TITLE: "Home is Where the Heart Is-Chapter 6"
       AUTHORS:  Anne R. and Pat Steiner
       SUMMARY:  Harm and Mac live together. Platonically.  Roommates.  
Separate 
bedrooms.  For how long?  Set during the spring/summer, now Fall, of 
2002 
however neither Sergei nor the events of Afghanistan are a factor.
       CLASSIFICATION/RATING:  S/R/A     PG for language, mild violence
       SPOILERS:  In any of our work, any JAG episode may be referred 
to.
       FEEDBACK:  If you're so moved but never expected nor begged for.  
Addy is 
ssbpmn@aol.com.  Please however, we request you respect the work, and 
the 
effort that goes into writing it.
       NOTE:  All parts of this story and previous chapters, as well as 
much of our 
other works, are available at 
                     
                                  
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subbing required.  Please ignore any notice of adult content you may 
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http://www.netroenterprises.com/exlibrisjag
                                   
                                   or the Harm-Mac shipper archive at    
http://hmarchive.topcities.com/index2.html  [sadly, not always up and 
running]
                     
                               or BTL-
                               http://www.wtv-zone.com/trgarchive/btl/
                               http://destined.to/btlarchive - {BTL H/M 
Fanfiction archive.}
       =============
Previously in Home---Another bout in the trials of homeownership, in 
the form of a 
swarm of bees in the attic, added to another round of misunderstanding 
between 
Harm and Mac.  After Mac's close call with a bee sting reaction, 
they're back on an 
even keel and preparing for their first winter in the old house.
====================
From Home 5—

He tucked her into bed before sitting down on the side next to her.
 "You feeling okay?" he asked.
 
 "Harm I'm fine. Stop worrying. You heard the doctor say everything was 
 okay."
 
 "Yeah well the doctor wasn't there yesterday when you passed out on me 
 several times" Harm sighed as he gently stroked her cheek.
 
 "Sorry I scared you so much."
 
 "Just don't let it happen again," he said softly. "You mean a lot to 
me 
 Sarah Mackenzie. I don't ever want to lose you."

"Nor I you," she whispered softly and at once he slipped his hands 
beneath her back 
to bring him to her in a long hug, clinging tightly to her.  
Yesterday's scare had 
awoken a myriad of emotions within him--emotions his head did not wish 
to give a 
name to, though he knew in his heart what he was feeling.  When he 
finally released 
her, he let her down onto the pillow and backed away, only to stop nose 
to nose with 
her.

"I told you before we're past the permission needed stage," she 
breathed, wanting 
that kiss as much as he wanted to give it.

He held her hand until he knew she was asleep, then busied himself 
around the 
house, keeping an ear out for her. Twice he was sure her heard her, and 
bounded up 
the steps, only to find her sleeping soundly.  "Come on Ghost, give me 
a break," he 
muttered, though he was not sorry to have to look in on her, smiling 
each time to see 
her sleeping.  Even--or especially--without makeup she was a beautiful 
woman.  
And yet the reasons he felt as he did for her were much deeper than 
that.  The last 
visit he had touched her cheek with the back of his hand and she 
stirred in sleep 
slightly, a gentle smile coming over her as if she knew he was there.  

They  would be all right now.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

NOTE:  This story will deal with the supernatural, and will require a 
mind open to 
those possibilities in order to be believable.  If that is not 
something about which 
you want to read, suggest you skip this.
===================

Home is Where the Heart Is, Ch. 6---

  Late October,  2002
 
 The warm summer days had finally given way to the cooler days of fall 
and 
 with the earlier nightfall had come an increase in the paranormal 
activity 
 in the house. Mac did her best to shake off the weird happenings but 
as 
 Halloween neared, it was getting harder and harder to do just that.
 
 "Harm I swear I'm calling a medium in here" Mac announced this 
particular 
 Thursday morning.
 
 "You joking right?" he laughed.
 
 "I'm serious. Maybe they can figure out why all of a sudden this place 
is 
 more active than the Amityville Horror."
 
 "Mac its not more active. It's just because it's darker earlier now 
that 
 you're noticing it more."
 
 "Yeah right" she scoffed. "Good explanation there counselor."
 
 "Mac we know there's noises here. It's not a big deal. I thought you 
were 
 used to them by now."
 
 "I was" she sighed as she allowed him to wrap his arms around her. 
"But now 
 it seems worse. I can't explain it."
 
 "You're getting yourself worked up over this for nothing" he said as 
he held 
 her tightly. "Besides if you're really afraid at night, my bedroom 
door is 
 always open."
 
 "Cute Rabb" she said as she pushed herself away from him. "You really 
are a 
 piece of work sometime. I'm trying to talk to you seriously here and 
you're 
 making jokes."
 
 "I'm trying to get you to lighten up" he countered. "You've been very 
edgy 
 the past week. You were fine all summer now suddenly this is all 
bothering 
 you again."
 
 "You can't tell me you haven't noticed that it's noisier around here. 
And 
 that lights you turn on suddenly go off."
 
 "Okay I've noticed but I've ignored it. And you should too."
 
 "I can't ignore this" she sighed. "I'm serious about calling a medium 
Harm."
 
 "Mac let it go" he urged.
 
 "We'll see" she murmured.
 
 ***************
 JAG HQ's
 Two Hours Later
 
 "Hey I have to go to Norfolk," he said as he walked into Mac's office.
 
 "What for?" Mac frowned.
 
 "Because Petty Officer Gibson decided to get drunk and belligerent 
outside a 
 bar in Norfolk last night and got arrested. Shouldn't take but a day 
or so 
 to get it worked out."
 
 "So you're staying over night?"
 
 "Is that a problem?" he asked.
 
 "No of course not. I just wanted to know if you were coming back or 
not."
 
 "Mac you're not worried about being in the house alone are you?"
 
 "No. I'll be fine. If you get a chance stop over and say hi to Chad 
and 
 Natalie. See how the wedding plans are coming."
 
 "Maybe I can call and see if they're available for dinner" he nodded. 
"You 
 sure you're going to be okay?"
 
 "I'll be fine. Go."
 
 "Okay. But if you need anything, you know the number."
 
 "Thanks Harm" she said softly. "Good luck."
 
 "That's not a proper goodbye Marine," he said as he gently closed the 
door 
 behind him "At least not now it isn't."
 
 Safely obscured by the drawn blinds and closed door, she went at once 
into his embrace, and he 
tilted her face up to meet his so that he could give her a soft sweet 
kiss.

"Now that's a goodbye I can take with me," he whispered.  "I'm worried 
about leaving you alone in 
the house you know."

"I'm not afraid of our guests," she replied still in the safety of his 
embrace.  "If they had wanted to 
hurt one of us they would have a long time ago.  Now get going before 
the Admiral decides you'd 
make a better mail room clerk in the Aleutians.  And call me soon as 
you get there to let me know 
you're OK."

"I will.  I'll want to know you're in and locked up for the night 
anyway."

Another quick kiss and he was gone, nearly slamming into Harriet who 
was about to knock on Mac's 
door.

"Did I interrupt?" she laughed.

"No but if you'd been five minutes earlier you would have," Mac laughed 
as well.  "Harm's on his way 
to Norfolk and we were. . ."

"I'm sure you were giving him a farewell briefing."  Harriet shook her 
head with another smile.  "You 
and the Commander are getting along pretty well.  Everyone has noticed.  
A nice change from before.  
And I suddenly wish I'd asked permission to speak freely before I 
spouted off ma'am.  I'm sorry."

"Relax Lieutenant.  Harm and I are doing very well thank you and that's 
as far as I want to go there.  
That would be the Smathers research?"

"Yes ma'am.  Bud actually did it, but I'll take the credit if that's 
OK."
==============
There was still no word from Harm by the time Mac got home late that 
afternoon.   The message light 
was blinking on their machine and she ran to it, not stopping even to 
put down her things.  "Mac" it 
began.  Harm's voice and she let out a long sigh of relief, that lasted 
but for a second as that was all 
there was.  Just his voice, unmistakable, saying her name.  A short 
rush of irritation followed as she 
considered that he was playing some kind of joke on her.  She shook it 
off almost at once and 
grabbed up the receiver, dialing his cell.  Had he gotten that much out 
in some kind of cry for help. . 
.said her name just before. . .

"Commander Rabb."  His voice calm and collected and she let out the 
breath she had been holding.

"Harm thank god."

"Mac what's wrong?" he demanded, on alert at once.  "Where are you?  
Are you OK?  Talk to me 
Marine."

"Harm I'm fine," she told him quickly.  "It's you I was concerned 
about.  I didn't hear from you and 
then I got here and all I got was your voice saying my name on the 
machine.  I thought maybe you'd 
gotten that out and then. . .well never mind.  You're OK?"

"Yeah I'm fine.  In fact I'm in my room at the BOQ and Chad and I are 
going to go get a beer and 
watch the basketball game. I was going to call and tell you that.  
Didn't you get my message before 
though?"

"Yeah I got it.  One word--Mac.  You weren't trying to be funny?"

"No of course not.  Why would I do that?  I said 'Mac I got here OK 
after a long delay on the bridge' 
and then I said that PO Gibson was in the hospital and I couldn't 
interview him today anyway so I was 
giving up and calling Chad and Natalie.  Seems Gibson managed to cause 
a bar fight and get a pretty 
bad laceration.  Anyway, you didn't get that?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you," she sighed.  "Look it's not 
important.  You're there, you're fine 
and I'm starving.  Go have a good time with Chad and don't pick up any 
women OK."

"Like I'd want anyone but you," he snorted, so much to her surprise 
that she did not answer right 
away.

"I uh. . .I feel the same about you," she stammered finally.  "Call me 
when you're back in will you."

"Absolutely.  I wouldn't sleep without knowing you're OK.  You've 
locked up?"

Mac looked guiltily at the front door, still ajar.  "Oh yeah tight as a 
drum.  Later Harm.  Take care of 
yourself."  She hung up the phone and locked the door, returning to the 
desk and staring at the 
machine.  Finally she pulled out her cell phone, dialed their home 
number and let the machine 
answer, recording a test message.  It worked perfectly.  And then as if 
to mock her the stereo system 
roared to life, giving out a deafening blast of the Marine Battle Hymn.

"Dammit," she yelped and hurried to it, hitting the power button not 
once but several times while the 
music rocked the walls.  "I do not believe this. Knock it off," she 
shouted as loud as she could while 
she crawled behind the unit to pull the plug.  Only then did the noise 
cease.
  ***************
  JAG HQ's
  Next Morning
  
  "Good morning Colonel" Sturgis said brightly as Mac walked into the 
break 
  room.
  
  "Is it morning?" Mac groaned.
  
  "Bad night Mac?" Sturgis asked as he looked at her. "You look like 
you never 
  went to bed."
  
  "I feel like it. I need caffeine desperately."
  
  "Here you go," he said as he poured a mug full and then handed it to 
her. 
  "Why didn't you sleep?"
  
  "Long story" she said after a long sip of the hot liquid.
  
  "Miss Harm that much?" he teased.
  
