is my big brother?"

"He's all right. Christmas is always hard on him, but you know
that. I think he'll be glad to put 2002 behind him. We all will."

"Yes, it has been a difficult year for so many." He poured Mac a
club soda and took a glass of vodka for himself. "I am sorry you
cannot share our national drink with me, beautiful Mac. We have the
best in the world here."

"That's okay, Sergei. I've had enough to last a lifetime, believe
me."

Sergei lifted his glass and Mac did the same. "To a better 2003, for
all of us." They toasted and drank in companionable silence for a
bit.

"How is Lieutenant Roberts, Mac?"

"Much better. He's getting along really well with his prosthesis,
but they denied his request for full duty. Maybe in another few
months."

"Please tell him I am thinking of him."

"I will, Sergei. It's very sweet of you."

"And Loren Singer? She is well?"

Mac rolled her eyes. "Sergei, what the heck do you see in her?
She's horrible."

"Not to me, Mac. Besides you and Harm, she was the friendliest
person to me in all of the United States."

"Sergei, you hardly saw most of Washington, let alone the rest of the
U.S. Five billion people in the world, and you go for the one the
other four billion can't stand."

"All I know is she was nice to me. She was very kind and acted like
a friend. She didn't pity me."

"I don't pity you," Mac said.

"You did sometimes. If I wasn't Harm's brother, you would not care
about the life of a Russian soldier escaped from Chechen prison." He
took a generous drink of vodka.

Mac was hurt. "You're right, Sergei. If you weren't related to
Harm, I wouldn't even know you. But I do. How that came to be was a
coincidence, but you and I are friends now. With or without your
pigheaded brother. Sergei, you're intelligent as heck, and heaven
knows you've got three times the tact God gave Harm. I think you owe
it to yourself, and to your father, to do more than mop floors and
pour drinks. And I'm sorry if you think that's pity, but in America,
it's called giving a damn. I care about you, Sergei, and it has
nothing to do with whose genes are in your blood."

"I am sorry Mac. Maybe you are right, but Harm does pity me."

Mac sighed, exasperated. "Look, I can't sit here and defend Harm to
you. Lord knows he doesn't have the sense God gave a brick. But he
never pitied you. I agree with you that he treated you like a child
sometimes, but it was only because he loves you. You were a stranger
in a new country and he was worried. He thought you were naive and
he only wanted to protect you."

"I stopped being naive the day I killed my first Chechen." He took
another long swig of his vodka.

"Well, sometimes Harm forgets you're a soldier. He does it to me all
the time. Sergei, he loves being a big brother. You're the best
thing that ever happened to him. He may never tell you so, but it's
true. He just took the role a little too far, that's all."

"I love him too. And he and I are forever linked. But it wasn't
right for me. I could not stay in America. And anyway, I disagree
with you. I think the woman sitting across from me is the best thing
that ever happened to Harm."

Man, Mac thought, if Sergei were ten years older...

As it got later, more men loaded into the bar. "Mac," Sergei
said, "I have to serve the customers, but I am done in one hour. If
you will wait for me, I would be honored if you will have dinner with
me. Unless Mr. Webb has other plans for you?"

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

When Sergei's shift was over, they walked to his apartment so he
could change before dinner. It was just a few blocks from the bar.
Sergei carried Mac's bag for her and she tried to step around the
garbage that littered the narrow streets.

"Mac, why are you really here?"

"What do you mean? I told you, I'm working for Webb."

"Please Mac. I am not big shot lawyer like my brother, but I can
figure things out."

"All right, but let's talk about it during dinner, then."

They got to Sergei's, and Mac didn't hide her revulsion at the sight
of his living conditions. The building was dilapidated, and there
was barely any heat inside. Sergei lived with three other men in one
large room, and they shared a bathroom with everyone else on the
floor. Mac saw a rat scamper across the hallway.

"Sergei, you've got to be kidding me."

"It's fine, Mac. This is the way things are, and I was very lucky to
find a place here. Very few landlords will rent to someone with so
many enemies, inside and outside Russia."

"I won't even ask how much you pay to live here...if you can call it
that. Although you work two jobs to get by."

"I am lucky to have two jobs. So many here are out of work. I work
two jobs because my shifts at the bar are short, only three or four
hours. They keep them short so they can give work to more people and
everyone can earn a little bit."

"This is crazy, Sergei."

"If you have no place to stay in Moscow, you are welcome to stay
here."

