TITLE:  "I Thee Wed-Chapter 1"
             AUTHORS:  Anne R. and Pat Steiner
             SUMMARY/SPOILERS:   Marry in haste,
repent at leisure.  Sergei Zhukov takes extreme 
measures to remain in the U.S.  Meanwhile Harm and Mac
are in a desperate situation of their own.
Any JAG episode may be referred to in our work.  
            CLASSIFCATION/RATING:  J/S/R/A       PG
for mild violence and language
             DISCLAIMER:  JAG belongs to CBS,
Paramount et al.  No copyright infringement is
intended with 
this work of fiction.
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SSbpMN@aol.com.
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"I Thee Wed-Chapter 1"

"Harm you haven't heard a word I've said," Mac
snapped, slamming the lid down on her laptop and 
glaring at him across the table.
 
 "How could I not?  The entire building has heard
you," he retorted.  "Mac please, try to take a breath 
and be reasonable here.  Seaman Holister doesn't
deserve brig time any more than I do. . .uh let me 
rephrase that.  In your current mood, you're probably
thinking of some way to bring charges against 
me."
 
 "You a mind reader now?"
 
 "Thought so.  OK, I know there's a compromise in
there somewhere."
 
 "Only on the amount not on the if," she exploded,
pressing her fingers to her temples.  "But obviously 
we're not going to reach it today.  Honestly Rabb if
you didn't see yourself in that kid twenty years ago 
you might see that the Navy doesn't need him."
 
 "Oh yeah it does," he replied quietly.  "That's just
the type it needs."
 
 She was about to reply when she saw Sergei standing
uncertainly in the doorway of Harm's office.  
"Sergei come in.  We're through here."
 
 "Thank you," the young Russian smiled wanly.
 
 "I'll leave you two alone," Mac sighed, shaking her
head.  "In fact Harm I'm heading home.  I need to 
run by Bethesda to get the autopsy results on a case
and so I'm going to do that on the way.  See you 
later."
 
 "Yeah," he nodded distractedly.
 
 Sergei closed the door and sat down heavily.  "What
is wrong with you and Sarah?"
 
 "Hell if I know," he yelped.  "She's been in a mood
for a month now.  And I thought we were getting 
along pretty well.  Then all of a sudden she's gotten
distant, argues with me over everything, and 
suddenly I feel like I'm a growth on her six."
 
 "Is she seeing someone who is making her unhappy?"
 
 Harm's eyes widened at that.  "Seeing someone? 
Dating?  A guy?  Why the hell would she do that.  I 
mean it wasn't that long ago that she got that idiot
Australian out of her life."
 
 "Hey brother calm down," he smiled, putting a light
hand on his arm.  "It was but a suggestion.  That 
perhaps she is having trouble in her personal life."
 
 "If she was seeing someone I would know it," he
glowered.
 
 "Because you and she communicate so well."
 
 "OK sarcasm doesn't become you.  Let's talk about why
you're here."
 
 "Because I spoke with Commander Coulter," he said
quietly, suddenly somber.  "The DNA tests are 
what she called inconclusive.  In other words she
cannot testify that I am our father's son."
 
 Harm slammed his fist on the desk.  "Dammit.  Sergei
I'm not going to let them take you back.  You 
have enemies there."
 
 "Yes I know," the young man nodded.  "And I left a
message for Mr. Webb who did promise to help if he 
could.  But I may not have a choice."
 
 "You could just disappear.  Be one of thousands in
this country without documentation."
 
 "I think I should pretend that I did not hear that." 
Motion outside the door caught his eye and he 
looked up to see Loren Singer nodding to him.  "Excuse
me.  I will go say hello to the beautiful 
Lieutenant."
 
 "You do that," Harm growled, turning back to his
computer screen.  "Could this day get any better," he 
mumbled as he did so.  Adding two new worries to his
list, his brother's fate, and Mac.  Seeing 
someone?
 ==========
 
 "Ma'am I'm glad I caught you," Harriet called.  "How
about joining me and AJ for pizza at Chuckie 
Cheese's tonight.  Unless you're busy of course."
 
 "As much fun as that sounds," she began and realized
the sharpness in her tone.  "Sorry.  I seem to be 
snapping at everyone lately."
 
 "Yes ma'am."
 
 "You've noticed?"
 
 "Yes ma'am.  And I can't offer you a night out with
the girls, but pizza and a little guy who thinks
you're 
wonderful could help."
 
 "A guy who thinks I'm wonderful," she sighed.  "That
could be a nice change.  Thank you.  I'd love to."

  **************************
  "Hello Lieutenant," Sergei said as he walked over to
Singer. "We meet again."
  
  "Sergei right?" Loren smiled as she looked up at
him. "Nice to see you too. 
  How goes the attempt to keep you in the country?"
  
  "Not good" Sergei said sadly. "I am afraid I will
soon be running out of 
  options."
  
  "I'm sure your big brother will think of something.
He's been working hard 
  to help you."
  
  "Yes he has" Sergei nodded. "But there is not much
else he can do."
  
  "You really don't want to go back to Russia do you?"
she inquired.
  
  "I have a lot of enemies there. And after Mr. Webb
smuggled me out of the 
  country, I will not be welcomed back. And I like it
here despite some lonliness. America is 
  different. And there's no one as beautiful as you in
Russia."
  
  "I like the way you talk Sergeant" Loren smiled.
  
  "I would like very much to go out with you" Sergei
said boldly. "Do you have 
  plans tonight?"
  
  "I don't think so."
  
  "Please have dinner with me" Sergei said as he
reached for her hand, gently 
  bringing it to his lips and kissing it softly.
"Please lovely Lieutenant."
  
  "I will but only if you call me Loren" she smiled.
  
  "What time shall I pick you up Loren?" he asked. "I
have my brother's SUV to 
  use and I would like very much to pick you up."
  
  "Follow me and I'll give you the directions to my
place" she said as she led 
  him to her office.
  
  *************
  Harm's Apartment
  6:30 PM EST
  
  "You're going out with her" Harm sighed. "Sergei I
warned you that she's 
  nothing but trouble."
  
  "I do not understand why you do not like her" Sergei
countered. "But that 
  does not matter. I am going out with her anyway. We
have a date tonight."
  
  "I don’t believe this" Harm groaned as he sank down
on his sofa.
  
  "What is so wrong Harm. She is a nice person that I
would like to get to 
  know better before I have to leave."
  
  "Sergei I'm doing everything I can to stop that from
happening."
  
  "I know. But if you can't at least let me enjoy my
last few weeks here."
  
  "If you call going out to dinner with Lt. Witch
enjoyable" Harm sighed.
  
  "Harm she is not a witch" Sergei argued. "What did
she do that you dislike 
  her so much."
  
  "A lot. But that obviously isn't going to make a
difference to you. Go. Have 
  fun. One of us should anyway."
  
  "I am sorry that you and Mac are not getting along.
I do not understand why 
  you two are like this."
  
  "Neither do I" Harm sighed. "Go on. Have fun. I'll
probably be up drowning 
  my sorrows in a bottle of beer when you get home."
  
  "Unless I do not come home" Sergei smiled.
"Goodnight brother. I will see you 
  later."
  
  "Your life is crap Rabb" Harm moaned when he was
alone. He couldn't find a 
  way to keep Sergei in the country and now he was
going out with Singer. Mac 
  hated him and might be going out with someone else.
He reached for the phone 
  and dialed her number, not surprised at all when he
got her machine. She was 
  probably out on a hot date with her new guy.
Everyone had someone but him.
  
  *******************
  Chuck E Cheese's
  Same Time
  
  "I'm sorry" Harriet laughed. "I'd forgotten how
noisy this place was."
  