  "I wish it was just that" she sighed. "Unfortunately our house has 
gone 
  crazy again."
  
  "Excuse me?"
  
  "The ghosts. They've suddenly become more active again. And of course 
when 
  Harm is gone, they're on their worst behavior."
  
  "Ghosts? You really have ghosts there?"
  
  "Yes we do. I told Harm I wanted to find a medium to come out and see 
what 
  they wanted so that maybe we could get them to leave. He of course 
thought I 
  was nuts."
  
  "He doesn't think you have ghosts?" Sturgis asked.
  
  "No he knows we do. But he doesn't pay any attention to them. He 
thinks if I 
  ignore them they'll go away. But it isn't that simple."
  
  "You know there's that lady who does the talk show in the morning 
every once 
  in a while" Sturgis said thoughtfully. "She goes to peoples' houses 
and talks 
  to their ghosts."
  
  "That's what I need" Mac sighed. "You remember her name?"
  
  "Tonya something. I could probably call the radio station. She was 
just on 
  last week talking about someone's house."
  
  "If you wouldn't mind I'd appreciate it" Mac sighed. "I have to be in 
court 
  in ten otherwise I would just call myself."
  
  "No I'll be happy to call" Sturgis nodded. "You go ahead. I'll get in 
touch 
  with her and see what I can arrange."
  
  "See if you can do it tonight since Harm probably won't be back till 
  tomorrow. He'll flip if he finds out that I'm doing this."
  
  "Give me an idea of what's going on so I can tell her."
  
  "Oh the usual. The lights going on and off. Last night I was blasted 
out by 
  the Marine Hymn when the stereo suddenly came on. And it wasn't until 
I 
  unplugged it that it went off. Last night Harm called and left a 
message but 
  it cut it off. All I got was him saying my name."
  
  "This all happens at your place?" Sturgis asked with wide eyes.
  
  "It was quieter during the summer" Mac sighed. "But now all of a 
sudden 
  they've gone crazy on me. And to be honest it's getting to me."
  
  "Okay I'll call and see what I can find. If she's willing to come, do 
you 
  mind if I tagged along?"
  
  "Of course not. Be happy to have normal people around for a night."
  
  "Cool" Sturgis smiled. "I'll make the call."
  
  "Call who?" Harriet asked as she and Bud walked in.
  
  "The medium who does the radio show" Sturgis replied.
  
  "You have ghosts?" Bud asked.
  
  "No Mac does. And she wants to get rid of them."
  
  "I thought your place was a little strange," Harriet said as she 
looked over 
  at Mac. "I just didn't want to say anything."
  
  "Not everyone notices it" Mac sighed. "It seems to bother women more 
than it 
  does men. Which is of course why Harm thinks I'm crazy and you guys 
can't 
  tell him about this if we do it."
  
  "Do what?" Bud asked.
  
  "Get the medium to come out and talk to the ghosts" Sturgis smiled.
  
  "Cool can we come too?" Bud asked.
  
  "Bud I'm not sure I want to see someone talk to spirits" Harriet said 
  softly.
  
  "Honey it will be neat."
 
 "Neat is why you had me crawling around those caves up in Maryland," 
she groaned.  "Listening for 
the whistling ghost."
 
 "We heard it didn't we?"
 
 "We heard the wind," she retorted.
 
 "Where was this?"  Singer's voice as she pushed through Bud and 
Harriet.  "Ma'am here's the case 
file on Evans."
 
 "Thank you Lieutenant.  We're discussing the ghosts that haunt my 
house," Mac smiled, determined 
to be pleasant.
 
 "Would that include the one that copped a feel on me at your house 
warming?"
 
 There was silence for a moment and finally Sturgis cleared his throat.  
"Loren, are you being serious 
now?"
 
 "Yes sir.  In the basement.  I uh. . .got turned around and ended up 
down there.  It reached around 
behind me and at first I thought it was one of you male cretins being 
funny.  But there wasn't anyone 
there.  And I've never been back you'll notice."
 
 "Yeah."  Mac refrained from mentioning that she had not been invited.
 
 "Sturgis are you going to call then?"
 
 "Yes of course if that's what you want," he nodded.
 
 When she finished in court she hurried to Sturgis's office.  "All 
set," he reported.  "Tonya will be there 
at 2300.  She wants time to look around and make notes before 
midnight--the witching hour she 
called it."
 
 "OK good," Mac nodded.  "Did you guys talk price?"
 
 "It's negotiable, and sometimes she does it for free if she uses the 
case in her show.  But she was 
especially fascinated by the music coming on."
 
 "Well if she gets lucky maybe it will happen again.  I hope she brings 
ear plugs," Mac sighed.  "Why 
don't you and Bud and Harriet come over mid evening and we'll get some 
pizza and just hang loose 
until she arrives."
 =================
 MAC & HARM's HOUSE
 530 PM
 
 "OK Ghosts I'm home," Mac yelled as she came through the door, holding 
her breath in case of 
something untoward but save a small bumping noise from upstairs all was 
quiet.
 
 The phone was ringing by the time she had gotten out of her uniform.  
"Harm," she said hopefully 
aloud, realizing she hadn't talked to him all day.  Out of sight out of 
mind or something like that.
 
 "Hey beautiful," came the voice from the other end as soon as she said 
hello.
 
 She laughed lightly and lowered her tone to soft and sultry before she 
answered.  "Hi yourself big 
boy.  Are you wearing those knit boxers that are getting tighter all 
the time?  Just as soon as I have 
your credit card information we'll see what we can do about that."
 
 "Mac that is you isn't it?" he gasped in shock.  "What are you doing, 
running a phone sex operation 
out of our house now?"
 
 "Yeah Harm it's me, and no, but for you I could make an exception," 
she giggled lightly.  "So are 
you?"
 
 "Am I what?"
 
 "Wearing boxer shorts that are getting tighter by the second," she 
giggled again.
 
 "No."
 
 "No to which, no boxer shorts or I'm not turning you on?"
 
 "Give it a rest will you.  I'm in a break from a Captain's mast here.  
The Petty Officer is talking to his 
CO about non judicial punishment since it appears he may have been 
provoked."
 
 "So you think you're coming back tonight?" she asked anxiously, 
thinking of the plans for the 
evening.
 
 "Not early if at all," he replied.  "If I can reach an agreement with 
Capt. Stannis on the kid's behalf, 
I'm going to have dinner with a couple guys from the Henry and then 
depending on the time and my 
state of inebriation, I'll decide then.  So bottom line, I have no 
clue.  Now are you OK?"
 
 "I'm fine," she answered quickly.  "Long couple days at work without 
you.  I miss you.  You know that 
don't you?"
 
 "As much as I miss you I hope."
 
 "Always Sailor always.  Listen even if you wrap the case I don't want 
you driving back here if you've 
had a couple.  You listening to me?"
 
 "Yes mother.  Give me credit for a little common sense please."
 
 "Harm serious now.  I don't want to lie awake worrying about you."
 
 "Hey I promise, serious.  How about you?  Plans for tonight?
 
 "Actually Bud and Harriet and Sturgis are coming over for a pizza," 
she answered carefully.  "I uh. . .I 
just didn't feel like being alone."
 
 "Good I'm glad.  Just don't go starting to like Sturgis better than me 
will you?"
 
 She was about to laugh when she caught the slight plaintive 
wistfulness in his voice.  "Harm, never.  
Why don't you get back to work and I'm going to get something done 
around here before my guests 
arrive."
  
  "All right. I'll talk to you soon Marine. Take care."
  
  "You too. And seriously, if it's late and you're tired, don't drive 
home" 
  she said softly. "You mean a lot to me Mr. Rabb."
  
  "I do?" he teased.
  
  "You know you do" she smiled. "Now I have to go before everyone gets 
here. 
  You take care sailor."
  
  "You too Marine" he said softly. "I'll see you soon."
  
  *************
  "Pizza's here" Sturgis announced when Mac opened the door several 
hours 
  later.
  
  "Right on time" she smiled. "I'm starving. And if we're lucky that's 
Bud and 
  Harriet that just pulled in after you."
  
  "It is. We're all ready for the festivities."
  
  "I wouldn't call it festivities" Mac sighed.
  
  "How has the place been tonight?" Sturgis asked as he walked in. 
"Anything 
  odd?"
  
  As if to answer him, the living room light suddenly went out.
  
  "Neat how'd you do that?" Sturgis asked.
  
  "I didn't" Mac groaned. "Come on ghost. Turn on the light."
  
  The light came back on and Sturgis stood there with amazement. "That 
is so 
  unbelievable."
  
  "Welcome to my world" she said as she turned to greet Bud and 
Harriet. "Hi 
  guys. Come on in."
  
  "Anything cool happening yet?" Bud asked as he and Harriet came in.
  
  "You missed the lights going on and off" Sturgis replied.
  
  "This is going to be so cool" Bud grinned. "I've never seen a medium 
talk to 
  ghosts before."
  
  "I'm glad you guys think this is so cool" Mac sighed. "To me it's 
just a 
  royal pain in the six."
  
  The words had barely come out of her mouth when the lights went out 
again 
  and Harriet gasped as she grabbed onto Bud's arm.
  
  "Mac tell me you did that" she whispered.
  
  "I wish. Come on ghost. This is not funny. Turn on the lights and 
leave them 
  on please."
  
  The lights finally came on again and Harriet's wide eyes looked 
around the 
  room.
  
  "It's okay Harriet" Mac assured her. "They've never hurt either of 
us."
  
  "You sure?" Harriet asked.
  
  "Yes I'm sure. It's more of an annoyance than anything."
  
  "All right" Harriet said as she looked around again. "If you say so."
  
  Two hours later the doorbell rang again and Mac opened the door to 
see a 
  short middle aged woman at the door.
  
  "Mac?" she asked.
  
  "You must Tonya" Mac smiled. "Come on in."
  
  She nodded as she walked in and Mac watched as she walked slowly 
around the 
  living room.
  
  "It's been very active in here tonight hasn't it?" Tonya asked.
  
  "That's an understatement" Mac sighed.
  
  "I thought so" Tonya nodded. "There's a lot going on around here 
Mac."
  
  "Can you tell them to find a new home?" Mac asked with a small smile.
  
  "I might be able to help them to the other side" Tonya replied. "The 
spirits 
  get stuck between worlds and sometimes I can help them realize that 
they 
  need to let go of this world and move on."
  
  "I'm getting goose bumps already" Harriet whispered.
  
  "Me too" Sturgis admitted while Bud looked on wide-eyed with 
excitement.
  
  "You really talk to them?" he asked.
  
  "Yes I do" Tonya nodded.
 
 "Would you like me to show you around?" Mac asked, "and tell you about 
the history of this house?"
 
 "There was a murder here," Tonya said slowly, drawing in a deep breath 
as if she was soaking up 
atmosphere.
 
 "There was a disappearance here," Mac nodded in reply.  "One of the 
guys who originally built the 
house disappeared the night his brother killed his wife because the 
wife and the guy who vanished 
were allegedly having an affair."
 
 "I doubt his body, or his spirit, went very far," she whispered, 
walking away toward the kitchen.  
 