"I...uh...think I'll find a hotel. And take you with me."

"Mac, this is my home."

"This is the bubonic plague waiting to happen! Pack a bag right now,
because we're not coming back here."

"I don't take orders anymore."

"Like hell you don't. Move it!" Mac was going on pure adrenaline and
memories of drill sergeants. And disgust. She would apologize later
if Sergei was upset with her, but she would never be sorry for getting
him out of there. She owed it to Harm Sr., and both of his sons, to
give Sergei a better life. Even if she had to force one down his
throat.

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

Same Day (December 28, 2002)
12:00 EST

Harm let Chloe sleep late. She'd been through quite an ordeal, once
with the actual attack, and then a second time as she relived it for
the police. When she got up, she put on another of Renee's leftover
outfits, and it was just as big as the one the night before. But
they would go to the mall after breakfast and get her a few things.

Harm made pancakes and eggs, but Chloe barely touched hers.

"Chloe, you need to eat. I know you've had a frightening couple of
days, but that's why you need your strength all the more."

She pushed the food around the plate with her fork. "I'm sorry. I'm
not very hungry."

Harm sighed. "All right, but you better eat something later."

A while later, they were at a shopping mall, weaving their way in and
out of the crowds of people making their Christmas returns. Chloe
stopped, wide-eyed, in front of an expensive lingerie store. Harm
had to cover her eyes and give her a push to get her moving again.

"Not for another fifteen years, if I have anything to say about it,"
he teased, although he could easily picture her big sister in a few
racy items that caught his eye as he hurried her along.

Chloe dragged Harm into all sorts of stores he never would've set
foot in on his own. Seeing the latest styles kids were wearing these
days made him feel suddenly very old and out of touch. The waist on
a pair of jeans should be exactly there - at the waist. And the way
some of the girls were dressed, he didn't know if he was in a
suburban shopping mall or a brothel.

A few hours and several packages later, they went to one final
store. Harm waited while Chloe tried things on in the dressing room.

"Yuck," she muttered. "I'm so gross. Everything makes me look so
fat."

"I'm not even going to justify that with a response," Harm said.
Lord, he thought, if you ever see fit to give me children, please
make them boys.

Chloe threw the door open and stomped out, empty-handed. "Nothing
fits me," she declared. "Let's go."

Harm looked to another man, who seemed to be waiting for his
daughter. They exchanged knowing looks.

They went back to Harm's, and for the rest of the day they watched
old movies. Harm had rented only comedies, but even so, every now
and then something would set Chloe off and she would cry for a few
minutes. All things considered, though, she was holding up very well.

Harm made a few snacks, but Chloe didn't touch them. The only thing
she'd eaten all day were two doses of the painkiller, which,
fortunately, didn't have to be taken with food.

"Chloe," Harm said, turning to her, "I know you're not feeling well,
but honey, you have to try and eat something. You're going to make
yourself sick. And you've already got me worried enough."

"I don't want anything," she said, looking away from him.

"Is this about what you said in the dressing room earlier?"

She gave no reply.

"Chloe, sweetie, look at me. You are a beautiful girl and you look
just fine. You'll break my heart if you're trying to look like some
anorexic woman on a magazine cover."

"It's not that," she said softly. "I just don't feel like eating,
that's all."

"Well, will you at least have some juice, for my sake? I don't want
you passing out on me. One trip to the hospital is quite enough,
don't you think?"

She nodded, and Harm gave her a tall glass of orange juice. Later
that night, they decided Chloe would stay through the New Year.
There was no school, and she would be able to see Mac. Harm tried to
convince Chloe to let him tell Mac what had happened, but she
refused. She would tell her in person, she insisted. She wouldn't
have any choice. Mac would see the bruises and flip out, even though
they'd be a little lighter by then.

Anyway, Harm was taking Mac to a formal dinner at an elegant
restaurant for New Year's Eve. So he called and made the reservation
for one more, and thinking ahead, he and Chloe had picked out a nice
dress and shoes for Chloe to wear that evening.

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

Back in Moscow, Mac found a nice hotel and got the last available
room. She and Sergei would have to share, but there were two beds.
They put their bags away and both changed for dinner. Sergei put on
a pair of black pants and a slate blue dress shirt, which brought out
his piercing Rabb eyes. He was every bit as dashing as Harm, Mac
thought.

Mac wore a low-cut ruby colored blouse with a short black
skirt. "Forgive me for saying so, Mac," Sergei said, "but my brother
is either blind or stupid."