  "That's okay" Mac smiled. "I can't hear myself think
which might actually be 
  a good thing at this point."
  
  "Anything you want to talk about?" Harriet prodded.
"Like a certain 
  Commander."
  
  "It's too depressing to even think about" Mac
sighed. "I think I'll take AJ 
  and go play for a while. At least he's nice to me."
  
  "I think the Commander just has his mind other
places. Like finding a way to 
  keep Sergei in the country."
  
  "I know. But it's like we're just co- workers
again."
  
  "And that's not what you want is it?" Harried said
gently.
  
  "No it's not. I want what you have Harriet. A
husband who adores me, a 
  beautiful child."
  
  "You'll have it. It just takes time."
  
  "Harriet, I'm getting older by the minute here" Mac
laughed. "I don't know 
  how much longer I can wait."
  
  "Do you love Harm?" Harriet asked boldly.
  
 Mac's mouth fell open as she contemplated the words. 
"Hell no."
 
 "You want to try again," Harriet smiled.
 
 "You'd make a good lawyer Harriet," she sighed.  "You
asked a question you knew the answer to.  Yes I 
do.  For a long while I thought I could pretend I
didn't.  And sometimes with Mic in my bed it almost 
worked.  And while he was off flying I was so angry it
wasn't a problem."
 
 "But the night he went down in the Atlantic. . ."
Harriet prompted her gently.
 
 "Yeah," Mac nodded with a resigned sigh.  "Every
thing that had started to the surface the night of my 
engagement party. . ."  She stopped short realizing
Harriet did not know the story of her and Harm and 
their talk.  "OK not really wanting to go there,
except to say that Harm and I sort of opened a
dialogue.  
And then that night he went down. . .well you know the
rest.  For months now it's been like I was ready 
he wasn't.  He was ready I wasn't.  We'll be almost
there and then something separates us.  I don't 
know Harriet.  Maybe I'm delusional.  Maybe he doesn't
love me."
 
 "And maybe a pig is going to come flying through his
room," she retorted.  "Have another piece of 
pizza.  You need the calories not me."
 ============
 Harm was well into his second beer when there was a
knock at the door.  "Harm it's Turner."
 
 He swung himself from his chair and opened the door
for his old friend.  "Welcome back, how was New 
London?"
 
 "Wasted trip.  By the time I got there Ensign
Crimmins confessed.  On the other hand  I had a good 
seafood dinner and now here I am.  Thought I'd see if
you wanted to catch the game, especially if 
you've got another one of those.  I figured you were
here."
 
 "Of course I'm here.  Where else would I be."
 
 "Exactly.  Beer in the fridge?"
 
 "Exactly my ass," Harm yelped.  "I could have been on
a date.  God knows Sergei and Mac are."
 
 "Your brother and Mac are dating?"  Turner could not
resist the jibe.
 
 "Moron," Harm groaned.  "Sergei and Loren thank you. 
And Mac and god knows who.  Some loser like 
all the others she's been with."
 
 "Yeah well your track record in that department isn't
all that stellar," Sturgis reminded him, and then 
nearly choked on his first swallow of beer as he heard
exactly what Harm had said. "Whoa wait a 
second, Loren?  Loren Singer and your brother?  It was
less ludicrous to say your brother and Mac."
 
 "Tell me about it," he sighed.  "Honestly Sturgis,
Sergei is a nice looking kid and I would think once he

gets to meeting people he wouldn't have a problem. 
Instead he's willing to settle for Lieutenant Witch?"
 
 "This would be their first date?"
 
 Harm nodded.  "Additionally on the good news front,
Terri's results were not conclusive enough that 
she can swear he's my father's son."
 
 "I'm sorry.  He's not going to be able to go back
easily is he?"
 
 "No.  He's got too many enemies over there.  His own,
and people who would love to get to me 
through him thanks to my own tendencies to charge into
every situation.  I'm hoping Clay Webb will 
help.  If nothing else I'm going to petition INS for
political asylum on his behalf.  That should buy him 
some time."
 
 "OK so what's making you drown your sorrows.  A
certain Marine?  She's dating?"
 
 "Sergei suggested it.  Worse he suggested that maybe
she's having problems. . .like the guy could be 
giving her grief.  I of course called the notion total
BS at the time but it's been on my mind ever since.  I

swear if I found out someone was hurting her. . ." 
 
 He stopped when Sturgis smiled slightly.  "Careful
Rabb, you're about to reveal something about your 
feelings for her."
 
 "You think we could leave the topic of my personal
life," he growled.
 
 "Because you're handling it so well yourself." 
Sturgis took a long drink of beer and perhaps
fortified by 
the alcohol rush added, "my god man the woman is in
love with you."
 
 "How can you be drunk after half a beer?" Harm
exploded.  "In love with me?  Right.  That's why she's

dating another guy. . Well maybe dating.  And where
did you get such a cock and bull idea anyway?"
 
 "She told me."
 
 Now it was Harm's turn to choke on a swallow of the
strong liquid.  "You lying sonofabitch," he finally 
got out.
 
  "No she did. I'm not making this up."
  
  "Why would she tell you she was in love with me?"
Harm demanded.
  
  "It slipped. She didn't mean to tell me. Point is
she loves you. And of 
  course you love her. I have no clue why you two
can't make it work."
  
  "Well neither do I" Harm groaned, not bothering to
deny that he loved her 
  as well.
  
  "The question is what are you going to do about it?"
Sturgis asked. "You 
  going to let her get involved with someone else
again. Didn't you learn your 
  lesson the last time?"
  
  "Hey if she wants to find someone else that's her
right" Harm countered.
  
  "If she is, it's only cause you're forcing her away.
Get with the program 
  Rabb. Before it's too late.  And before she kills me
with the Marine death grip for breaking a 
confidence. I am pathetic.  Half a beer and I'm
spilling my guts.  I hope I'm never a POW."
  
  ******************
  JAG HQ's
  Next Morning
  
  "Good Morning Mac" Harm said as he walked into her
office.
  
  "Morning."
  
  "Mac about yesterday" he started.
  
  "Harm it's okay. Just forget about it. I know you've
got a lot on your mind 
  with Sergei and so do I and it's okay."
  
  "Anything you want to share?" he prodded.
  
  "No. At least not yet anyway."
  
  "Well you know if you need to talk, I'm always here"
he said lamely. "If 
  there's something bothering you that I could help
with, just let me know."
  
  "You feeling okay?" she asked, giving him a peculiar
glance. "You're being 
  nice."
  
  "Blame the hangover" he sighed as he walked out of
her office. She started 
  after him, only to be stopped by Tiner.
  
  "Ma'am, the Admiral would like to see you and the
Commander in his office."
  
  "I'll grab the Commander and we'll be right in" Mac
assured him.
  
  Moments later they were seated in front of the
Admiral's desk.
  
  "I need you two to go to Fallon" AJ said as he
handed Harm the case file. 
  "There was a crash last night and I need your
expertise on this one 
  Commander."
  
  "Yes sir, we'll be right on it" Harm replied.
  
  "See Tiner for your travel arrangements" AJ
continued. "Dismissed."
  
  They secured their itineraries from Tiner and headed
back to their offices, 
  a smiling Singer breezing past them.
  
  "Good Morning sir, ma'am" she said pleasantly.
  
  "What's with her?" Mac asked as she and Harm reached
her office.
  
  "She had a date with Sergei last night" Harm sighed.
"I must have fallen 
  asleep by the time he got home so I don't know how
it went."
  
  "Must have gone pretty well."
  
  "Don't say that" Harm groaned. "The last thing I
need is Sergei getting 
  hooked up with her."
  