 "Oh fine," Mac sighed.  "Anything else?" 
 
 "Again, I doubt seriously if that was the only death."
 
 "Tonya just because someone dies in a home doesn't make it haunted," 
Harriet objected.  "If that 
was the case, what about hospitals and nursing homes?"
 
 "Those are mostly peaceful deaths," Tonya explained patiently.  "It's 
those who die violently or who 
put up a struggle who often cannot cross over."
 
 "Wow," Bud breathed, totally enthralled.
 
 "Please walk me through your home," Tonya nodded to Mac, "and then we 
will see if we can't  
perhaps ease the journey for a few tortured souls."
 
 "Ma'am why didn't you wait for the Commander to do this?" Bud asked.  
"Isn't he going to be sorry 
he missed out?"
 
 "The only thing he's missing is having me hauled off to the lock down 
ward at Bethesda," she sighed.  
 
 "I gather he's not a believer your husband?"
 
 Mac could not help a giggle.  "Oh he knows we have odd goings on here, 
but he just ignores them.  
Besides it's me they torment.  Also, Mr. Rabb is not my husband."
 
 "Said with a note of wistful sadness," Tonya smiled.
 
 Mac's hand went to her mouth in surprise.  "Are you psychic as well or 
something?"
 
 "I have a little of that gift, but mostly I am blessed with the 
ability to connect with the spirit world," 
she smiled.  "Come walk with me.  The rest of you remain here."  She 
held out her hand to Mac, who 
took it without thinking and Tonya led the way upstairs.
 
 "You really think she wants the Commander as a husband," Bud 
whispered, thinking over the last 
exchange of words.
 
 "Oh Bud wake up," Harriet groaned and gave him a fast shove.  "They've 
been perfect for each other 
for a long time.  Commander you know Harm pretty well, bear me out 
here."
 
 "I know I'm butting out," Sturgis laughed.  "But OK, yeah they are 
right for each other and I'm sure in 
love."
 
 Harriet's eyes widened.  "Really?  Has he said that?  Did something 
happen?"
 
 "Whoa, down Lieutenant," he laughed again.  "I know nothing more.  
That's all just feeling.  But they 
are different with each other.  Since the storm especially."
  
  "Well if two people should be together it's them" Harriet smiled.
  
  "So tell me about Mr. Rabb" Tonya said as she and Mac wandered the 
upstairs 
  area.
  
  "Harm" Mac smiled. "There's not much to tell."
  
  "You two are close?"
  
  "Yeah I think so" Mac nodded. "We've been through a lot together over 
the 
  years."
  
  "But he doesn't know you're doing this?"
  
  "No. Honestly he would have sent me to the psych ward. It's not that 
he 
  doesn't believe in this stuff it's just that he doesn't pay any 
attention to 
  it."
  
  "He's not as receptive as you are" Tonya smiled.
  
  "I wish I wasn't" Mac sighed. "I just want them to go away so we can 
live 
  here without the stereo suddenly blasting on and the lights going on 
and 
  off."
  
  "I'll see what I can do. Let's go back downstairs. The living room 
seems to 
  be the best spot to do this."
  
  "I've seen them in there before" Mac nodded. "One night I was working 
late 
  wallpapering. I swear he was coming at me."
  
  "Let's go see if I can talk to them."
  
  They headed downstairs to the living room and a short time later they 
were 
  all gathered together, their hands joined as Tonya began the seance.
  
  **********
  The house was dark but there were several cars still in the driveway 
when 
  Harm pulled in. His night out with the guys had been tamer than he'd 
  expected and instead of spending the night in Norfolk he'd decided to 
head 
  home.
  
  "Mac I'm home" he called as he walked in the back door through the 
kitchen. 
  "Mac."
  
  Nothing would have prepared him for the sight of his coworkers 
sitting 
  around the table; their eyes closed as a woman he didn't recognize 
talked in 
  a trance like voice.
  
  "What in the hell is going on here?" he demanded.
  
  "Harm" Mac gasped as she opened her eyes. "What are you doing here?"
  
  "I live here remember. What are you doing?"
  
  "Tonya is talking to our spirits" Mac said sheepishly. "She's a 
medium."
  
  "You called a medium. Mac are you out of your mind."
  
  "No I'm not. You may not be bothered by what's going on around here 
but I 
  sure as hell am. And I want it to end."
  
  "So you called a medium?" he laughed. "Mac get serious. I can't 
believe you 
  of all people believe in this mumbo jumbo stuff."
  
  "Mr. Rabb it's not mumbo jumbo" Tonya spoke up.
  
  "Yes it is" Harm sighed. "Look I'm tired and I'm not in the mood for 
the 
  bewitching hour right now. Thank you for amusing Mac's little 
hysteria but I 
  think it's time for you to go home."
  
  "I was getting somewhere Mr. Rabb" Tonya said seriously.
  
  "With what?" Harm scoffed. "The ghosts. I'm sure you are and I'm sure 
Mac is 
  paying you nicely for it to it too. Now if you'll excuse me" He was 
cut off 
  by Harriet's wail just before the decorative plate from the bookcase 
in the 
  living room flew at him, hitting him in the back of the head.
  
  "Harm" Mac wailed as she hurried to where he stood, stunned and 
dazed. "Are 
  you okay?"
  
  "Yeah I think so" he murmured as his hand reached to the back of his 
head, 
  coming back with a smear of blood.
  
  "Harm come sit down" she ordered as she reached for his arm and 
guided him 
  to the nearby sofa.
  
  "I'll go get a wet washcloth" Sturgis offered as he hurried off to 
the 
  kitchen.
  
  "What in the hell was that all about?" Harm muttered as Mac looked at 
the 
  back of his head.
  
  "I told you I was helping them Mr. Rabb" Tonya said as she stood over 
them. 
  "But you interrupted and now they're more upset. They need help 
getting to 
  the other side."
 
 "The only thing needing help is people believing in this," he gasped, 
wincing in pain.  "Or rather that 
this needs to be done.  Yeah we've got things that happen in here, but 
walking around yelling get out 
ghost is not going to take care of it.  Whatever it is, it's like a 
little kid, when you ignore the behavior 
it stops being fun and finally just stops."
 
 "And this is why your head is split open here?" Mac fretted, holding 
the cloth there tightly, for the 
moment more concerned about him than anything the spirit world could 
offer.
 
 "Normally the activity is pretty benign and you know it," he replied, 
feeling a sharp wave of dizziness 
and letting his head sink to his chest.
 
 "Mac does he need stitches?"  Harriet tried to see the injury.
 
 "No I don't think so," Mac shook her head and Sturgis nodded his 
agreement, adding "but he's 
going to think he's had a six pack by morning.  Harm I don't know what 
happened here but I do know 
a plate doesn't just launch itself across the room taking dead aim at 
you."
 
 Harm gave him a dazed look, and turned his gaze on Tonya.  "Ma'am I 
didn't mean to be rude 
before.  I just didn't take well to coming home and finding you in the 
middle of this.  I do apologize."
 
 "Then you approve?" Tonya asked.
 
 "No I didn't say that.  But I should have handled it better.  I've 
just made the drive from hell and I 
was hoping for quiet and Mac and. . .OK why don't I just go upstairs 
and you people can do whatever 
you want."
 
 "No it's over," Tonya announced.  "No more tonight.  The spirits are 
disturbed and no longer 
receptive.  Mac you will most likely find at least for the next few 
days increased activity.  I just hope it 
doesn't turn malevolent.  Right now you have a house full of very 
unhappy, restless entities."
 
 "Just what I wanted," she muttered, looking up from Harm to her other 
guests.  "Thanks for coming 
guys.  Another time?"
 
 "Please," Bud grinned.  "This has been great, but sir I'm sorry you 
were hurt."
 
 "I'll live," Harm sighed, leaning his head back without thinking and 
wincing when the sofa touched the 
gash.
 
 Mac gave his cheek a quick kiss and walked her guests out, hurrying 
back to him. "You still with 
me?"
 
 "Yeah I guess."
 
 "Harm I guess isn't going to cut it.  What day is it Sailor?"
 
 "Friday," he sighed, "and I know where I am and who you are.  You are 
the only woman to whom I do 
this."  He cupped the back of her head and brought his lips to hers for 
a soft kiss.
 
 "Well I would hope so," she smiled, snuggling against him.
 
 "Are you mad about tonight?  I am sorry.  Maybe if I'd known I would 
have been more prepared.  
And I'm not proud of how rude I was."  The touched her cheek with the 
back of his hand and smiled 
his best little boy smile.  "So are you mad at me?
   
  "How can I be mad at you when you're sitting there bleeding" she 
sighed. 
  "But you know you could have called first and told me you were 
coming."
  
  "Sorry. I thought by now you'd be alone and well you know" he smiled.
  
  "Well now the only thing you're going to do is get your six in bed" 
she said 
  as she looked up at him. "Which we're both going to do. It's been a 
long 
  night."
  
  He nodded and she helped him to his feet, keeping an arm around him 
as she 
  led him up to his bedroom.
  
  "Can I get you anything?" she asked once he was on the bed.
  
  "Some aspirin please?" he sighed.
  
  She headed to the bathroom and returned a few seconds later with some 
  aspirin and water. He quickly downed them and with a sigh rolled over 
to 
  sleep on his stomach.
  
  "You okay?" she asked softly as she gently rubbed his shoulders.
  
  "Yeah I'll be fine. Just tired and now I have a major headache."
  
  "Sorry. My fault. I should have warned you what I was planning. I 
just 
  figured it would be better if you didn't know about it."
  
  "I thought we weren't keeping secrets from each other anymore?" he 
asked as 
  he looked up at her.
  
  "We're not. This was just one of those things you would have been 
better off 
  not knowing about" she said with a small smile. "And I almost got 
away with 
  it."
  
  "Almost" he sighed as he closed his eyes again.
  
  "Sleep sailor" she whispered. "And I'm glad you're home."
  
  **************
  The activity in the house continued for the next week, slowly growing 
more 
  and more menacing. Instead of just lights going on and off, objects 
would 
  now make their way across rooms, narrowly missing both of them 
several 
  times.
  
  "Harm this is crazy" Mac sighed the following Saturday morning "I 
can't live 
  like this. We need to call Tonya back."
  
  "Mac I don't think Tonya is the answer."
  
  "Do you have any suggestions then?" she asked as she sunk into the 
living 
  room chair.
  
  "I don't know. I'm trying to think of something logical to do here."
  
  "And what's so illogical about Tonya. She's a medium Harm. She talks 
to dead 
  people and makes them go away."
  
  "Yeah well our friends were fine for a while. I don't know why 
they're so 
  uptight now."
  
  "Because we started to help them and then stopped" Mac sighed. "Harm 
calling 
  Tonya is the answer."
  
  "Let me think about it."
  
  "Fine you think" she groaned. "I'm going to take a shower and then 
I'll go 
  shopping. You can figure out what you want to do with our friends. 
But if 
  this keeps up, you're going to be looking for a new roommate."
  
  "I hope you're not serious" he gasped.
  