Mac smiled. "That's the third time you've made me blush today."

"Shall we?" Sergei said, putting his arm out gallantly for Mac. If
not for the looks, Mac was becoming less and less sure the two men
were related.

Over dinner, Mac worked wonders and managed to convince Sergei to go
back with her to the U.S. He promised to give it a year, and she
agreed to let him leave with no objections if nothing worked out for
him by then. Mac told him she was sure that with his excellent
English skills and intimate knowledge of the Russian military, he
could snap his fingers and find a job in Washington. Not to mention
Webb still owed them a lifetime of favors.

When they got back to the hotel, Mac called Harm.

"Hello?"

"Hey Sailor, remember me?"

"That depends...who is this?" he joked.

"Very funny, Flyboy. How's everything?"

He looked over at Chloe, napping fitfully on the couch. "Um, it's
all right."

"Doesn't sound that way."

"What? Oh, well you know me. Christmas time. Blah."

"Well, cheer up, it's almost a new year."

"I'll cheer up if you tell me again you'll be back in time."

"Of course I will, Harm. I told you I would. I'll be back the
morning of the 31st."

"Okay. But I worry about you. Especially when you're God-knows-
where, doing God-knows-what for Webb."

Mac thought back to her heartfelt conversation with Webb at the
airport. "He's not as bad as you think, y'know. And anyway, I have
a surprise for you for New Year's Eve."

"Let me guess. You're marrying Clayton Webb."

"Ha ha. You ought to join the USO comedy tour."

"Mac, you know I hate surprises."

"Well, you're gonna *love* this one."

Harm saw Chloe begin to stir on the couch. "I don't want to run up
your bill, Mac, so just promise me you're being careful."

"Always."

"All right then."

"See you in a few days, Harm."

"Mac!" he called, hoping to catch her before she hung up. "I can't
wait."

He could almost hear her smiling on the other end. "Me neither."
Mac hung up and went to change in the bathroom while Sergei put on
his sleeping pants.

Mac emerged from the bathroom in a purple satin pajama set. Sergei
looked up from the book he was reading and he stared at her, his
mouth open. "Blind," he said. "My brother is definitely blind."

Mac smiled. "And don't forget stupid."

"Yes, that too. He must be, to ignore what is right in front of him."

Mac slinked into her bed and pulled the covers up to her
neck. "Goodnight, Sergei."

"Goodnight, luminous Mac." He clicked the lamp off.

A minute later, Mac heard Sergei's voice in the dark. "Mac, do you
have any sisters?"

Mac chuckled. "Sort of. But she's only fourteen."

"Ah, well maybe in four years then."

"Goodnight, Sergei," Mac said through giggles.

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

The weather was beautiful in Washington the following day. A
pristine, cloudless sky, and Harm thought it would give Chloe a nice
distraction from everything if he took her up in his plane. He
insisted she eat something before they left for the airfield. She
took a dose of the painkiller and had a slice of toast with
juice. Harm wasn't satisfied, but it was more than she ate the day
before, and he practically had to twist her arm to get her to eat
that much.

Chloe loved the ride, and the next morning, Harm got the Admiral's
permission to take the day off to show Chloe the sights in
Washington. They walked around all day long, from the Lincoln
Memorial all along Constitution Avenue to near the Capitol Building.
They stopped at a bench for a little while to rest their
legs and people-watch, and then spent the rest of the day in the
Natural History Museum.

They stopped for lunch in the museum cafe. They both ordered salads,
but Harm noticed Chloe didn't eat any of hers. She did her best to
conceal that fact from him, as she rearranged the lettuce and cold
shrimp around her plate. But she didn't fool him. He noticed right
away, but he was at his wit's end. He couldn't force her to eat and
he didn't know what else to say to her.

A while later, just as they made their way toward the last exhibits
in the museum, Chloe was overcome by a wave of dizziness. She
grabbed on to the nearest handrail as the room spun around her. Harm
rushed over and put his arm around her waist for support.

"All right," he said, "That's it. I'm taking you home."

Chloe nodded, but continued to grip the railing with her eyes
closed. When she regained her balance, Harm walked her out and they
took the metro to Union Station and walked the few blocks to his
apartment. Chloe had wanted to ride the metro in that morning to see
what it was like, but she regretted it now. The crowded cars and
bright orange colors did nothing to help her queasiness. But she did
feel a little better once they got back into the crisp, fresh air.