  "Harm she's a military officer. I could think of
worse people he could get 
  involved with."
  
  "She maybe a military officer but I wouldn't trust
her as far as I could 
  throw her" Harm scoffed. "She's been less than
ethical the whole time she's 
  been here and I'd like to know what her real reason
for going out with 
  Sergei is."
  
  "You think she has an ulterior motive?"
  
  "Doesn't Singer always have an ulterior motive?"
  
  "True" Mac nodded. "You think it has something to do
with you?"
  
  "Yes. Like going out with him just to spite me. She
knows what I think of 
  her and I think she's playing the fact that Sergei
fell for her."
  
  "So you don't think she actually likes him. She's
just using him?"
  
  "Bingo."
  
  "Harm your brother is an attractive guy. And very
nice. Did you ever stop to 
  consider she might actually like him."
  
  "Whose side are you on?" he said irritably.
  
  "I'm not on anyone's side" Mac said patiently. "I'm
just saying its possible 
  she does like him."
  
  "God that's all I need. Singer as a sister in law."
  
  "That would keep him in the country" Mac pointed out
quietly.
  
  "Oh god, you don't think he'd actually marry her so
he could stay here do 
  you?" Harm groaned. "I need to talk to him. He can't
go out with her again."
  
  "I'd suggest a better approach than that counselor.
He's not a kid remember. 
  And in case you forgot, we have reservations on a
plane leaving in two 
  hours."
  
  "Damn" he muttered under his breath. "I'll have to
wait until I get back. Or 
  I'll call him when we get to Fallon."
  
  "I think this might be handled better in person,"
Mac said gently. "You 
  don’t want him to think you're running his life."
  
  "Good point" he sighed. "Hopefully we'll get this
wrapped up quickly and get 
  back here before they get too involved."
 
 "Harm pull back a bit," she advised with a small
smile.  
 
 "You don't like her any better than I do," he yelped,
his eyes flashing.
 
 "I don't have to, and neither do you.  It's your
brother whom we're concerned about here," she pointed 
out.  "Harm give the boy some credit for some basic
intelligence will you.  He didn't just fall off the 
turnip truck as they say."
 
 "She's ten years old than him.  He's probably a
virgin."
 
 "Oh my god I don't believe what you just said," she
chortled.  
 
 "Forgive me for caring," he groaned.
 
 "No actually I think it's kind of. . .well sweet. 
You're going to make a great father some day."
 
 "Even if that was true, I need a mother. . .I mean
someone to be the mother."
 
 She flushed uncomfortably at his words, and even more
so at his gaze that rested on her.
 
 "Of course you and I shook on a deal of that sort
once," he persisted, causing her to pinken even 
further.
 
 "How did we get from Singer and Sergei to our
promise, which by the way. . ."  She looked him boldly
in 
the eye before she continued.  "Which by the way I
remember every second of making."
 
 "I've never forgotten it either," he whispered,
surprisingly serious, and he brushed the back of his
hand 
against her cheek.  "Guess I'll see you at the gate? 
Actually, I'd rather pick you up and we could get 
some dinner first?"
 
 "Harm did your hangover give you brain damage?  Or
you've gotten a fever?  Or maybe it's me.  
Because I swear I just heard you ask me to dinner."
 
 "Do you want it in writing?"
 
 "I'll be ready at 1730," she shrugged.  "Thank you."
 =================
 HARM's APARTMENT
 
 Sergei sat on the bed and watched his brother
packing, noting that a slight smile played on his
lips.  
"My brother seems to be very happy about this trip."
 
 "Sometimes it's good to be away from JAG," he agreed,
now humming as he folded his uniforms into his 
garment bag.
 
 "Or perhaps you are enjoying the prospect of the
beautiful Sarah going with you?"
 
 "Sergei."
 
 "What?" he answered with mock innocence and a
mischievous smile.  "My brother loves this woman 
Sarah.  And she loves him."
 
 "It's complicated Sergei.  And you know that."
 
 "It should not be.  The two of you have no reason you
cannot love and be happy."
 
 "Only that we fight all the time and work together on
top of that."
 
 "Easily overlooked in the face of love."
 
 "Look this is a discussion we're going to postpone,"
Harm said firmly, zipping the bag closed.  "While 
I'm gone you and Singer. . ."
 
 "Loren please," he interrupted.  "She deserves that
much respect."
 
 "Lieutenant Singer," Harm compromised.  "I can't stop
you from seeing her, but please don't do 
anything more than enjoy her company.  You barely know
this woman."
 
 Sergei smiled and shrugged at the same time.  "I
think my brother should mind his own personal life 
before he attempts to help me with mine."
 
 "Sergei I. . .OK I don't have time for this right
now.  Just hang tight while I'm gone please."
 
 The young Russian gave him a puzzled frown.
 
 "I mean please do not make any life changing
decisions while I'm gone.  Just promise me."
 
 Sergei nodded solemnly and walked Harm to the door. 
"Please pass my regards to your Sarah."
 
 "She's anything but mine," he retorted.
 
 "Only because you do not make it so."
 =============
 REAGAN NATIONAL
 1 Hour Later
 
 "And there you are.  My Sarah," Harm greeted her as
he walked up to where she waited.
 
 "Harm did you stop at the bar down the concourse?"
 
  "No why?" he frowned.
  
  "My Sarah?" she smiled. "I didn’t know I belonged to
you."
  
  "Sorry. Been hanging around Sergei too much," he
said sheepishly.
  
  "Did you talk to him then?"
  
  "Yeah and he wasn't real receptive to my
suggestions."
  
  "Gee Harm why do you think that is" she laughed.
"You're treating him like a 
  kid not the adult he is. He's a big boy. If he and
Singer like each other 
  there's nothing you can do about it."
  
  "Okay enough about them" Harm groaned. "I don’t want
to think about it. I 
  keep having this vision of returning from Fallon and
finding he's done 
  something stupid like married her."
  
  "I would think she would know better. And seeing as
how she wants to be the 
  first female JAG, that wouldn't look good on her
record if she married 
  someone just to keep them in the US."
  
  "True. I just wish he'd met someone besides her. I
mean of all the women in 
  DC, he had to fall for her."
  
  "Maybe God has a sense of humor" she smiled.
  
  "I guess" he sighed.
  
  "Cheer up. What's the worst thing that could happen
besides having Singer as 
  your sister in law."
  
  "Oh god" he groaned. "Please. That's a fate worse
than death."
  
  "Sorry. You ready? I think I just heard the call for
our flight."
  
  Minutes later they found their seats and buckled up
for the flight.
  He was silent as the plane took off and after a few
hours of the silence she 
  looked over him, a decided scowl still on his face.
  
  "You must be thinking about Sergei and Singer" she
teased. "And I'm going to 
  tell you again to just let it go. We have a case to
handle and I need your 
  attention here."
  
  "You're right" he sighed. "And I'm sorry for pouting
all afternoon. I'll try 
  and put them out of my mind for a while."
  
  "Good. Now what else can we can we talk about
instead?"
  
  "Your new boyfriend?" he said before he could stop
himself.
  
  "New boyfriend? Where on earth do you come up with
these things? The only 
  guy I've been out with is way too young for me."
  
  "What's his name?" Harm scowled, not catching what
she was saying.
  
  "AJ. As in AJ our godson."
  
  "You mean you aren't dating someone?"
  
  "No. I went out the other night with Harriet and AJ
and that's been the 
  highlight of my social calendar for the past month.
What ever gave you the 
  idea I was dating someone?"
  
  "I don't know" he shrugged. "It just seemed like a
possibility."
  
  "Well it's not. I am dateless as usual."
  
  "So then if I were to ask you out, you'd go out with
me?" he asked quietly.
  