  "Harm I can't live like this. I'm sorry."
  
  With that she turned and ran upstairs to her bathroom before he could 
see 
  the tears. The past week had gotten to her and she wasn't sure she 
could 
  live in this house any longer. Besides the flying objects, her sleep 
had 
  been haunted by nightmare after nightmare, leaving her tired and 
restless. 
  She hurried to the bathroom, knowing she could safely cry in the 
shower and 
  he wouldn't hear her. She was a Marine. She should be able to handle 
this. 
  With a sob she stripped from her clothes and turned on the shower, 
crying 
  softly as the warm water cascaded over her.
  
  "Rabb you're such a jerk" Harm chided himself downstairs. He stood up 
with 
  the intent to go talk to her while she showered, only to have the cup 
of 
  coffee sitting in front of him, suddenly topple over onto his lap. 
With a 
  shriek of pain he leapt from his chair, coffee landing on the floor.
  
  "This is not funny" Harm snapped. "Stop this right now."
  
  With a sigh he headed upstairs to change, reaching the second floor 
just as 
  Mac's scream echoed through the house.
  
  "Mac" he screamed as hurried towards the bathroom, not sure what 
could 
  possibly have happened to make her scream like that.
  
 He could hear the shower running as he neared the door, and he 
hollered her name once more, as if 
he was asking permission to enter.
 
 His answer came a half-second later as she screamed his name, high 
pitched and terrified. . .and in 
pain.  Without hesitance he flung open the door and was greeted with a 
cloud of steam that made 
him lose his breath.  She was in the shower behind the sliding doors, 
pounding on the thick Plexiglas 
while the steam rolled through the space between the doors and the 
ceiling.
 
 "Mac I'm here.  Turn off the water and get out of there," he shouted, 
waving the bathroom door back 
and forth in a vain effort to clear the steam. 
 
 "Harm I can't.  Nothing I do works," she shrieked.  "The doors are 
stuck too.  It's hot.  Burning me."
 
 "God Mac," he gasped, his alarm and fear for her up full.  With both 
hands he grabbed the handle to 
the shower door and pulled back as hard as he could, expecting to meet 
resistance.  Instead it slid 
easily in the track.  She was all the way to the back of the tub 
enclosure, trying to keep away from the 
steam.  He attempted to reach for her, only to have her cower further 
in her confusion.  Abandoning 
that for the moment, he turned his attention to the faucets, ignoring 
the scalding water that soaked 
through his shirt sleeves almost at once.
 
 "Harm get back they won't turn," she cried.  But they did.  Easily.  
And the water stopped.  With the 
water not fueling it, the steam cloud began to dissipate.
 
 "OK honey it's all over," he said softly, reaching for her again, 
paying no attention to the fact that 
she was both very wet and very naked.
 
 "No go away," she whimpered, her eyes wide with both pain and fear.
 
 "No way Colonel.  No way in hell," he replied, taking in her skin that 
was fiery red from the water.  
One hand closed around her wrist and he tugged her forward toward him.  
With the other he turned 
on the cold water, testing it to be sure it was in fact cold.  "Under 
you go," he ordered, not taking her 
no, knowing the immediate answer to the red skin was cold water and 
plenty of it.  When she still 
balked, he wrapped a strong arm around her back at her waist and forced 
her under the cold stream, 
making her stand until her skin was cold to the touch, at which point 
she was seized by sudden 
violent trembling.
 
 "You need an ambulance," he whispered, thoroughly alarmed for her and 
feeling himself shaking 
slightly.
 
 "No please no," she gasped.  "I just need to calm down.  It hurts but 
it's not serious.  Can I get out 
of here and maybe. . .could we. . .could you help me with my robe 
that's behind you and then could I 
go lie in your bed until I get warm.  I don't want to be anywhere near 
this bathroom right now.  They 
were watching me."
 
 "We'll talk about that in a little bit," he told her, reaching down 
the robe and pressing it around her, 
trying not to look but not quite able not to.  She twirled herself into 
it and he grabbed the sash, tying 
it snugly around her waist then pulling her close to him, starting to 
speak and instead took her mouth 
in a gentle kiss.
 
 Wordlessly she leaned against him and they walked to his room where he 
helped her to lie down.  
Stripping out of his own wet clothes down to his boxers, he quickly 
joined her, folding himself around 
her back as she lay on her side.  He could still feel her trembling and 
he kissed the back of her neck.  
 
 Finally he felt her relax and he put his mouth near her ear.  "What 
you said before about a new 
roommate--that's not what's going to happen.  I won't let you leave me 
Sarah, not without a fight.  In 
fact I'd sooner let the bank take back the haunted mansion here."
 
 "Harm I don't. . .," she murmured.  "I think my brain got fried in 
there.  I could have sworn you just 
said you'd choose me over the house."
 
 "That's exactly what I said dunderhead," he laughed lightly despite 
his concern.  "If it comes to that. . 
.hell even now I'm envisioning packing you off somewhere while I 
straighten this out."
 
 "Oh no way on god's green earth," she gasped.  "We both stay or we 
both go."
 
 "I'm not sure I can promise that," he sighed.  "But for starters, we 
need to watch each other's backs 
better.  I think you should--don't hurt me now OK.  Remember I'm not 
wearing groinal protection.  
Anyway I think you should start sleeping in here with me."
 
 "Does you holding me go along with that?" she whispered, not at all 
tempted to hurt him.
     
  "Absolutely. If you think I'm leaving you alone for one second you're 
crazy. 
  I still have half a mind to take you somewhere for the night."
  
  "Only if you're with me. I won't let you stay here alone."
  
  "Mac you could have been seriously injured tonight" he sighed. "As it 
is I 
  think I should still take you to the ER just to make sure."
  
  "I'm fine now that I'm out of that bathroom and in your arms" she 
whispered.
  
  "And that's where you're going to stay" he said as he gently kissed 
her 
  forehead.
  
  *****************
  Two Night Later
  
  "Harm it's freezing in here" Mac complained as she snuggled deeper 
into her 
  blanket. "I swear we're going to have to get a new furnace in here 
before 
  winter."
  
  "Why didn't you say earlier you were freezing" he chided her. "I can 
start a 
  fire in the fireplace. That should make it a bit warmer in here."
  
  He headed outside and returned with a small stack of logs. Minutes 
later he 
  had a fire going and she crept down to the floor next to him. He 
gathered 
  her against him, wrapping the blanket around both of them.
  
  "Better?" he said softly as he cuddled her against him.
  
  "Much" she sighed contentedly. "Thank you."
  
  "Any time" he whispered as he kissed her forehead. "And this is 
pretty 
  romantic too."
  
  "You have something in mind Commander?" she smiled as she looked up 
at him.
  
  "Just this" he whispered before his lips found hers in a long and 
passionate 
  kiss.
  
  "I could get used to this" she panted when they parted.
  
  "Is that a bad thing?" he smiled.
  
  "I guess our ghosts weren't so bad after all" she sighed. "At least 
it's 
  gotten us closer together."
  
  "Well I'm still waiting for something else to happen. It's been too 
quiet 
  around here the past two days. Way too quiet."
  
  "Maybe they finally gave up. Whatever the reason I'm happy for the 
peace and 
  quiet for a change."
  
  "Me too" he sighed. "That last incident was something I'd rather not 
repeat 
  ever again."
  
  She nodded and snuggled closer to him, the comfort of his arms and 
the 
  warmth of the fireplace making her sleepy.
  
  "I should take you up to bed" he said softly when he noticed she was 
falling 
  asleep.
  
  "I'm pretty content right here" she murmured.
  
  "For now" he smiled as he kissed her forehead again. "You sleep. I'm 
going 
  to look over the Richards case." He reached for his briefcase and 
while she 
  slept contentedly in his arms he reviewed the upcoming case. With the 
fire 
  down to just a glow he poked at the logs to make sure they would burn 
  themselves out before gently shaking Mac.
  
  "Bed time honey" he whispered, the term of endearment easily slipping 
out.
  
  "Already?" she murmured tiredly as she half opened her eyes to look 
at him.
  
  "Yeah already" he laughed. "Come on sleepy head."
  
  He led her upstairs and within minutes she was asleep again in his 
arms. 
  Sleep didn't come as easily for him and for the next few hours he 
tossed and 
  turned, dozing on and off before finally crawling from the bed. 
Deciding a 
  cup of tea might help relax him he headed downstairs, the smell of 
smoke 
  reaching him as he reached the bottom of the stairs. Almost 
immediately he 
  knew something was wrong, his fears confirmed seconds later as he ran 
to the 
  living room, the fire in the fireplace blazing wildly.
  
  "What the hell" he muttered as he started towards the fireplace. As 
he did 
  so, the flames leapt up again, burning sparks landing on the floor, 
igniting 
  the rug almost at once.
  
  "Mac" he screamed as he turned and ran towards the kitchen, where the 
fire 
  extinguisher was kept. "Mac wake up."
  
  In her foggy sleep she heard him screaming her name and with a groan 
pushed 
  herself awake, realizing at once that he wasn't in the bed with her.
  
  "Harm" she called tiredly. "Harm where are you?"
 
 He did not answer and she hollered his name once again, coming more 
fully awake.  The smell of 
smoke reached her easily now and she heard the flames crackling.  That 
Harm was not in the bed 
sent a cold shudder through her as she put two and two together.  Her 
scream of his name was 
heard even over the noise from downstairs, the steady hiss of the fire 
extinguisher adding to it.
 
 By the time she reached the steps, trying to pull her robe around her 
at the same time, the sound of 
his coughing became another part of the pandemonium.  And what she saw 
made her scream his 
name for the smoke was billowing around him, flames seemingly launching 
themselves at him as he 
attacked with the extinguisher.  She stood transfixed on the landing 
for a long minute watching.
 
 He would spray a tongue of flame and it would retreat, only to attack 
again as soon as he moved the 
CO2 stream, leaping right back at him.  It did not take long for her to 
realize the fire was gaining on 
him, starting to surround him on three sides.
 
 "Harm no get away from it," she shrieked in full out panic.  Her feet 
pounded the steps as she ran 
down the flight and she picked up the blanket they had left heaped on 
the sofa.  Only then did he 
realize she was there as she beat back the flames with the blanket.
 
 "My god Mac no get back away from this," he ordered as loud as he 
could with the smoke choking 
his lungs.  "I don't want you hurt.  Go call 911."
 
 She screamed 'no' at the top of her lungs and attacked again, making 
some headway as was he with 
the fire extinguisher.  Just when they thought they had the enemy 
beaten, there was a giant  
whooshing noise and the fire surrounded Harm in a complete circle that 
was collapsing inward.  
 
 Mac let out an earth shattering scream as he dropped the extinguisher 
and raised his hands to 
protect his face.  She held out her hands to him, waving frantically 
and ignoring the flames that were 
encroaching nearer to her as well.  "Harm get out of there.  Hurry."
 
 For a long few seconds he stood frozen, rooted to the spot, and when 
she screamed again, he was 
able to think.  Powerful legs sent him hurtling over the flame wall and 
he landed on clear floor, rolling 
to his back and gasping for breath.
 