When they got to his apartment, he steered her toward the
couch. "Sit down," he ordered sternly. He sat on the coffeetable
across from her. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Don't be smart, Chloe. You haven't eaten in three days."

"Yes I have."

"One slice of bread doesn't count."

"Yes it does."

"Don't take that tone with me. I could have you on the next flight
back to Vermont, but instead I'm trying to help you. The least you
can do is show some respect."

She said nothing and stared down at her hands.

Harm's tone softened. "Look Chloe, you almost passed out today.
You're making yourself sick and I want to know why you're doing this
to yourself."

She remained mute.

He threw his hands up in frustration. "I give up. I can't tie you
to a chair and force you to eat something. And I may not be your
father, but I am your friend, and you've got me very worried."

She continued looking away from him, almost pretending she couldn't
hear him.

"Dammit Chloe! I don't want to have to yell at you, but I've got
nowhere else to be, so you can sit here and listen to me rant all
night, or you can tell me what's really going on."

Harm watched as Chloe covered her face with her hands and started
shaking. "You know what I said to the police?" she began, timidly,
through her tears.

"Yes."

"Well..." she sniffled, "that wasn't everything."

"I'm listening."

"When he found my wallet with the four dollars, he said, 'Four
dollars?! You're not even worth it, you fat bitch!'" She shouted it
and took off running for Harm's bedroom, and she was only sorry there
was no door for her to slam so he wouldn't see her collapse onto the
bed and sob into one of the pillows.

Harm sat on the table, dumbstruck and unable to move. If he lived to
be a million years old, he would never fully understand the fairer
sex. Why had she let it get to her? What did it matter what some
lowlife scumbag said?

He let her cry for a few minutes before trepidatiously making his way
over to her. He sat on the bed and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Go away!" she spat.

"You want to give me orders, go become a Captain," he joked, and he
pulled her up. He grabbed some tissues from his nightstand and dried
her tear-stained face. "Oh, Chloe, I'm so sorry that piece of garbage
said that to you. But I'm even sorrier you believed him. You are a
beautiful girl."

"You have to say that because you're in love with Mac and I'm her
little sister.

"Leave me and Mac out of this. This is about you. You're a royal
pain in the butt, but you're a very pretty pain in the butt. So why
do you even care what that creep said to you? He was probably high
on something at the time, and he'll have plenty of time to think
about how wrong he was while he rots behind bars."

"If they find them."

"Oh, they'll find them. You have my word on that. And you know
what?"

"What?"

"I'm not going to gross you out with some big talk about it, but you
know...girls your age...well, there are a lot of changes. In a few
years, you'll look completely different."

"I knew it! You *do* think I'm fat!" She ran back toward the living
room, but Harm was quicker and grabbed her and held her in place.

"Don't put words in my mouth. Especially not ones like those."

"I just...I keep hearing them in my head, over and over again. And I
see their faces. Every time I close my eyes."

Harm hugged her tight. "I know. I know you do, sweetie. But it'll
get better."

"No it won't."

He pulled away from her and looked in her eyes. "Yes, it will. I
know it will, and I'll tell you how I know over dinner. Deal?"

She sighed. "All right," she grumbled.

While Chloe calmed down and relaxed, Harm prepared the meal, taking
extra caution to keep it lean and healthy, for her sake. She had
agreed to eat, but she'd probably still feel better eating something
light and balanced.

The girl had been through hell and back, and she deserved something
special. He called her to the table and when she sat down, he poured
them both a glass of white grape juice, the closest thing to wine
he'd let her see until she was twenty-one.

"You look good together," Chloe said, out of the blue.

"Who does?"

"You and Mac. I was flipping through your photo album."

"You've got a one-track mind, little girl," he said, smiling. "Don't
change the subject."

"Okay, then what were you going to tell me?"

"You know about my crash, right?"

"Which one?"

"Ha ha. The first one. Before I was at JAG."

Chloe nodded. "What about it?"

"When it happened, I thought my life was over. My whole world had
literally crashed and burned right before my eyes. When they took my
wings, they might as well have reached into my chest and ripped out
my beating heart. I was a Naval aviator. Without those wings, I was
nothing. Nobody. I was scared and lost and alone and angry at the
world."

"Not exactly making me feel better here, Harm."

"Your Honor, if Ms. Madison would stop interrupting--"

Chloe giggled.