  "I didn't say I was that desperate" she grinned. At
his crestfallen look, 
  she patted his arm. "I'm just kidding sailor. If you
were to ask me out, I 
  might consider it. After I got over my heart attack
of hearing you say the 
  words."
  
  "Cute Marine" he groaned. "Try being nice and this
is what I get."
  
  "Harm I'm just teasing you. Don't be so sensitive."
  
  "Well I'm not in a teasing mood" he pouted.
  
  "Okay. I get the picture. No more teasing. And for
the record, if you were 
  to ask me out, I would go out with you."
  
  "You're serious?"
  
  "Yes I'm serious. Geez Harm I've only been waiting
how long for you to do 
  something. You know months ago we said we were
starting over and we 
  haven't done a thing since."
  
  "Meaning I haven't done anything," he said
irritably.
  
  "Okay never mind. Having this conversation with you
now is not a good idea. 
  You're in your mood and we're just going to end up
going round and round if 
  we do."
  
  She turned away and leaned back her seat and closed
her eyes. There were 
  several minutes of quiet before she felt a hand on
her arm.
  
  "Mac I'm sorry" he sighed. "I didn’t mean to snap at
you like that. Yes I'm 
  grumpy and I'm sorry. You don’t deserve this from
me."
  
  "No I don't," she said without opening her eyes.
  
  "You're not going to be mad at me forever are you?"
he asked quietly.
  
  "No I'm not" Mac sighed as she looked over at him.
  
  "Good. And maybe when we get back to DC, you and I
could uh go out? If you 
  want to of course."
  
  "I think we might be able to find some common ground
there" she smiled.
  
  They landed in Reno a few hours later and secured a
rental car for the drive 
  to Fallon.
  
  "I can't believe they didn't have our reservation"
Harm complained. "All I 
  have to say is the Admiral better approve this when
I turn in my expense 
  report."
  
  "Like he's going to believe you" Mac laughed. "I
can't believe the only 
  thing they had was a Mustang GT."
  
  "Well we could have waited for someone to return
another car but who knows 
  when that will be" Harm sighed. "I got the
impression the Admiral wanted 
  this taken care of ASAP."
  
  They were outside the city limits when Harm finally
noticed that the car 
  hadn't been refueled.
  
  "Start looking for a gas station" he sighed. "And
remind me to complain when 
  we bring this thing back."
  
  "No gas?" she frowned as she looked over.
  
  "No and I didn't even look when we got in or I would
have marched back to 
  the counter and complained."
  
  "I'm sure there's one around here somewhere. Just
keep your eyes open."
   
 The warning light was flashing when Harm finally
spotted a small station on 
 the desert highway.
 
 "Finally" he murmured as he pulled in. "You need
anything while we're here?"
 
 "Potty break" she smiled as he pulled the car to a
stop. "And then some 
 water for the rest of the trip."
 
 They both climbed out and while Harm filled the car
with gas, Mac found her 
 way to the restroom, neither noticing the old car
that pulled into the 
 station,  the two young men getting out and eyeing
their car. He finished 
 pumping as Mac came out and together they went inside
the station.
 
 "You know that water is just going to make you need
to use the head again" 
 Harm smiled as they walked back to the car.
 
 "You'll find me a place to stop if I need it" she
smiled as she walked 
 around to her side of the car.
 
 He'd opened his door and was in when he saw her
freeze at her door.
 
 "Mac what's wrong" he asked before he felt something
cold on the back of his 
 neck.
 
 "Get in the car lady" a voice sat from the backseat.
"Or your friend here is 
 history."
 
 There was no hesitation on Mac's part, the gun to her
partner's head enough to make 
 her move.
 
 "If you want the car, you can have it" Mac said
quietly as she slid into the 
 car. "We'll just get out and you can drive away."
 
 "And you'll call the police right away" a second
voice scoffed. "No way. 
 We're calling the shots here. Now start driving."
 
 "And if I don't--you going to shoot me?" Harm asked
mildly, trying to buy a few minutes while he 
thought of what he could do.
 
 "Yeah, but not until you watch her bleed to death,"
the owner of the second voice said calmly, and with 
lightning speed there was a razor blade knife at Mac's
throat.
 
 "Hey OK, just asking," Harm gasped, flooring the
accelerator.  The car shot from the gas station and 
the first intruder pointed down the ribbon of highway.
 
 
 "You keep her straight and smooth mister, and hold it
to seventy.  I see any blue lights behind us and 
she'll be the first to die."
 
 "Whatever you want, just be calm," Harm urged,
shooting a sidelong glance to Mac.  Her eyes were 
fixed straight ahead, and she was stiff and straight
in her seat.  He gave her a small nod, trying to 
convey that they would be OK, that they would do as
they were being ordered and would be OK.  At the 
same time as the desert loomed before them he felt an
iceberg form in his stomach.  The desert would 
leave no trace of their bodies in very short order.
 
 Five miles passed and with a deep breath for calm,
Harm turned part way in the seat.  "Guys I'm Harm, 
and this is Mac.  I know you're in some kind of
trouble to do this.  We're both lawyers.  Why don't
you 
let us help."
 
 "I'm Jerry, this is Peter, and we don't need no
help," Jerry snapped.  "We're got all the help we need

with this gun and knife.   And this car to get us
across the desert."
 
 "What happens then?" Harm asked casually.
 
 "Depends on how useful you people are," Peter hissed,
leaning even closer to Mac and brushing her 
hair just above her ear with his knuckle. 
 
 Harm's eyes narrowed sharply as Mac froze under the
young man's touch.  "Don't.  Do not.  I will kill 
you if you touch her."
 
 "You'd have to be alive to do that," Jerry snarled,
jabbing him sharply with the gun.
 
 "Harm don't.  It's OK.  This guy doesn't scare me,"
Mac yelped.
 
 "You might want to re-think that," Peter murmured,
his mouth close to her ear.  Close enough that Mac 
got a whiff of his breath such that sent her stomach
into convulsions.
 
 "Peter leave her be for now," Jerry ordered.  "Both
of these guys are more valuable to us cooperating.  
Leave her alone.  For now."
 
 The implied threat was not lost on Harm and he
shuddered slightly, at the same time making a solemn 
promise that it would be only through him that one of
them would hurt her.  He gave a silent sigh of 
relief when Peter leaned back against the back seat. 
Harm slid his hand over to Mac and took hers, 
finding it cold he gave her a reassuring squeeze.
 
 After a few minutes Harm spoke again, in that same
casual tone.  "You want to share why this is 
necessary?  What the hell are you guys running from?"
 
 "Don't tell them," Peter hissed.
 
 "Nah it's OK," Jerry drawled.  "We stopped in a
little town north of Reno to appropriate a little
money 
and the guy behind the counter took exception.  I had
to put a couple bullets in him.  Unfortunately 
there was a witness who got off a 911 call before I
took care of him.  Long story short, the car we stole 
crapped out just outside where we met you."
 
 Harm's hand tightened around Mac's as he listened. 
That this man was telling the truth he had no 
doubt, and that he would 'take care' of them as soon
as their usefulness ceased was also not in 
question.  
 
 Mac swallowed hard and squeezed back.  "So then why
are you keeping us with you?"
 
 "Hostages is the obvious answer.  But then too,
they're looking for two guys in a beat up Chevy, not 
three guys and a woman in a nice car like this.  So as
long as you're serving a purpose, I got no 
problem with letting you live."

   They drove silently for the next half-hour, going
further into the desert.
  
  "Stop the car" Jerry ordered suddenly. "Now."
  
  "Right here?" Harm asked. "We're in the middle of
nowhere."
  