 At once she went to him, terrified that he had been burned.  She 
dragged him a few feet back, 
intending to get him out of danger into the kitchen and to call the 
fire department when suddenly 
there was silence.  Complete and total silence.  The flames shrank back 
to nothing, leaving blackness 
in their wake.  Even the fireplace embers seemed to cease their glow.  
It was over.  For the moment it 
was over.
 
 "Harm let me see you.  Where are you burned?" she gasped, trying to 
check him over, not sure 
whether to make him lie still or help him to his feet.  He shook his 
head, coughing hard and she 
helped him to sit up, bending him over so that his head was between his 
knees.  She rubbed his back 
while he coughed and choked, trying to catch his breath.  "Harm we need 
to get you in to the light 
and fresh air," she begged.  "Come on, work with me here.  Up.  Out 
back.  Let's go."
   
  Somehow she managed to pull him to his feet and together they 
stumbled out 
  the back door of the kitchen to the porch. She led him to the steps 
and he 
  dropped down, still coughing hard. She flipped on the outside light 
and sat 
  down beside him.
  
  "Easy sailor" she whispered as she rubbed his back, his head still 
dropped 
  between his legs.
  
  "I'm okay" he gasped a few minutes later with looking up at her.
  
  "Far from it. Harm I really think we should go to the emergency room" 
she 
  fretted.
  
  "No" he said as he looked up at her. "I'm fine."
  
  "Yeah that's why your face is burned" she gasped when she saw how red 
it 
  was. "Harm I'm serious. I want to take you to the ER."
  
  "And tell them what?" he coughed. "That our living room was on fire 
and then 
  suddenly it wasn't."
  
  "I don't care what we tell them. I'm more concerned about you being 
okay. 
  You're still coughing and those burns should be looked at."
  
  "Mac no. I'm fine." A long cough betrayed his words and she frowned 
even 
  more.
  
  "Harm I'm serious" she whispered. "Please let me take you to the ER."
  
  "You can take me to a hotel because you and I are not spending 
another night 
  in this house until our friends are gone" he managed between coughs.
  "We both could have been killed."
  
  "We'll need some stuff to take with us" she whispered. "I'll go pack 
us some 
  overnight bags."
  
  "You are not going back in there alone" he hissed. "No way."
  
  "Okay then we'll wait a little longer before going in. Because you 
still 
  need some fresh air. You need the ER more but I can see I'm wasting 
my 
  breath."
  
  He nodded and leaned weakly against her as he continued to breathe in 
the 
  fresh air. They stayed that way for several minutes before he finally 
  realized she was shivering in the cold air.
  
  "Okay that's it" he sighed. "We're going. We'll go up and get our 
stuff and 
  then we're going to a hotel."
  
  She nodded and together they made their way into the house again. 
They 
  hurried upstairs and packed their bags for a few nights away. They 
quickly 
  changed into sweats and sweatshirts before finally leaving.
  
  "How you doing?" she asked once they were in the car and safely out 
of the 
  drive.
  
  "I'm okay" he sighed as he leaned back in the seat. "I'm just glad 
we're out 
  of there."
  
  "I'll stop at the drug store and get some cream for your face" she 
said 
  softly. "And then we'll get our room."
  
  He nodded and closed his eyes, his occasional coughs worrying her. 
She 
  located a twenty four-hour drug store and hurried to get some cream 
for the 
  burns. A short time later she secured a room at a nearby hotel and 
the weary 
  pair headed into their room. He nearly collapsed on the bed and she 
sat down 
  next to him, gently rubbing his back as he coughed again.
  
  "Let me put this stuff on your face" she said softly. "I'm sure that 
hurts."
  
  He rolled over and allowed her to apply the cream to his face, the 
ointment 
  cooling his burning skin.
  
  "Better" she whispered and he nodded.
  
  "I was more scared for you than I was for myself," he said softly as 
he 
  looked up at her.
  
  "And I was terrified for you" she sniffled, the tears brimming as the 
  adrenaline rush from earlier faded.
  
  "It's over honey" he whispered as he pulled her next to him, her head 
  resting on his chest. "It's over now and they can't hurt you."
  
  She sobbed loudly as he held her tightly as she cried. Finally her 
tears 
  stopped and she lay quietly in his arms.
  
  "You okay?" he asked as he gently stroked her hair.
  
  She nodded and looked up at him. "Harm what are we going to do?" she 
  whispered.
  
  "Right now we're not going to worry about it. All I want to do is 
hold you 
  tonight and forget everything that happened."
  
  Her response was to snuggle closer to him and for the longest time 
they just 
  held each other, the only sound in the room his occasional coughs. 
They fell 
  asleep that way and it was way past starting time when Mac finally 
woke.
  
 "Good Morning Admiral this is Colonel Mackenzie.  Yes I know Harm and 
I should be there.  Where 
are we?  In a motel room out by Dulles.  Harm is holding me in his arms 
right now and swears he's 
not letting me go until he makes me. . ."
 
 That was as far as he got before he came awake.  "What the hell are 
you. . ." he screeched before he 
realized he had been had.  There was no phone to her ear.
 
 "You are so dead," he yelped, pinning her to the bed and helping 
himself to a long kiss.  And 
another.  And another until the ringing of his cell phone made him stop 
to breathe.
 
 "Dammit," he swore, and swore again when he looked at the caller ID.  
"We're being searched for."
 
 "Better answer," she sighed.  "Only don't tell him I'm in your arms in 
a motel room."
 
 Harm shrugged and connected the call.  "Commander Rabb.  Good morning 
Admiral."
 
 "Good morning to you.  I trust Colonel Mackenzie is with you?  And of 
course you're both aware that 
you're not here."
 
 "Yes sir, we are together.  And sir I do apologize.  We had a fire in 
the house last night and I thought 
it the better part of valor for us to not spend the rest of the night 
there.  We're in a motel room out 
by Dulles.  You don't want to know any more than that."
 
 "You got that right.  Now are you both OK?  And in fact you don't 
sound that good.  You take in 
some smoke?"
 
 "Yes sir I did but I'm OK.  Mac is too.  We were pretty out of it by 
the time we checked in here.  Sir 
can you see your way clear to let us have the day?  Neither of us have 
court, and we're going to 
need to do a major clean up plus call the insurance and. . ."
 
 "And you're breaking my heart.  By all means.  You can work from home 
if you're able."
 
 "Yes sir thank you."  He broke the connection and dropped the phone to 
the carpet below.  "Now 
where were we?"
 
 "Well you were about to satisfy your animal lust as I recall," she 
giggled and before he could do 
anything further she flipped him off her, landing him neatly on his 
back.  At once she dove and landed 
on top of him, straddling him, her hands pressing his shoulders and 
holding him still.
 
 "I think I can control my lust," he whispered as their eyes locked, 
"but it would be easier if you 
weren't sitting on me like that."
 
 "Aww poor baby has a little problem," she laughed, rolling off him to 
her back.  "The least I can do is 
buy you breakfast and t hen I guess we need to go back to the house and 
see the damage."
 
 "No."
 
 "Excuse me?"
 
 "I mean not you.  Mac seriously now, I don't want you going back 
there."
 
 She shook her head and reached out to feel his forehead as if checking 
for fever.  "Mister I swear 
that smoke must have caused brain damage if you think I'm going to 
toddle off somewhere while you 
deal with things around that place.  We said we needed to watch each 
other's backs remember.  Not 
let each other out of their sight."
 
 "You know I wish you had as good a memory when you're going to the 
store and I tell you I need 
shave cream," he groused.  "OK let's go see what the fire did.  I can't 
wait to explain to our State 
Farm guy that we suspect it was caused by demons or spirits or 
something."
 
 "Your face is still all red," she sighed, changing the subject.  "And 
your hands aren't much better.  
That has to hurt.  When I was scalded it did me, like a bad sunburn.  
Same thing huh?"
 
 "Yeah, and let's not relive that shower incident please," he growled.  
"I can't handle that emotional 
conflict--seeing you naked on one hand, being totally terrified for you 
on the other."  
   
 "I knew you were peeking that day" she teased.
 
 "Yeah while I was having a heart attack worrying about you" he sighed. 
"God 
 I can't believe how out of control this whole thing has gotten."
 
 "We still have one option" she reminded him.
 
 "What's that?" he frowned. "Besides selling."
 
 "Call Tonya back and see if she can help. Maybe if we let her do her 
thing 
 they'll go away."
 
 "I don't know Mac. It just seems so far fetched."
 
 "Well it might be far fetched but it's the best option we have right 
now."
 
 "We could sell" he countered.
 
 "First off do you realize how long it would take to sell that place?" 
she 
 laughed. "It was on the market how long before you suddenly fell in 
love 
 with it. I don't think that's going to work."
 
 "You're probably right. But there's no reason we can't move out and 
put it 
 on the market."
 
 "And how do you explain to the prospective buyers why you're not 
living 
 there anymore."
 
 "We're in the military. We can lie and say one of us got transferred. 
No one 
 would have to know the truth. I'm sure not going to disclose that the 
place 
 is haunted. And I don't think that's on the required list of 
disclosures."
 
 "Harm you loved that house" she said quietly. "You were so excited 
about 
 fixing it up and making it ours."
 
 "I was excited about being with you," he admitted. "And yeah I liked 
the 
 house but that was before I found out what it was really like. And 
right now 
 my main concern is making sure nothing happens to you."
 
 "So we're going to bail? Without giving Tonya a try?"
 
 "I don’t know" he sighed. "Right now my brain is too tired to think. 
Can I 
 have a day to think about it?"
 
 "Yes. But I am going back with you today while we call the insurance 
 company."
 
 "Fine. But we're not staying there. Not until whatever or whoever is 
gone 
 for good."
 
 An hour later they'd dressed and Mac applied more cream to Harm's 
hands and 
 face before heading back to the house. Jim the insurance agent had 
promised 
 to meet them at the house and they were happy to see the car in the 
drive as 
 they pulled in.
 
 "Morning folks" he said as they stepped out. "I guess you did have 
some 
 trouble here last night. How bad does that hurt Harm?"
 
 "I'm all right" Harm assured him. "I'm not sure the living room is 
though."
 
 "Well let's take a look and see what we've got" Jim said as he 
followed them 
 up the porch.
 
 Minutes later they toured the room, the floor and walls blackened from 
the 
 flames and smoke.
 
 "What exactly happened?" Jim asked as he looked around.
 
 "We'd had a fire in the fireplace earlier" Harm explained. "And in the 
 middle of the night it rekindled itself. By the time I realized it, 
the 
 flames had gotten pretty big and then the floor caught on fire."
 
 "Didn't you make sure it was almost out before you went to bed?"
 
 "I thought it was" Harm sighed. "I don't know how it managed to get 
 restarted like that."
 
 Jim gave him a curious look but said nothing as he continued to look 
around. 
 "You might want to have a chimney sweep come in and look at the 
chimney. The 
 flames might have damaged it."
 
 "We will" Harm nodded.
 
 Jim promised a check as soon as he could arrange it and Harm let out a 
sigh 
 of relief.
 