"See? Just the point I was getting to. You'll smile again, and
laugh again. It may feel that way right now, but your world's not
over. You're still the same Chloe; I'm still the same Harm, although
some people would say that's not such a good thing. Anyway, they
only took four dollars. Don't let them take your spirit, too."

"Did you...did you think about it a lot?"

"Did I? Heck, I still do. All the time. Only now, I think about
all the good that's come of it. If I had never crashed, I could've
flown a lot more, but I would lose my wings eventually anyway. I
never would've met all the great people at JAG, and look at all the
people I've helped. This way, I get to that *and* fly, although not
as much as I'd like."

"You wouldn't have met Mac."

"That's right. And the world would have been denied a ride that
leaves every rollercoaster I've ever been on in its dust."

"And...did you have nightmares? Were you so scared it was all you
could think about, and that made you even more scared?"

"Yes, at first. On all counts. There were times I would close my
eyes and see flames all around me. I would blast the radio just to
try and drown out the sound of crushing metal in my head. I felt
terrible at the beginning. I had lost the only thing that meant
anything to me. And what made me feel even worse, even more guilty,
is that I was more upset about losing my wings than losing my RIO.
But Chloe, my point is, it goes away. I won't lie to you. It'll get
worse before it gets better, but it *will* get better. That I can
promise you."

"But what if they find me? What if it happens again?"

"They're not going to find you. The police are going to find *them*,
and then they'll find *themselves* jail for as long as the law
allows."

"But--"

"Look, they'll catch them, but if it would make you feel better, when
Mac gets back, she and I can teach you some self-defense moves."

"Maybe," Chloe muttered.

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

Tuesday, December 31, 2002

The following morning began with great news. The authorities in
Chloe's hometown had apprehended her muggers. The phone call came
Harm and Chloe shared a breakfast of fresh fruit and wheat toast.

"Hello?"

"Hello, may I please speak with Commander Harmon Rabb?"

"This is Rabb."

"Good morning, Commander. This is Sheriff Ken Higgins, with the
Montpelier PD in Vermont."

"Oh! Well, I hope you've got some good news for me, Sheriff."

"As a matter of face, I do. We've got the perpetrators in custody as
of a few minutes ago."

"Sheriff, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but would you mind if I put you
on speaker phone? Chloe's right here, and I'm sure she'd want to
hear this."

"No problem, Commander."

Harm signaled for Chloe to come over. "All right, go ahead."

"Chloe, are you there?"

"Yes, I'm here."

"Well, I was just telling the Commander that we've got the guys who
attacked you."

"Are you sure it's them?" Chloe asked.

"Yes, we're certain. I know this won't make you feel any better, but
you weren't the only person they got that night, and the night
after. Same M.O. each time, and we've got positive ID's from two
other victims. Description of the car matches too. One of the
victims was able to get part of the plate number."

"Well, that's a relief, Sheriff," Harm said. "What happens now?"

"Well, first, they celebrate New Year's Eve behind bars, because it
doesn't look like anyone's in a hurry to post bond for these pieces
of work. The only toasting they'll be doing is with bread and water."

"Can't say I feel sorry for them," Harm said.

"No, certainly not. But after that, their arraignments will be
sometime next week. I'll let you know as soon as I have the exact
information. Chloe, dear, if you'll be back here by then, we'd like
you to be present. The other victims have agreed to be there."

"I think I'll be back. Um, Sheriff?"

"Yes?"

"How did you find them?"

"Well, these guys weren't exactly rocket scientists. They tried to
use a stolen credit card at the Pancake House early this morning. An
observant waitress noticed the card was in a woman's name, but there
were four men at the table. She called the credit card company, and
it had been reported stolen two days earlier. She managed to stall
them until we got there, and as soon as we saw them, we knew we had
our slimeballs. The descriptions added up from bits and pieces of
everyone's reports. You had a great memory, Chloe. Your report
helped us a lot."

Harm smiled at her.

"Well," the Sheriff went on, "I don't want to take up any more your
morning. Just wanted to get the word out."

"And we appreciate it, Sheriff. Thank you so much."

"Just doin' my job. Like I said, I'll be in touch when I know more
about the arraignments. Now you folks have a happy new year."

"We will, thanks to you, Sheriff."

Harm hung up the phone and looked at Chloe. "You see? You were so
brave at the police station, and because of you, those guys are gonna
get what they deserve."

"Then how come I don't feel any better?" she mumbled.