  "That's the point" Jerry laughed. "Pull over now or
Peter is going to pull 
  out his knife and start carving up your friend
here."
  
  "No don't" Harm said quickly as he guided the car to
the side of the road. 
  "I'll do whatever you want, just don’t hurt her."
  
  "Keep talking like that and we won't have a problem"
Jerry assured him. "Now 
  put the car in park but leave it running."
  
  Harm did as directed, despite knowing that this most
likely meant they were 
  about to either be killed or left for dead in the
desert. If they could get 
  the gun away from Jerry, they might have a chance to
escape. He looked over 
  at Mac; their eyes meeting just long enough to
convey that she knew what he 
  was thinking.
  
  "Okay. Now both of you move out of the car real
slow. And you stay here on 
  your side of the car Navy."
  
  Harm opened the door and climbed out, keeping his
eye on the other side of 
  the car as Mac did the same. Seconds later the two
men climbed out from the 
  backseat of the car, looking at them wide grins.
  
  "Thanks for the lift" Jerry grinned. "Sorry we have
to part like this."
  
  They made their move at the same time, Harm knocking
the gun from Jerry's 
  hand as Mac made her move on Peter. The gun went
flying, ending up under the 
  car.
  
  "Bitch" Peter yelled as Mac attempted to grab his
arm. He swung around, the 
  blade cutting through her arm in one swift motion.
She let out a cry of pain 
  before a fist sent her to the ground.
  
  "You bastard" Harm screamed, grabbing Jerry and
slamming him into the car 
  before hurrying around to the other side of the car
where Peter was leaning 
  over Mac, the knife in his moving dangerously close
to her neck.
  
  Without a second thought he lunged at the man,
pulling him away from Mac, 
  but not before the blade once again connected with
flesh, leaving a large 
  gash on her neck.
  
  "Harm" Mac wailed as he and Peter struggled on the
ground, the knife still 
  in Peter's hand.
  
  "Mac get away," Harm yelled as Peter swung the knife
wildly. Harm rolled out 
  of the way of the blade several times before the
determined young man 
  finally connected, the blade opening up the flesh on
Harm's shoulder. Harm's 
  cry of pain sent Mac stumbling to help him, only to
be stopped and knocked 
  to the ground by another one of Peter's backhands
that left her dazed.
  
  "Pete come on" Jerry called. "Leave them. They're
not going to go anywhere 
  and even if they do we'll be long gone. Come on
let's get out of here while 
  we can."
  
  "It's your lucky day mister" Peter taunted as he
held the blade to Harm's 
  throat. "Otherwise I'd carve both of you up and
leave you for the vultures. 
  As it is they're the only one's who are going to
find you."
  
  He leapt to his feet, and into the passenger side of
the car. With tires 
  squealing it pulled away, leaving them alone in the
middle of no where.
  
  "Mac" Harm said anxiously as he crawled over to her.
"Mac, honey can you 
  hear me?"
  
  "Harm" she whimpered.
  
  "Shh, it's okay" he whispered as he gently cradled
her against him. "They're 
  gone now. And somehow we'll get out of here. But
first I need to see how 
  badly you're hurt." Gentle hands wiped the blood
from the side of her neck and he gasped 
  at the gash that had been left. "I'm sorry" he
whispered. "I know it hurts."
  
  Her attempt to keep the tears at bay failed at his
gentle words and moments 
  later she started to sob and at once he gathered her
against him, ignoring 
  his own pain for the moment.
  
  "It's over" he whispered. "They can't hurt you
anymore."
  
  Her sobs continued and he gently held her against
him.
  
  "Mac I need to take care of your arm" he said gently
a few minutes later. 
  "Before you bleed to death on me."
  
  She nodded through the tears and allowed him to wrap
her arm with part of 
  her shirt.
  
  "I need to take care of your shoulder" she whispered
when he'd finished. 
  "That's bleeding just as much as my arm is."
  
  "Not quite but I guess you should try and wrap it"
he sighed as he ripped 
  off part of the bottom of his shirt.
  
  Her trembling hands finally managed to place the
cloth against the wound to 
  stop the bleeding.
  
  "Harm what are we going to do?" she whispered.
  
  "We're going to get out of this is what we're going
to do," he said firmly. 
  "And don’t even start thinking otherwise."
  
 "It'll be interesting," she murmured.  "To see if we
fry on this desert, or bleed to death, or die of
thirst 
first."
 
 "Nothing of the kind," he retorted staunchly.  "No
way is that going to happen.  I won't let it and that
I 
promise.  I'm going to get you out of this."
 
 "How about if I promise to get you out?" she
returned, trying for some measure of her usual Marine 
self-confidence.
 
 "No that doesn't work for me."
 
 "Huh?"
 
 "Because that smacks of making some kind of sacrifice
to see to me and I won't permit that.  Don't 
even begin to go there."
 
 She opened her mouth to protest and then fell back
weakly against him.  "So what do we do?  And why 
didn't they just go ahead and finish us?"
 
 He shook his head.  "Not sure, but grateful just the
same.  OK let's see if we can get up by the road.  
There has to be people along here at some point. 
Truckers, anything?"
 
 "Harm we didn't see another car did we?"
 
 "No I don't think so," he agreed.  "But then it's the
middle of the night.  People with sense are home in 
bed. But maybe during the day.  I don't know.  Right
now I'm just scared for you."
 
 "Hey I'm OK.  I'm scared for you too," she said
soothingly, resting her head on his shoulder.  "Harm
we 
need to try to save ourselves," she added after a few
minutes.  "I don't think we can count on anyone 
out here.  In other words we need to start walking."
 
 "You think you can?"
 
 "I'm no worse off than you mister.  And we need to do
it now, while it's cool and before either of us 
gets any weaker."
 
 "Point taken," he nodded and they got to their feet,
helping each other up.  "How many hours till 
dawn?"
 
 "Probably six.  How's the shoulder?"
 
 "On fire," he admitted.  "Your arm?"
 
 "Not sure.  I can't really move it."  
 
 He felt for the crude bandage he had put around it
and frowned, feeling dampness already.  "I don't 
think the bleeding stopped completely."
 
 "Maybe not, but it's OK," she assured him, not
wanting him to worry.  "It will keep at least."  Her
fingers 
went to the gash on her neck.  It roughly followed
just below her jawline and at once he knew what she 
was thinking.
 
 "You'll need to see someone who can minimize the
scar," he told her sympathetically.  "I'm so sorry."
 
 "Not your fault.  And if anything I did kept you from
being hurt worse. . .well it was worth it."
 
 He shook his head, not trusting his voice at that
moment, and urged her back up across the sand to 
the road.  "We may as well get comfortable," he sighed
after staring in both directions for any sign of 
headlights.  With that he dropped in the sand and
caught her as she lowered herself to him.  "Try to get

some sleep Mac.  Please."   
   
  "Which way?" he asked. "I know it was about an hour
or so back to the 
  station. Course at this time of night it likely no
one is there."
  
  "There was a phone wasn't there?" Mac questioned and
he nodded.
  
  "Yeah I think so. Okay we'll start that way and hope
for the best. Maybe 
  someone at Fallon will realize we didn't show up and
call the Admiral."
  
  "Not likely" she sighed.
  
  "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I wish there was
something else I could do. I 
  should have worked a deal with them to leave you
behind at the station."
  
  "Like I would have agreed to something as crazy as
that" she scoffed. "No 
  way would I have left you alone with them."
  
  "If it would have kept you out of this mess, it
would have been worth it. 
  I'd do anything to keep you from being hurt." He
said the words so 
  vehemently that she stopped walking and looked over
at him.
  
  "You really mean that don't you?"
  