 "Well at least its covered" he said when they were alone. "I wasn't 
sure for 
 a minute that he believed me."
 
 "It is a little bizarre."
 
 "Better than telling him the truth. And now that that's taken care of 
lets 
 get some stuff for the next few days."
 
 "We're really staying at the hotel?" she asked.
 
 "Until this is settled yes," he said seriously. "I know you think I'm 
over 
 reacting but last night was enough for me."
 
 "Me too" she admitted softly. "You know you could have been seriously 
hurt. 
 Or killed."
 
 "Just like you could have been in the shower that day. That's why I'm 
not 
 staying here again until I know its safe."
 
 "You think we can handle each other alone in a hotel room for a few 
days" 
 she said with a small smile.
 
 "I think so," he said softly. "It's not like you haven't been in my 
bed the 
 last few nights anyway."

"It was my pleasure," she smiled looking away, suddenly shy.

"Should I take that to mean we can do with just one room?"

"Well we did OK last night and the night before that didn't we?" he 
asked, turning her head back to 
look at him.  "Did you wish for your own bed?"

"No I had another wish totally," she replied, not stopping to censor 
her reaction, which he seized 
upon at once.

"That I'd leave town, or the opposite maybe.  That I'd. . .that you and 
me. . ."

She smiled gently, reaching up to touch his face.  "That you would hold 
me like that every night," she 
sighed, her voice hardly audible.

"You got it.  I'd love to," he answered quickly before he could stop to 
think and perhaps stammer 
again.

"We can take turns in each other's bed then," she giggled, and gave him 
a sharp push to get away 
from him, mounting the stairs two at a time.  

He recovered quickly and pounded up after her, catching her around her 
waist at the door to her 
room, then his momentum carrying them forward until they crashed down 
onto her bed.

He quickly used his weight advantage to press her face down into the 
mattress.  "Uncle.  Say uncle," 
he urged.

"A Marine say Uncle, I don't think so," she gasped, laughing so hard 
she could barely breathe.

"Then I win by default," he declared, pulling her up and into his arms 
for a long kiss. 

"Thanks.  I really really needed that.  Both the laugh and the kiss, 
and to feel your arms around me 
right now," she sighed.  "Now this is the part where I put on my 
scrubwoman outfit and we get to 
work."

"I think we need professional help there."

"You want to see a shrink?" she giggled again.

"No blockhead.  We can clean up some of the basic mess, but it's going 
to take chemicals to get out 
the char and the smell.  You know Mallory's company is in a better 
position to do that than us.  We 
do have duty stations."

Her mouth fell open as she gave that some consideration.  

"Unless there's a real reason you don't want me contacting her again," 
he prodded gently.  "I know 
that brings up some times that weren't real pleasant for us, but 
honestly I trust her professionally .  
Still I won't if you ask me not to."

"Well I could give you two responses here.   There's the one from 
Reasonable Mackenzie who sees 
the wisdom in what you're saying and wants what's best.  Then there's 
the one from Silly Insecure 
Mackenzie who is glad she's not part of your life and doesn't want her 
back."

"Well could the two of them come up with a decision," he laughed and 
impulsively hugged her close.  
"Silly Insecure Mackenzie has nothing to worry about by the way.   
Commander Contended here.  He 
knows who and what he wants."

Her eyes widened with happiness and hope and relief all rolled into 
one.  "Yeah.  Call her.  She and 
her crew worked a miracle the first time around.  I know they can do it 
again."

 "And I thought it was bad when you moved in" Mallory said as she 
looked 
  around the living room.
  
  "But you can clean it up right?" Harm asked.
  
  "Oh yeah" she smiled. "Nothing we can't do. But it's going to take a 
few 
  days before I can get over here to work on this. I'm finishing up 
another 
  big job first."
  
  "Fair enough" Harm nodded. "We're going to be staying at the hotel 
anyway."
  
  "Because of this?" Mallory asked.
  
  "Because of how this happened" Harm replied. "And before you ask, 
don't."
  
  "The ghost" Mac offered quietly.
  
  "Oh my god, you're kidding" Mallory gasped.
  
  "We wish" Harm said as he dropped his arm over Mac's shoulder. "So 
until we 
  get the mess cleaned up and find a way to exorcise our ghost we're 
staying 
  elsewhere."
  
  "I see" Mallory nodded. "Well I can help you with the clean up. Can't 
help 
  you with the rest."
  
  "That's okay" Mac smiled. "We have someone who will come back once we 
get 
  everything in order again."
  
  "She makes ghosts go away?"
  
  "So she says" Mac replied. "And we're willing to give her a chance."
  
  "Cool. Does she let people watch when she does it?" Mallory asked. 
"I'd love 
  to see something like that."
  
  Mac nodded. "You're welcome to come when we have her come back."
  
  "Thanks. I'd love to. And I promise this will be cleaned up by the 
end of 
  the week."
  
  ***************
  Four Days Later
  
  "Well it's clean. Now we just have to get rid of the ghosts" Harm 
sighed as 
  he walked around the house, Mac following behind him.
  
  Mallory's cleaning company had done excellent work the past two days, 
  removing all evidence of the fire. And despite his misgivings, Harm 
had 
  agreed to come back to the home, Tonya on her way that evening to try 
and 
  remove the spirits.
  
  "It looks real good" Mac nodded. "Mallory's company did a great job 
again."
  
  "Yeah she did. I'm glad we called her."
  
  "Me too. It would have taken weeks for us to get things this clean."
  
  "So whose all coming tonight?" she asked.
  
  "Well Bud is coming but Harriet isn't" Harm smiled. "After last time 
she 
  didn't want to be involved. I think Sturgis is still coming and of 
course 
  Mallory will be back too."
  
  "I can't believe you actually agreed to having Tonya back."
  
  "Well if this doesn't work, we put the house up for sale," he said 
  seriously. "I won't live here knowing these things will hurt you."
  
  "I hope it doesn't come to that" Mac sighed. "I did like here."
  
  "If it doesn't we can always find a new place together. I'm not ready 
to 
  lose you as a roommate just yet."
  
  "You're not?" she smiled.
  
  "No way Colonel" he said as he pulled her into his arms. "I've gotten 
very 
  used to having you around. And I'm not going to willingly let you 
go."
  
  "Can I get that in writing?" she said softly as she looked up at him.
  
  "Yes ma'am."
  
  "I'm holding you to that one sailor."
  
  "Please do" he smiled. "Because being with you is something I happen 
to 
  enjoy very much."
  
  To prove his point, he dropped a quick kiss on her lips and she 
smiled 
  softly.
  
  "We'd better start getting ready for our guests. It won't be long 
before 
  everyone gets here."
 
 "Are we serving fondue?" he teased, "and I should open the wine and 
let it breathe right?"
 
 "It's not a social event," she laughed and shoved him slightly.  "Rabb 
you're a sick man.   When it's 
over we can celebrate with a pizza maybe."
 
 "Yeah OK that sounds good," he nodded.  "Mac I'm not going to pretend 
that I'm real  happy about 
this.  I just don't know what else to do.  Short of burning the place 
down for the insurance.  Not that it 
didn't almost happen."
 
 "Yeah and you with it," she shuddered.  "And then I'm going to forget 
that I heard you suggest 
committing a federal offense.  Only because I happen to like having you 
around like we were talking 
about earlier."
 
 "Aah--you get sick of me."
 
 "Of course I do.  But I still like knowing you're here," she laughed, 
and reached out to tickle him, only 
to have him grab her hand and turn it quickly into a hand to hand move, 
pinning her to him.
 
 "You are going to regret that move Mr. Rabb," she informed him, 
spreading her feet and sorely 
tempted to raise her knee between his legs.  Instead she maneuvered her 
leg and caught his, 
bringing them both the floor.
 
 "I already regret it," he gasped as her weight settled over him.  
 
 "Uncle, please, uncle," he groaned, only to have her straddle his 
abdomen and pin his wrists to the 
floor.
 
 "Uncle doesn't get you off that easily Flyboy," she laughed again and 
lowered her mouth to his, 
taking advantage of his helplessness and securing a serious kiss.  He 
relaxed at once, immediately 
reveling in the feel of her mouth on his.  "Mac," he managed.  "Sarah. 
. .Sarah I. . ."
 
 "Shut up Sailor.  Too much talk," she ordered before repeating the 
kiss, this time lowering her body 
so she was stretched out on top of him.  She released his hands as they 
kissed this time and he 
casually slipped them beneath her shirt, making little fingertip 
indentations in her back while he 
pressed her to him.
 
 "Uh. . .would you two like us to come back?"  Sturgis's voice from the 
open doorway, having seen 
them clearly through the screen door from the porch, with Bud tittering 
and AJ clearing his throat.  
"You two want us to circle the block so you can have a quickie on the 
floor or just what."
  
  "No of course not" Harm stammered. "Hello sir."
  
  "I guess this means this is no longer a platonic relationship?" AJ 
inquired 
  as he watched his two officers pick themselves off the floor.
  
  "Uh we're working on all that sir" Harm said sheepishly.
  
  "I see. I'll just pretend I didn't see any of this."
  
  "Thank you sir" Mac sighed. "Can I get anyone anything?"
  
  An hour later everyone had arrived except Mallory.
  
  "Should we get started without her?" Harm asked Mac as he looked 
outside for 
  any sign of her car.
  
  "Yeah. Maybe something came up and she couldn't make it. There's no 
sense 
  keeping everyone else waiting."
  
  "Tonya we can start anytime you want" Mac said to the medium. "I'm 
not sure 
  the other person is coming."
  
  "Okay well then let's get everyone in the living room again like we 
did last 
  time" she directed.
  
  They'd just gotten everyone in the circle when car lights shone 
through the 
  living room windows.
  
  "Mallory" Harm said as he headed to the door. "And Wes" he added a 
second 
  later as he watched the pair walk to the porch.
  
  "Hi Harm" she smiled as he opened the door. "Sorry we're late."
  
  "My fault" Wes spoke up. "Mallory told me what you were going to do 
tonight 
  and I wanted to see it so I made her come and get me."
  
  "Come on in" Harm sighed as he looked at Mac. The last person he 
really 
  wanted to see was Wes but he couldn't turn them away. "We're about to 
get 
  started.
  
  "Hi Mac" Wes said as he made his way over to.
  
  "Wes" she said cordially.
  
  "Are we all here now?" Tonya asked and Harm nodded.
  
  "Yes ma'am. We're ready whenever you are."
  
  Once again they joined hands and Harm frowned when he realized Wes 
had 
  managed to get on the other side of Mac.
  
  "Chill Flyboy" Mac whispered as she leaned closer to him. "You know 
who this 
  Marine's heart belongs too."
  
  "Remind me again" he whispered.
  
  "You" she smiled. "So stop glaring. You're going to scare away the 
ghosts."
  
  "Shh" Tonya urged and silence settled over the group. Moments later a 
small 
  gasp escaped collectively from the group as one of the spirits 
appeared in 
  the room. Harm tightened his grip on Mac's hand, hoping that their 
medium 
  knew what she was doing.
  