Harm bent down to her. "Hey," he said, "you're still scared, and
that's perfectly normal. You'll be scared for a long time, and
that's okay. You're allowed to feel however you want to feel, and
don't you let anyone tell you otherwise."

While they cleaned up after breakfast, the phone rang again.

"Boy," Chloe said, "you're pretty popular."

"Yeah. The phone never rings this much around here. Must be that
teenage girl vibe you're putting out."

He went to answer it. "Rabb."

"Harm, it's me. I'm home."

"Good. For a while there, I thought I might have to go stag. And I
wasn't about to do that, and God help me if I spend the night in
front of the TV, watching Dick Clark and a million drunk people in
Times Square."

"Well, don't worry, Flyboy. Now you can just have a nice dinner and
I'm pretty sure I can guarantee your date won't be drunk."

"Oh Mac, I'm sorry. I didn't mean--"

"I know. Don't worry about it. So what time should I expect you? I
need to know how many hours of beauty sleep I can squeeze in."

"20:30. Dinner and dancing, and then a toast at midnight."

"If I make it that long. I'm pretty jetlagged."

"Maaaac."

She laughed. "Just kidding. I wouldn't miss it. Besides, I need to
see you. I brought you back a souvenir."

"Snowglobe? T-shirt?"

Mac laughed loudly as she looked at Sergei sitting on her
couch. "Not exactly."

"All right," he groaned. "Then I'll see you at 20:30."

"Yep."

"Hey, Mac?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't worry. You could stay awake for a year and still be
beautiful."

He hung up before she could compose a reaction. He wanted to catch
her off guard. He didn't get the opportunity often, so recently,
he'd found himself creating his own chances. If he was careful, 2003
would be the start of many good things. Things he refused to do
without for another year. Someone to wake up next to every morning.
Someone to talk to every night.

Meanwhile, on her end, Mac stared at her phone like it was a person
who had just sprouted three heads. Harm had been dropping little
bombs like that for a while now. She was so used to their standard
pitching and hitting, but lately, he'd been throwing all kinds of
curveballs.

Harm knew they had a big night ahead of them, so he and Chloe spent
the day relaxing. They played card games and he even taught her a
few chords on the guitar.

At 19:30, Chloe showered and started getting ready. She was in the
bathroom for what seemed like forever to Harm. Remembering all kinds
of primping and makeup tools she had bought at the mall a few days
before, Harm didn't even want to guess as to what she was doing in
there. Tweezing this, curling that. He'd take his chances with a
damaged F-14 over the makeup aisle in a drug store any day.

Chloe finally emerged from the bathroom, and was a sight to behold.
She wore a lavender colored dress and matching shoes with a very
modest heel. The dress came with a shawl that she draped classically
over her shoulders.

"Wow," Harm said, taking her in. "I hope no one gets whiplash
tonight, because you are going to turn some serious heads, young
lady."

She blushed.

"You really look beautiful, Chloe, and I would stand here and gush
more, but I have to get ready myself."

Harm showered and shaved in record time. He wore a black suit with a
gray dress shirt and black tie. He chose his tietack very
deliberately. It was a silver eagle, globe, and anchor that Mac had
given him a few years back. He splashed on some cologne and was
ready to go.

As Chloe reached for her coat, Harm stopped her. "Wait. There's
something missing."

"I hope not," Chloe said, "because this is all I have."

Harm went into the kitchen and came back with a tiny box. Chloe
opened it, and inside was a small purple rosebud accented by a sprig
of white baby's breath. She gasped. "What's this for?"

"The finishing touch." He leaned down and pinned it in her
hair. "Perfect." He stepped back and looked at her again. "You
couldn't look like more of an angel if you had wings and a halo."
Chloe smiled. "You've had a hell of a week. What do you say we go
get your big sister and have a great night on the town?"

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

Mac's Apartment
20:30 EST

Mac and Sergei both spent most of the day sleeping. They were quite
jetlagged and knew they had a busy night planned. As time drew
closer, they woke up and got ready for the evening. Sergei looked
quite debonair in a dark suit. Mac was stunning in a floor-length
black dress with beaded spaghetti straps and a plunging neckline.
The dress had a slit that went up to her knee, and along the cut were
sparkling, ruby colored beads to match the straps.

Sergei watched as Mac dabbed perfume on her wrists and at the pulse
on her neck. She proceeded to put on the rest of her makeup and when
she was finished, Sergei had to catch his breath.