  "Of course I do" he whispered. "My god Mac despite
everything that's 
  happened between us you don't really think I'd stand
there and let something 
  happen to you if I could stop it. Never have I
stopped caring about you."
  
  "Then why have you backed away?" she whispered.
"Every time I thought we 
  were getting closer, you found a way to put some
space between us. At first 
  I thought it was just because of Sergei but then we
just seemed to fall into 
  the way we were with no hope of anything ever
changing."
  
  "Did you want it to change?"
  
  "What do you think I meant when I told you we were
back at the beginning? I 
  thought we were going to try and start over. And for
a while we were."
  
  "And then I got cold feet and backed off again" he
said quietly.
  
  "Why?"
  
  "Hell if I knew those answers do you think we'd
still be like this after six 
  years?"
  
  "Harm what are you afraid of?" she asked.
  
  "I'm afraid of losing you Mac. That if we get
involved and it doesn't work 
  that I'm going to lose you. And I don't want that.
We just got back to being 
  friends."
  
  "Do you want to be more than friends?" she prodded.
  
  In the moonlight she could just see his face and she
held her breath as she 
  waited for his answer.
  
  "I want you in my life Mac" he whispered. "I don't
want to wake up one day 
  and not have you there. I couldn't stand that."
  
  "Answer the question counselor" she whispered.
"Cause that was a good answer 
  but you avoided the question I asked."
  
  "Yes" he managed. "But first I want to get us out of
this mess. And once we 
  do, I promise we'll finish this conversation."
  
  She nodded and started to walk away only to have
Harm reach for her.
  
  "I want to be with you" he whispered. "I'm just so
afraid of messing it up."
  
  "You wouldn't," she said softly.
  
  He pulled her into his arms and held her for a long
minute before finally 
  releasing her.
  
  "We should keep moving," he said quietly. "If we
have any chance of getting 
  anywhere before morning."
  
  They started off again, walking quietly along the
side of the road, Harm 
  praying for a car to come their way. It wasn't until
she stumbled that he 
  realized she wasn't okay.
  
  "Mac" he said anxiously as he reached for her,
gently helping her to the 
  ground.
  
  "I'm okay" she protested weakly. "We need to keep
moving."
  
  "No you need to rest for a minute," he said firmly,
his hand moving to check 
  the bandage around her arm. He let out a gasp as he
realized that it was 
  totally soaked through.
  
  "This is not good," he said anxiously, doing his
best to stay calm despite 
  the overwhelming fear that was washing over him.
She'd already lost a lot of 
  blood and if they didn't find help soon, it was
likely she'd bleed to death 
  in front of him.
  
  "It's okay," she said weakly. "We have to keep
moving."
  
  "You are not moving anywhere unless it's with me
carrying you" he countered. 
  "Moving around is only going to make the blood flow
more."
  
  "You can't carry me" she protested. "Your shoulder
is already hurt. Lifting 
  me will only make it worse."
  
  "Mac I have to do something. I have to get you out
of here and to a hospital 
  before you bleed to death." His words with a choked
sob, the gravity of 
  their situation hitting him hard.
  
  "Harm" she started.
  
  "No" he whispered. "I won't lose you. I won't let
that happen." Without 
  another word he lifted her into his arms, ignoring
the pain that went 
  through his shoulder as he did so. He had to get her
to help. That was the 
  only thing that mattered.
 
 The rest of the night passed without a sign of life. 
Dawn brought an immediate rise of the heat and 
Harm squinted with the first rays of the sun.  They
had made but a couple of miles as Harm was forced 
to put her down several times, collapsing beside her,
panting hard until he could breathe again.
 
 Finally mid morning he felt the last of his strength
give out and he eased her down.  He knew from the 
wetness of the bandage on her arm that she was still
losing blood, but mercifully her periods of 
consciousness were brief and not total.  This time
however she managed to open her eyes part way. 
 
 "Harm are we there yet?"
 
 His eyes widened at her question.  "There?"
 
 "Home.  Are we home yet?  I'm tired and the baby
needs to be fed."
 
 Not good.  That she was losing touch with reality was
not good.  "Honey no, we're not," he said 
carefully.  "But we will be soon I promise.  I want to
promise you something else too OK.  So you listen 
really good here.  You and me, soon as you're able,
we're going to stand up in front of a man of God 
and I'm going to do what I should have done a long
time ago.  I'm going to marry you. I love you Sarah 
Catherine Mackenzie and I'm going to make you my wife.
 In fact before we even leave this state I'm 
going to do that.  I'm not risking losing you again. 
You hear me good now.  I love you.  So you've got 
to be OK so we can get married."
 
 "Married, yes," she murmured, her eyes closing once
again.  "I want to marry you.  I love you Harm."  
Her last words were barely audible and he hugged her
to him.  He could carry her no further, and he 
would not leave her.  Their fate, whether they lived
or died, it would be together.  So much time had 
been wasted.  Now all his fevered mind knew was that
he loved her and he wanted her to know how 
much.
 ===============
 COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER
 Gerlach, Nevada
 
 "What the hell have we got here?" Dr. Payton Adams
looked at the two arrivals, both unconscious, both 
brought in in the back of a pick up truck.  Both were
covered with blood as well, exhausted and 
dehydrated.  Further, the woman was barely alive, her
blood and fluid depletion so severe.
 
 "OK this one is not staying, except to be
stabilized," he ordered sharply, gesturing to Mac. 
"Is there 
ID?  We've got to find out who they are.  Meanwhile
type and cross and I want a Lifeflight chopper in 
here soonest.  She needs UNR hospital if she's to have
any chance at all.  I'm afraid she's not going to 
make it."
 
 "What about her friend?"
 
 "Him we'll treat.  That's a nasty wound and it's
starting to fester, but nothing we can't handle.  Get
him 
typed and crossed as well, and then we'll fix him up."

  *****************
  It was several hours later that Harm finally
stirred. It took several 
  moments before his foggy mind remembered what had
happened. They'd been 
  carjacked. Left in the desert. Mac was bleeding to
death and he couldn’t do 
  anything to help her.
  
  "Mac" His wail sent a nurse scurrying into his room.
  
  "Sir, please calm down" she said as he struggled to
get up, hindered by 
  IV's.
  
  "Mac where is she" he demanded as he continued to
struggle.
  
  "Sir, stop it" she ordered sharply. "If you don’t
stop I'm going to have you 
  sedated."
  
  "I need to know where Mac is" he wailed as he sunk
back against the pillows.
  
  "Now who's this Mac person?" the nurse said gently
as she adjusted the IV's 
  that he'd nearly pulled out.
  
  "My partner. Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie. She was
with me. She was hurt real 
  bad. Please you have to tell me where she is."
  
  "Okay I'll go check" the nurse frowned. "But you're
the only new patient we 
  have here. You're at the county medical center and
we don't get a big influx
  patients here."
  
  "No you have to be mistaken" Harm gasped. "She has
to be here. Unless.." His 
  voice broke off and he choked back a sob as the
realization that she might 
  not have lived finally dawned on him. "Oh god, she's
dead."
  
  "They did lose one patient this morning" the nurse
said quietly. "A young 
  woman I believe Marty said."
  
  "No" he whispered. "No. She can't be dead. She just
can't be." The sob he'd 
  managed to hold back finally surfaced, the knowledge
that the woman he loved 
  was gone.
  
  "Sir, why don't you let me check and see if that was
really your friend" she 
  soothed.
  
  He nodded before turning his head and burying his
head in his pillows as the 
  sobs wracked his body. Sarah Mackenzie, the woman he
loved more than life 
  itself was gone. His promise to marry her had come
too late. Overcome with 
  grief, he cried himself to sleep.
  