  "Russ you have to let go" Tonya urged the spirit.
  
  "Nate must be punished for what he did" the spirit replied. "He took 
Marion 
  away."
  
  "You're not punishing him" Tonya continued. "And you will be with 
Marion if 
  you let go of this."
  
  "No. I have to make him pay."
  
  "Russ let go. Go to Marion. She's waiting for you on the other side."
  
  "Marion" the spirit whispered. "He killed her didn't he."
  
  "Yes and she's been waiting all these years for you. But you haven't 
let go 
  of this house. Nate is gone. He's dead. You can't hurt him. You're 
only 
  hurting yourself by staying here."
  
  "I'm still here."
  
  "Where Russ?" Tonya asked. "I can help you. I can set your spirit 
free if 
  you tell me where your earthly body is."
  
  "The fireplace" the spirit answered.
  
  "Let go Russ" Tonya said quietly. "Marion awaits you on the other 
side. The 
  woman you love will be with you for the rest of eternity if you let 
go of 
  this world."
  
  "But Nate must pay" the ghost shouted.
  
  "Nate has paid. He's dead Russ. You're hurting yourself by staying. 
Remember 
  how much you love Marion. How much you want to be with her."
  
  "She's waiting?"
  
  "Yes Russ. She's waiting for you."
  
  As suddenly as the spirit had appeared it vanished and for several 
moments 
  no one moved.
  
  "Will he go?" Harm asked finally.
  
  "I think so," Tonya said with a long sigh. "But we may need to remove 
him 
  from the fireplace first and give him a proper burial."
  
  "Can we find out where Marion is buried" Mac said quietly. "And make 
sure 
  he's put next to her."
  
  "That's a wonderful idea" Tonya smiled. "I'm sure Russ would 
appreciate 
  that."
  
  "I guess that means we need to take the fireplace apart" Harm sighed. 
"It 
  also explains the fire that night."
  
  Tonya nodded.  "I'm not sure that's the end of the spirits, but it's 
a start."  As she said the last 
word, off in the distance a baby began to wail, softly at first and 
then the cries filled the room.
 
 Mac's hand trembled in Harm's and he squeezed tightly back.
 
 "No one mentioned a baby," Tonya said quietly.  "Marion's child I'm 
supposing.  A love child born to 
her and Russ.  A child of adultery."  
 
 "My god could Nate have killed all three?" Mac gasped looking to Wes 
and Mallory.  "Is there any 
part of the story about a baby?"
 
 "We're talking over sixty years ago here," Mal sighed.  "Our 
grandparents knew the Weathers but 
they didn't speak about them a lot.  I remember asking Gram about the 
house as a little girl.  I 
couldn't have been but about five, and she said there was evil had 
lived here when she was young.  
Well that scared me so much I didn't bring it up with her again.  I 
imagine she knew about the affair.  
Eventually the whole town found out simply because Nate made no secret 
of it.  He'd go get drunk at 
the tavern and tell everyone his brother was home laying his wife."
 
 "Wonderful family," Sturgis smiled.  "And now that it's over I realize 
we're all sitting around like we 
believe we just saw a spirit appear.  OK Tonya what did you do, some 
kind of mass hypnosis or 
what?"
 
 "Amityville," she smiled.  "You saw the movie right?"  
 
 "Yeah I was maybe ten and I slept with my overhead light on for three 
weeks," Mac sighed.  "And 
that was a true story supposedly."
 
 "Just one of hundreds."
 
 "OK but there have been other families living here, and. . . "  Harm 
spoke up, his voice trailing off as 
he realized where that was leading.  Wes nevertheless helped him out.
 
 "Harm no one has ever lived here long.  The house was vacant for long 
periods in between.  Then 
people like you and Mac would come along and think what a great deal 
they got.  And there's no law 
that says the previous owners or the realty have to say it's haunted."
 
 "OK but things have way escalated," Harm sighed, thinking of the fire.
 
 "Because you're determined to stay," Tonya reminded him gently.  
"They've upped the ante because 
they know you're not going to cut and run."
 
 "Yeah well if they come after Mac, they'll get their wish," he groused 
and she gave his hand a quick 
pat.
 
 "Tonya why would they want residents out of here?" Sturgis frowned.
 
 "Spirits and people don't mix," she shrugged.  "They like it quiet.  
Lights and noise are not their 
thing."
 
 "I love how we're all sitting around like we believe this," AJ moaned, 
"thought I can't say it hasn't 
been fascinating."
 
 "Well I'm starving," Bud declared.  "Something about ghost chasing 
gives a man an appetite.  Are we 
through?"
 
 Everyone looked to Tonya who nodded.  "Yeah there won't be any more 
contact tonight I'm sure.  
My best advice would be to see if you can find Russ's body and if there 
was a baby. . .well that may 
be part of the problem."
 
 "And on that note let's put a movie on and call for pizza," Harm said 
firmly, with a sidelong glance to 
Mac who seemed oddly quiet.
 
 The subject of haunting was dropped for the moment and Mac walked into 
the kitchen to make the 
call, Harm close behind.  "Yell at me for mother henning again, but 
you're OK?"
 
 "Yeah.  Just feeling a little overwhelmed is all," she smiled, 
reaching up to touch his cheek.  "Stop 
frowning Commander, you're getting worry lines."
 
 "Sorry.  Bad habit.  Worrying about someone I care so much for," he 
whispered, holding her gaze so 
that she would know he was serious.
 
 "Mutual I assure you," she replied softly.  "Harm I want to stay here.  
I like this house.  I want to get 
this resolved.  I want to stay here. . .with you."
 
 "Well the 'with me' is a given," he said firmly.  "I'm not letting you 
out of my life Sarah."
 
 She drew her breath in sharply.  "I. . ."
 
 "Harm come out here and settle an argument before the Admiral kills 
Bud," Sturgis called.  "You've 
got to see this."
 
 The moment was broken and Mac gave a quick laugh.  "We'll revisit this 
conversation?"
 
 "Count on it."
 
 An hour later Harm looked up from the movie he and Bud were engrossed 
in and felt something was 
wrong.  It took him only a moment to know.  No Mac.  "Hey who's seen 
Mac?"
 
 "Back porch, Wes walked out there with her," Sturgis murmured, not 
entirely awake as he leaned 
back in one of the big chairs, then managing to open one eye.  "You 
shouldn't disturb them.  They 
probably wanted to be alone."
 
 "The hell you say," he groused, striding in that direction at once.
   
  He stopped inside the house as he reached the door, able to hear them 
  talking from there.
  
  "You know I've thought a lot about you Mac" Wes was saying. "I've 
wanted to 
  call you but I wasn't sure. I know I acted like a jerk before and you 
have 
  every right to hate me."
  
  "I don't hate you" Mac replied.
  
  "So I still have a chance?" Wes smiled as he leaned closer to her.
  
  Harm's hand reached for the doorknob, intending to tell Wes he had no 
chance 
  in hell. But he froze as he heard Mac's reply.
  
  "Wes you're a nice guy but it's not going to happen."
  
  "Because of what I did before?" he asked.
  
  "Because there's someone else I care for very much" Mac said softly.
  
  "Harm?" Wes inquired.
  
  "Yeah actually we have gotten a lot closer the past few months. We're 
  working on something. Something we've both wanted for a long time."
  
  "I hope it works out for you" Wes sighed. "He's a lucky guy."
  
  "No I'm the lucky one" she smiled and Harm backed away from the door. 
He 
  hadn't needed to worry. Wes was no longer a threat to him.
  
  "Harm have you seen Wes?" Mallory asked as she walked into the 
kitchen. "I 
  want to get home. I've got a long day tomorrow."
  
  "I think he might be outside with Mac" Harm said vaguely.
  
  "And you're not worried?" Mallory smiled.
  
  "No. Mac's a big girl."
  
  As he spoke the door opened and Mac and Wes walked into the kitchen.
  
  "You ready to go big brother?" Mallory asked. "I've got an early day 
  tomorrow."
  
  "Yeah sure. Thanks for having us guys. This was pretty cool. I guess 
we'll 
  see you around."
  
  "Sure" Harm said with a forced smile. Deep down he hoped he'd seen 
the last 
  of Wes.
  
  **********************
  One Week Later
  
  "Mr. Rabb we've got something" the man from the chimney repair 
company 
  yelled. The work on taking the fireplace apart had begun the day 
before and 
  finally they'd come upon something.
  
  "What is it?" Harm asked as he and Mac hurried into the living room.
  
  "Bones" Arnold Watkins said grimly.
  
  "Human?" Mac asked.
  
  "Look Mrs. Rabb I'm just a chimney guy. I don't know anything about 
bones 
  and stuff like that."
  
  "I guess we'll have to call the coroner" Harm sighed. "They should be 
able 
  to identify them."
  
  "Well the whole thing is here" Arnold replied. "Like someone put it 
there 
  and then bricked around it."
  
  "It has to be Russ" Mac murmured. "When Nate killed him he must have 
put him 
  there."
  
  "You knew this person?"
  
  "Not really" Mac sighed. "We just heard about the story."
  
  "I see. Well I've done my part. When you want to rebuild it let me 
know. 
  I'll be happy to come back and fix it."
  
  "Thanks Arnold" Harm smiled. "I'm not sure when that's going to be. 
We're a 
  little over budget on the projects around here."
  
  "Well when you and the little lady decide, just give me a holler."
  
  "We will" Harm assured him. "First we need to take care of our 
friend."
  
  They called the coroner and three hours later  watched as the 
skeleton was removed.
  
  "This reminds me of the time we were on the Hornet" Mac shivered.
  
  "It's more freakier cause it's our house" he sighed as he dropped his 
arm 
  over her shoulder. "You okay?"
  
  "Yeah I just want this to be over so we can go back to our lives 
again," she 
  said softly. "I want Russ and Marion and their baby to be together."
  
  "Hey is there anything else back there?" Harm asked the coroner. 
"Another 
  skeleton?"
  
 Mac drew her breath in sharply at Harm's words.  The thought that an 
innocent baby might  have 
been killed and buried in their house was majorly unsettling, adding to 
fact that she might be about 
to see a tiny skeleton removed.
 
 Harm drew her to his side before continuing.  "Sir?"
 
 "Not a thing.  Just a lot of dirt."
 
 "Thanks," Harm breathed, and heard Mac letting out a sigh of relief.   
 
 With Mallory's help,  they found out that Marion's relatives at the 
time had placed her for burial in an 
old church cemetery on the edge of town.   Mallory further located a 
grandniece living not far away, 
and from there it was a simple matter to arrange Russ's burial, 
exhuming Marion and placing his 
remains in with hers.  Thus two days later they found themselves in a 
cemetery bearing gravestones 
with dates back to the 1800s.
 
 "Thank you both ever so much," the older woman smiled.  "We never knew 
what happened to Russ.  
Aunt Marion loved him so much.  I have all her journals.  She loved  
him and yet she knew it was 
wrong, knew she was committing adultery, and Russ knew it too.  They 
were both consumed with 
guilt.  Then she got pregnant--remember how long ago this was, and knew 
it was Russ's baby.  Nate 
hadn't touched her in weeks.   About the baby, she wrote only a line 
that said the baby was gone and 
she was sure God was punishing her for her sin."
 