"Forgive me for saying it so many times, but my brother is a lucky
man."

Mac smiled. "If only it was as easy for him to say it as it is for
you." She put her lipstick into her elegant black clutch bag, and
there was a knock at the door. Mac signaled to Sergei. "Go in the
bedroom. I'll let you know when it's time." Sergei went to hide and
Mac opened the door to Harm and Chloe.

"Chloe! What are you doing here?!" Her happy surprise was quickly
replaced by horror. "Oh my God! What happened to your face?!"

"I got mugged."

"What?! Harm, what's going on?"

Harm nodded. "She can tell you herself."

Mac put her arm around Chloe and pulled her into the
apartment. "Well, come in and sit down, and start talking." Mac led
her to the couch, and she noticed Harm was still standing in the
doorway. "What are you waiting for?" she asked him.

Harm put his index finger to his lips. "Shhh," he said, and motioned
for her to come back over to him. Harm watched Mac intensely as she
seemed to float toward him, the lamp behind her casting a soft glow
around her. How was it humanly possible for her to become more
beautiful each time he saw her?

"You. Look. Incredible."

"You sure they really fixed your eyes that time, Flyboy?"

"Mac, please, no jokes. Not tonight."

"All right," she said, sensing his seriousness.

Harm had been hiding something behind his back, and he brought his
hand forward to give her a single red rose. "I wanted to get you
something pretty, but the most beautiful thing I know, you can't buy
in any store."

"Oh, Harm," she whispered. "I don't know what to say."

He pointed to Chloe. "Well, I think there's someone over there who
has plenty to say."

"Yeah. Is she okay?"

"She will be. They caught they guys who did it this morning. But
Chloe can tell you everything."

Mac nodded, and they both came back into the apartment. "Chloe, that
dress is gorgeous, and look at that flower in your hair! You look
beautiful! But...you can't go with your face looking like that.
Come into the bathroom with me. I bet we can find some makeup to
cover most of it up."

"Hey, Mac, while you do that, why don't you give me my souvenir?"

Mac smiled. "Okay." She headed for the bedroom to get Sergei, and
Harm called, "Y'know, I'm going to have the two most stunning women
in Washington on my arms tonight."

Just then, Sergei stepped into the hallway. "Why don't you let me
take one, big brother?"

Harm turned around and stared, mouth agape and eyes wide. "Sergei?!
Mac! How...how did you-"

"That little 'classified' assignment I was on."

Harm sat there, frozen, trying to process it. "Russia?"

"With help from Webb."

"Oh, Sergei!" Harm got up and the two men hugged tightly.

Mac and Chloe smiled as they watched the brothers reunite. "Sorry
it's not a snowglobe," Mac said, "but maybe next time."

"No," Harm said. "This is...he's a helluva souvenir, Mac. I don't
know what to say."

"Say you'll take him in until he finds his own place."

Harm looked to Sergei. "You're staying?"

He nodded. "For now. Maybe I find work at Russian Embassy here."

"Oh God, Sergei, this is...this is amazing." He grabbed his younger
brother in another tight embrace.

"All right, you two," Mac said, "before my mascara starts running."
She looked between Chloe and Sergei. "Chloe, meet Harm's brother,
Sergei Zhukov. Sergei, this is Chloe Madison, my little sister,
through the mentoring program."

"Beautiful Chloe," Sergei said, placing a kiss on her hand.

"Why don't you boys sit down and catch up while Chloe and I have a
chat and see what I can do about that face."

Twenty minutes later, the four of them were checking their coats at
the restaurant. Harm helped Mac step out of hers, and he looked her
up and down again.

"Breathe, Harm," she teased.

"You're not making it easy."

It was no problem adding Sergei to their reservation, and the
maitre'd showed them to their table. They enjoyed an elegant meal
and then Sergei asked Chloe if she would like to dance. Harm and Mac
watched them on the dance floor for a minute, and then Harm extended
his hand. "May I have the honor?"

They danced slowly in each other's arms for a bit. "Harm, about
Chloe."

"Shhh. No talking. Just dancing. We can talk about it later."

Mac nodded, and then nestled her head against his chest, inhaling his
cool scent, lost in the calm, as they danced to slow song after slow
song.

Just before midnight, everyone was supplied with champagne or
sparkling cider for the toast. Harm and Mac held hands as everyone
counted down the seconds. At midnight, Harm whispered, 'Happy New
Year' to her and leaned in to kiss her warmly.