  It was dark when he woke again and he felt the tears
brim as his mind once 
  again tried to deal with the fact that she was gone.
It wasn't supposed to 
  end like this. They were supposed to have one more
chance. One more chance 
  to make it right between them.
  
  "Why did you have to take her away from me?" he
wailed with a glance 
  heavenward. "Why didn't you let me go with her?"
  
  He was sobbing softly when he heard footsteps in the
room. He didn't bother 
  to look up, not wanting to talk to anyone and not
caring about anything.
  
  "Harm"
  
  The sound of his CO's voice snapped him back to
attention and he looked over 
  at AJ with a tortured look.
  
  "She's dead sir" he whispered. "I lost her."
  
  "Harm she's not dead" AJ said quietly as he walked
over to Harm's bed. 
  "She's not good but she's not dead."
  
  "She's not dead?" Harm managed.
  
  "No. She was lifeflighted to UNR shortly after you
two were brought in. 
  There was a staff change here and that's why the
nurse you talked to didn't 
  know that."
  
  "She's not dead?" Harm repeated numbly.
  
  "No. But she is extremely critical. I'm not going to
sugar coat this and 
  tell you she's going to be fine. I just came from
there and her prognosis 
  isn't the best."
  
  "I need to get to her. Please sir, you have to get
me to her. She needs to 
  know I'm there."
  
  "Harm they're not ready to release you yet" AJ
sighed.
  
  "I don’t care" Harm shouted as he pushed back the
covers. "I need to get to 
  her. I made her a promise and she needs to know I'm
going to keep it."
 
 "You care to share this promise Commander?"  AJ's
eyebrows were at their highest point.
 
 "Sir, with respect, no," he retorted.  "It's personal
and private and god where are my pants.  I'm going 
to her."
 
 "Harm you're not," AJ told him.  "Calm yourself and
stand down.  You're not able to function yet.  And 
she's not going to know you're there anyway."
 
 Harm's eyes narrowed.  "What the hell does that mean.
. .sir?"
 
 "She's not conscious son.  I'm sorry."
 
 "Coma?"  He gasped with the word and turned visibly
pale.
 
 "Not exactly in the strict sense.  She's unconscious
from the blood and fluid loss, the dehydration, plus 
she's experiencing a little kidney failure right now."
 AJ let out the breath he was holding.  "And that's as

much as I know.  Except to add that she won't know
you're there and she's in ICU anyway and they 
wouldn't let Jesus Christ himself in there."
 
 "She's going to die sir," he moaned, throwing himself
back on his pillow with such force that he set off 
the monitor.  "She's going to die alone and without
knowing how much. . ."
 
 "Now that's just not true son," AJ told him firmly,
shaking his head in sympathy as two tears appeared 
on this cheeks.  "You don't know that she's not going
to make it for one thing; for another, do you 
honestly think she doesn't know how you feel, deep
inside.  Give her some credit for the being aware of 
what you two have will you."
 
 "I tried to tell her sir.  I tried to tell her what I
felt, what I wanted for us. . ."  A sob choked off his
words 
and he once again sat up, at the same time a nurse
charged into the room.
 
 "What the hell is going on here," she screeched. 
"Mr. Rabb lay your sorry butt right back down."
 
 "Mr. Rabb is leaving the building," he screeched
back.
 
 "Not on my watch," she growled and marched to his IV
line, removing a syringe from her pocket and 
injecting the contents.  
 
 "You bitch," he hollered, knowing he had been
sedated.
 
 "Rabb calm yourself immediately," AJ ordered in
shock.
 
 "Oh hey I don't hear them," the older woman smiled. 
"I had six kids.  Male patients are just like 
children.  I know he's upset and he's wanting to know
about his friend, but he's a good twelve hours of 
rest from being able to stand up without falling
down."
 
 "'He' is still here," Harm groused, his eyes already
beginning to close.  "Sir please. . .please."  His
voice 
trailed off and AJ put a firm hand on his shoulder.  

"Soon as they say you're able, I'll take you to her. 
You rest now.  You'll do her no good if you're flat on

your back yourself."
 
 "This is a nightmare.  A horrible horrible. . ." 
That was all he got out before the sedation took
affect.
 
 "He is going to be OK?" AJ asked the nurse anxiously.
 
 "The doctor said his wound wasn't that serious once
we got it cleaned.  He's had his blood and fluid 
replacement and once that's taken hold he should be
good.  Not that his arm and shoulder aren't going 
to be pretty damn sore."
 
 "Thanks," AJ sighed.  
 
 "Hey I'm due a thirty right now.  I'd love some
company," she smiled.  "And you look like a man who 
needs some coffee."
 ===============
 "Good Morning Commander."  
 
 Harm opened his eyes slowly, taking a moment to allow
awareness to come to him.  "Sir?"
 
 "Yeah I'm here," AJ told him.  "And they tell me
they're going to release you soon as the doctor says 
you're OK.  That is assuming you can stand up."
 
 "She's still alive?"  He hardly dared breathe as he
awaited the reply.
 
 "She's holding her own is the word I'm getting," AJ
smiled.  "Which is about as encouraging as we're 
going to get over the phone."
 
 "I need to go to her.  You'll help me?"
 
 AJ nodded.  "I'm going to need to get back to D.C. as
soon as I know you guys are OK, but when they 
called and said you'd been found on the desert and how
bad off the Colonel was I had to come out.  I 
still don't know what happened you know.  They had to
put you under last night before you could tell 
me."
 
 "How did they connect us to you?"
 
 "The XO at Fallon called me to demand why my people
hadn't reported," AJ smiled.  "I had Tiner start 
tracing you down."
 
 Harm nodded and started to relax, only to sit up at
once.  "You're sure she's OK this morning?  You're 
not just telling me that and then we're going to get
there and some priest will want to talk to me and 
then they'll say that she's gone?"
 
 "Commander would you listen to yourself," AJ scoffed.
 "I would be honest with you.  Give me that will 
you.  They assured me she's doing as well as they
expected this morning--she's not any worse"
 
 "Yes sir, sorry," he sighed, "and I am grateful for
you being here."
 =============
 A long four hours later, AJ pulled into the UNR
Hospital parking lot.  "Shall we go find your lady 
Commander?"
 
   "Please" Harm whispered, praying that she would
still be alive. That she 
  hadn't left him before he could make good on his
promise.
  
  "Once you've seen Mac, we're going to need to talk
to the State Highway 
  about what happened" AJ said quietly. "So they can
find those lousy bastards 
  and make sure they get what they deserve." Along the
way Harm had told AJ 
  the story of their carjacking and how they'd been
left in the desert to die.
  
  With AJ hovering close by, they made their way into
the hospital and up to 
  the ICU floor.
  
  "Can I help you?" the nurse asked as they approached
the desk.
  
  "Sarah Mackenzie" Harm managed in a small voice.
"How is she?"
  
  "Mackenzie" the nurse said thoughtfully. "Oh yes,
the young lady that was 
  flighted in the other night. She's holding her own
right now. Which is more 
  than we expected when she got here."
  
  "Can I see her please?" Harm asked.
  
  "Are you family?"
  
  "He's as close to family as she has" AJ spoke up.
"I'm her CO, Admiral 
  Chegwidden and this is her partner, Commander Harmon
Rabb."
  
  "All right" the nurse nodded and motioned for them
to follow her as she 
  stepped around the desk. "Like I said, we're just
happy she's hung on. Her 
  condition was extremely critical when she arrived
here."
  
  "But she's going to be okay right?" Harm prodded.
  
  "I wish I could tell you that she was sir," the
nurse said as she stopped 
  outside the room. "But unfortunately it's not in my
hands. We've done 
  everything we can for her. I'll be back in a bit to
check on her again."
  