 "That's horrid," Mac gasped.  "If she loved Russ, she should have told 
Nate.  People do make 
mistakes in love.  People do think they're in love but aren't really.  
I know."
 
 "Me too," Harm smiled, his arm around her shoulders.
 
 "She married Nate because she thought she couldn't have Russ," Betty 
Cousins went on.  "Nate 
loved her, but she didn't love him back, not with her whole soul."
 
 "OK this is sounding way too much like a script for my life," Mac 
sighed.  "It was nice to meet you 
ma'am.  I pray your great Aunt is at peace now.  Russ too."
 
 "How could they not be," Betty smiled.  "They have each other to walk 
Eternity with.  Sometime do 
you think I could come and see the house?"
 
 "We'd love to have you," Harm assured her.  "You have our number, give 
us a call."
 
 "Will do and thank you."  She walked away slowly back to her car, Harm 
starting to follow only to 
realize Mac had pulled away and was lingering.
 
 "Honey you OK?"
 
 "Yeah of course.  I just don't do death well."
 
 "I know.  And I'm not much better.  You should have seen me at Renee's 
dad's wake or viewing or 
whatever the hell she called it.  I never wanted to get out of a place 
more in my life.  Of course I had 
something back in DC I was hurrying things through to get to."  He gave 
her a sheepish smile and 
added, "But she wasn't there."
 
 Mac blushed at once.  "I know.  I ran, ran with my tail between my 
legs like a whipped coon hound."
 
 "Well it's all behind us now," he smiled and leaned down to kiss her 
temple.  "And you're cold.  Let's 
get home."  Indeed the afternoon had turned chilly and he hurried her 
to the car.
 
 "You take good care of me," she smiled while he bundled her in and 
pulled her belt over her.
 
 "We take care of each other.  Always."
 
 "Always," she echoed and took the opportunity to place a gentle kiss 
on his lips as he passed.
   
  **************
  1 Week Later
  
  "Harm it's okay. I'll be fine. How many times is Keeter in town?"
  
  "Not many but I still don't like the idea of leaving you here alone" 
Harm 
  sighed. "Even if Russ is gone and the place has been pretty quiet."
  
  "I'm a big girl" she smiled. "I can handle myself alone."
  
  "Keeter said he didn't mind if you came along."
  
  "I know. And that was nice of him but I'm sure he'd much rather have 
the 
  guys night out with you. And I'll see him tomorrow when he comes 
over. Now 
  will you stop worrying and go before Keeter thinks you forgot about 
him."
  
  "You'll call if you need me?" he asked.
  
  "Yes" she smiled. "Now go. I'm perfectly fine here alone."
  
  "All right" he said as he drew her into his arms for a long hug. "You 
know I 
  worry about you when I'm not with you."
  
  "And I love that you do" she said softly. "But I'm fine. Now go. I'll 
see 
  you later."
  
  He finally managed to pull himself away from her and with a sigh she 
watched 
  as his car backed out of the driveway. She headed to the kitchen to 
make a 
  cup of tea and minutes later she was curled up on the sofa with a 
book and 
  the TV on for company. Hours later she fell asleep, waking with a 
start when 
  she heard the first cry. Her eyes flew open at once and she looked 
around 
  the room.
  
  "Who's there?" she whispered, knowing no one was actually going to 
answer 
  her.
  
  Another baby's cry and she got up from the sofa, slowly walked around 
the 
  room, going first to the newly built fireplace.
  
  "Where are you?" Mac said softly. "I'll help you if you lead me to 
you."
  
  The next cry sounded like it was coming from the kitchen and she 
slowly made 
  her way back to it, looking around the room carefully. Her eyes 
finally 
  caught sight of the door to the basement and she made her way down 
the 
  stairs to the damp and dark basement. The crying continued and Mac 
knew 
  she'd reached the right place. Somewhere down here Nate had killed 
and 
  buried Marion and Russ's baby.
  
  "Where?" she sighed as she looking around the basement, shivering 
from both 
  the cold air and the continued crying of the baby.
  
  She made her way over to the section of the basement that had always 
felt 
  the coldest to her and looking around for where Nate might have 
buried the 
  baby. The crying seemed louder here and she felt her own tears as she 
  thought about the innocent child who'd been brutally murdered.
  
  "I'm going to help you" she whispered. "I'm going to get you out of 
here so 
  you can be with Mommy and Daddy. I promise."
  
  With her bare hands, she began to dig into the dirt that was the 
basement 
  floor. A half-hour later she was covered with sweat and her back was 
aching 
  from the continued digging but she wasn't going to stop. She had to 
find the 
  baby.
  
  Her hands had just struck something when she heard Harm calling her 
name. 
  With shaking hands, she carefully dug out what she'd found just as he 
made 
  his way down the stairs.
  
  "Mac" he yelled as he reached the bottom stair. He caught sight of 
her on 
  the floor in the corner and hurried to her. "Mac what are you doing?"
  
  "I found Molly" she whispered as she looked up at him.
  
  "Molly?" he frowned as he knelt down next to her. It was then that he 
  realized what she'd found. "You found the baby?" he whispered.
  
  "She was crying for me" Mac whispered as the tears slid down her 
face. "She 
  wanted me to find her so I could get her out of here." She shivered 
and at 
  once he reached for her, gathering her against him.
  
  "You're going to catch pneumonia down here" he fretted as he noted 
how warm 
  and sweaty she was despite her shivering. "I'm going to take you 
upstairs 
  and then we'll call the coroner to take care of this."
  
  "She was just a baby" Mac sniffled. "A beautiful little baby that was 
  murdered for no reason."
  
  "Honey come on" Harm whispered. "You're all sweaty and being down in 
this 
  cold is not good for you. Let me take you up and we'll get you 
showered and 
  into some dry clothes."
  
  "We can't leave her alone here. She's afraid Harm."
  
  "Okay" Harm said slowly. "Mac you're scaring me here. We're going 
upstairs 
  and then we'll let the coroner handle this."
 
 "I don't want to leave her," Mac whispered, "and I know that's 
unreasonable.  I know there's just a 
skeleton back in there somewhere, but I still don't want to leave her.  
She needs to be with her 
parents Harm.  Somehow what Tonya did awakened her spirit and now she's 
alone and miserable 
and needs to go and I'm not leaving her."
 
 "Mac you're about half sick here," he fretted.
 
 She shook her head and pulled away from him with surprising strength, 
kneeling back at the hole 
she had created despite his reaching hands.  "Anyway, I've found her."  
She withdrew a simple 
wooden box, the kind common in grocery stores of that time and slid it 
out, falling backwards with the 
effort when it came free of the hole.
 
 At once Harm helped her upright, holding her close.  "You think she's 
in there?"
 
 In reply, with trembling hands, she reached out for the top of the 
box, only to have her arms fall 
away.
 
 "You want me to?"
 
 "Please," she nodded, retreating to his back and peering over his 
shoulder, leaning heavily on him.
 
 His own hands shook slightly as he lifted the lid, just an inch at 
first and then a little more as he 
looked in, hiding the contents from her by angling the cover.
 
 "Harm?"
 
 "Yeah it is," he said quietly, putting the top down.
 
 "No.  I need to see."
 
 "Mac this is the kind of stuff that's fodder for a dozen nightmares."
 
 "Maybe, but I need to see.  I have to finish what I started."
 
 "All right, and then you're going upstairs.  In the morning we'll call 
the coroner."
 
 "Yeah OK," she whispered, reaching around him for the box.
 
 "I'll do it."  He opened the box once more, fully this time and as 
soon as she saw the tiny skeleton a 
huge sob tore through her.  
 
 "How could anyone hurt a baby," she gasped.  "How could anyone hate 
that much?"
 
 "I don't know honey.  I swear to god I don't," he said softly, putting 
the cover back on and standing 
up, pulling her up with him.
 
 She made no resistance this time, sobbing softly and leaning against 
him as he took her upstairs.  
"You'll stay with me won't you?"
  
  "No place else I'd be than with you" he whispered. "And first we're 
getting 
  you a warm shower and then I'm tucking you into bed while I call the 
  coroner."
  
  "Just don't leave me" she begged.
  
  "Never" he promised.
  
  ***************
  Two Days Later
  
  It was cold and drizzling the afternoon that Molly was laid to rest 
beside 
  her parents. Harm and Mac stood beside Betty again as they said a 
prayer for 
  the little girl who'd never been given a chance to live.
  
  "Thank you for clearing this all up" Betty sniffled. "As horrible as 
it is, 
  at least we know now what happened. And now they're all together."
  
  "We're just glad to help" Harm said softly, his arm still around Mac. 
She'd 
  been strangely quiet the past few days and he knew she'd taken this 
hard.
  
  "Keep in touch please" Betty smiled as she looked at Mac. "You're 
both 
  wonderful people and I can't thank you enough for this."
  
  "We will" Mac sniffled as well.
  
  Harm walked Betty to her car while Mac stood looking at the tiny 
casket. The 
  crying had finally ceased and she knew that Molly was in heaven where 
she 
  belonged.
  
  "You okay?" Harm asked softly as he came up behind her, his arms 
wrapping 
  around her.
  
  "I think so" she whispered. "It's just so horrible."
  
  "I know. And that's why I've been thinking that maybe you and I 
should take 
  a weekend away. Get away from all this for a while."
  
  "Are you serious?" she asked as she turned around to look at him.
  
  "Very. This has been very hard on you and I think some time away is 
in 
  order. Maybe somewhere warm and sunny."
  
  "I'm listening" she smiled softly. "Considering we're standing out 
here 
  freezing in this rain."
  
  "Which is why we'll talk about this on the way home."
  
  She nodded and turned back to the casket. "Bye Molly" she whispered. 
"I know 
  you'll be happy in heaven with Mommy and Daddy."
  
  With a loud sniffle she turned back to him and his arm went around 
her as he 
  led her back to the car. Once inside he quickly turned on the heat to 
warm 
  them both.
  
  "Better?" he asked as the car warmed.
  
  "Much. Now what were you saying about getting away from this cold."
  
  "I was thinking about taking you to Florida. Maybe we could go see 
Mickey."
  
  "Mickey?" she smiled. "As in Disney?"
  
  "Sure why not?" he smiled as well.  "We deserve some time together 
after what we've been through 
with our friends.  Which by the way I'm still not sure I believe all 
that happened."

"But the house is quiet," she pointed out.

"Yes it is, and first thing in the morning I'm going to request a few 
days off for you and me.  How do 
you feel about Magic Mountain?"

"Will you hold my hand?"

"Wonder if they have a tunnel of love?"  He laughed softly and hooked 
his arm around her neck to 
bring her to him.  The long kiss that followed was another link in the 
chain that was binding them 
closer and closer together.

THE END

Watch for the next chapter, in which Harm and Mac make their Florida 
trip, but it's not the one they 
planned.  Coming Soon.
  ******************