"It is now," she whispered back, smiling.

Chloe and Harm, and Mac and Sergei exchanged kisses on the cheek and
all four toasted to 2003. After a little while, Chloe and Sergei
were talking up a storm, and wouldn't miss them, so Harm asked Mac to
join him outside. In the warmer months, the restaurant had a large
patio and garden in back, where people could eat outside. But
tonight, the tables were gone, replaced by a few benches, and white
holiday lights were strung through the trees and along the
lampposts. A few other couples were outside, talking and keeping to
themselves.

"Maybe I should get my coat," Mac said.

"Relax," Harm replied, as he led her outside. "I'll keep you warm."

Little did he know, his hand on the small of her back was already
doing an excellent job of that. He took off his jacket and draped it
over Mac's shoulders. They were fortunate; this was one of the
mildest winters the Capital had seen in years.

They found an empty bench and took a seat. "Chloe told me what
happened. Harm, thank God you were home. Who knows what might've
happened to her."

"I'm just glad she called me. She was pretty shaken up. You
should've seen her. But anyway, she's a real strong girl. Good head
on her shoulders. Takes after her big sister that way."

Mac smiled. "Well, I think now, she's got a big brother, too,
whether you want the job or not."

"Oh, I'll take it. Definitely. The first girl I've ever met whose
life I haven't completely screwed up."

"You've got time; she's young."

"Very funny."

"I'm just kidding. Harm, from what she told me, you did an
incredible job. She was scared and really needed someone, and you
were there for her. I'll never be able to thank you enough."

"Mac, forget about it. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine. And
that goes double for sisters."

"And brothers."

"And brothers. What you did, Mac...it was really something else. I
can't believe you got him to come back."

"I didn't do anything you wouldn't have done for me."

"Maybe not, but that doesn't change how much it means to me. When he
went back to Russia, I thought I would never see him again. And it
was all my fault, too."

"Don't beat yourself up, Harm. It was nobody's fault, he just wasn't
ready to be here. But you did push him away, even if you didn't mean
to. You need to be patient this time. Let him go at his own pace,
and most important, let him make mistakes. Don't baby him. He may
not dress up as Uncle Sam next Halloween, but he'll adjust to
America. You can give him love and support, but try not to suffocate
him."

"But how will I know if I'm doing it again?"

"I'll tell you."

"Just don't be too blunt about it."

"I don't know, Harm. Sometimes I feel like I need a sandwich board
and a megaphone to get through to you." Mac started rubbing her neck
with her hand.

"You all right?"

"Yeah, just a little tense. Eleven hours in a plane will do that to
you."

"So will twenty minutes, if you punch out and make your landing via
parachute." Harm went around behind the bench and pressed his hands
into her back and shoulders. He applied pressure at different points
with his fingertips and the heel of his palm.

Mac closed her eyes and reveled in the feel of Harm's strong hands
working out the stress in her muscles. Of course, it was only
replaced by sweet aches in other parts of her body.

"Mmmmmm...you must've gotten your law degree with a minor in Heaven."

Harm's knees almost buckled at the sound of Mac's soft moan. "No,
just comes from lots of practice."

"Forget it. I don't even want to know."

"Mac, about Sergei. I can't stop thinking about it. I'm floored.
No one's ever done anything like this for me before."

"Well, what are friends for?"

"Best friends," he stressed, still massaging her back. "In fact,
Mac, you're not just my best friend. You're the best everything.
It's an incredible start to the new year, thanks to you."

"And what else do you have in store for the year? Any big plans?"

"Just one. Get Sergei a sister-in-law."

Mac's eyes widened as she smiled. "That's a pretty lofty goal there,
sailor. Just where do you think you'll find this woman?"

Harm slid his jacket down Mac's arms and bent down torturously slowly
and kissed the back of her neck so tenderly it was like an angel's
caress. Mac's whole body tingled, from the top of her head to the
tips of her toes.

"I think I've already found her," Harm whispered. He walked around
and sat down next to Mac on the bench. He took her hands in his, and
his green eyes, dark with desire, looked deeply into hers. "This
year, Mac. You and me. No more games."

Mac scarcely trusted her voice at that moment. "Don't make a promise
you can't keep."

"I haven't yet," he said, and his lips met hers in a kiss that
ignited a fire in both of their cores. "And to you, Sarah, I never
will."


~~The end~~