  "Thank you" Harm managed before slowly walking into
the room.
  
  "Just partners sir?" the nurse said softly as she
and AJ watched Harm walk 
  into the room and take Mac's hand as he sat down at
the chair beside her 
  bed.
  
  "That's what they tell me" AJ sighed. "Course I
never believed it for a 
  minute."
  
  "Okay Marine" Harm whispered as he gently brought
her hand to his lips and 
  kissed it. "I'm here now and this isn't going to
work. You are not going to 
  leave me. I made a promise to you and I fully intend
to keep it. You and I 
  are going to get married and that can only happen if
you're here with me." 
  He paused and wiped a stray tear from the corner of
his eye. "I love you" he 
  whispered as he leaned closer to her. "And I need
you to come back to me 
  Sarah."
  
  He wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting before he
felt a hand on his 
  shoulder and he turned to see AJ behind him along
with an officer from the 
  Nevada State Highway Patrol.
  
  "Harm this is Sgt. Billings from the Highway Patrol"
AJ said quietly. "I 
  told him what you told me but it would be better if
you told him everything 
  that happened."
  
  Harm nodded but made no attempt to move. He didn't
want to leave her, even 
  if it was for a short time.
  
  "Sir, I promise we'll make this as quick as
possible" Sgt. Billings said as 
  he noticed Harm's reluctance to leave. "But in order
to find these two I 
  need more detail than what the Admiral could tell
me."
  
  "All right" Harm sighed as he pushed himself to his
feet. He wavered 
  unsteadily and AJ quickly reached an arm to steady
him.
  
  "I'm all right" Harm said after a few seconds. "I
just got up too quickly.
  
  "There's a lounge down the hall," Sgt. Billings said
as they walked from the 
  room. "We can go there and talk and that way you
won't be far from Ms. 
  Mackenzie."
  
  "Thank you" Harm said quietly.
  
  "Can I get you anything?" the Sgt. asked once they
were in the lounge. 
  "Maybe a cup of coffee."
  
  "No thanks. I'm fine."
  
  "With all due respect sir, you look like hell. And
I'm sorry I have to make 
  you go through this but the sooner we do the sooner
we'll find these two."
  
  "I understand" Harm nodded.
  
  "Whenever you're ready go ahead," Billings said as
he pulled out his 
  notebook.
  
  For the next hour Harm told the Sgt. what had
happened that night. How the 
  simple stop for gasoline had turned into the biggest
nightmare of his life.
  
  "We'll start looking for those two immediately" Sgt.
Billings said when Harm 
  finished. "Problem is they may have gotten out of
the state by now."
  
  "If that's all I'd really like to go back to my
partner" Harm said quietly.
  
  "Of course sir. We'll let you know if we find
anything."
 
 "Yeah you do that," Harm nodded, his mind suddenly
not totally on Mac as he contemplated the two 
men who caused her to be there.  "Jerry, Peter--if she
dies, I will hunt you down," he muttered as he 
walked back to her room.
  
 "Sarah I'm back now, and not going anywhere until you
open those beautiful brown eyes and lay into 
me for letting this happen to you," he whispered,
stroking her cheek and squeezing her hand.
 
 An hour passed before he was aware so fixated was he
on her face.  Not until AJ reappeared did he 
look up.  
 
 "Son you OK?" he asked quietly and when Harm looked
around he knew the answer to his question.  
"No you're not.  I can see that myself."
 
 "Sir do not--please--don't ask me to leave her again
or to get some rest or anything like that," he 
begged.  "I'm fine right here.  This is my fault.  I
should have somehow prevented this.  I should have 
done something right away. . ."
 
 He stopped when AJ shook his head firmly.  "Hating
yourself is not going to help her right now."
 
 "Then what will sir?"  A tortured look came across
his handsome features.  "Tell me what will please."
 
 "The knowledge that you're there should do about as
much as anything," AJ shrugged.  "Harm she 
wants to come back to you.  Try not to despair here
and for godsake don't give up on her.  The power 
of love."
 
 "I hope that's enough sir, because if she dies--well
first I'm going to take care of the men who caused 
this.  There's not going to be rock they can hide
under."
 
 "You're planning a double murder Commander?" AJ asked
mildly, hoping his use of the exact words 
would shake him up.
 
 "Yes sir, that's exactly what I'm planning."
 
 "Then your career--your life--will be over."
 
 "If she dies, sir, my life is done with," Harm
pronounced, turning back to her, and taking her hand
to 
press to his lips.  "Sarah please."
 
 Another hour crawled by and a doctor, different from
the others who had been checking on her, 
appeared.  "Colin Cushman, attending," he greeted
Harm.  "I know it doesn't seem like it, but she's 
actually not doing that bad.  Frankly, we're pretty
impressed that she's still with us."
 
 "I'm not going to be impressed until she walks out of
here," he snapped and as soon as he heard his 
words his hand went to his mouth.  "Sir I'm sorry. 
I'm beside myself with worry, and not feeling well but

that was out of line.  You're trying to help her and I
need to be grateful."
 
 "It's all right.  You and her are together?"
 
 "Yes sir.  She's my fiancée."  As he said the words
he remembered on the desert how he had promised 
her they would marry, and as he held her hand, he
renewed that vow.  They would return to D.C. as 
husband and wife.  Unless she had come to her senses
while she was unconscious.
 
 It would be another four hours before he found out. 
Her lips parted just slightly, and a murmur that 
could have been his name if he wished really hard
escaped.
 
 "Sarah?"
 
 Another murmur ensued and this time he leaned over,
putting his ear next to her mouth.  It was in fact 
his name, of that he was sure, and a second later his
heart pounded for it was followed by the sweetest 
words he had ever heard from her.  
 
 "Harm I love you."

    "I love you too Sarah" he whispered, bringing her
hand to his lips and 
  kissing it softly before setting it down again.
  
  It was another few minutes before she finally
managed to push open her eyes 
  and Harm's face was the first thing she saw.
  
  "Hey Marine" he said softly. "Trying to scare me to
death or what?"
  
  Realization of what had happened returned and at
once her hand groped for 
  his.
  
  "Are you okay?" she asked weakly. "You were hurt.
They hurt you."
  
  "I'm okay" he assured her. "You're the one who's
been giving me a pretty big 
  scare here. I thought you were going to leave me
before I had a chance to 
  keep my promise."
  
  "The one about marrying me?" she smiled softly.
"You're not getting out of 
  that one that easily sailor."
  
  "I wasn't sure you'd remember. And I didn't know if
that was what you really 
  wanted."
  
  "It's what I've always wanted," she said tiredly.
  
  "You need to rest" he fretted. "We've got plenty of
time to talk about all 
  this later. All that matters is your going to be
okay. I couldn't stand the 
  thought of losing you Sarah. I've never been so
scared in my life."
  
  "Well stop being scared," she said as she squeezed
his hand. "I'm not 
  leaving you for a long time sailor."
  
  "Rest" he whispered as he leaned forward and placed
a gentle kiss on her 
  lips. "I'll be here. I'm not going anywhere either."
  
  "You should rest too," she said as her hand reached
up to touch his cheek. 
  "You look exhausted."
  
  "I'm fine. I'll have plenty of time to rest once I
know you're really going 
  to be okay. Right now I'd rather just stay here and
make sure you don't 
  change your mind about leaving me."
  
  "Not going to happen" she murmured as her eyes
started to close. "Love you."
  
  "Love you too honey" he whispered as her eyes closed
again.
  
  "Guess that answers my question" AJ said quietly as
he walked into the room. 
  "Not that I really had any doubt as to what the
answer was."
  
  "Sir" Harm gasped as he whirled around.
  
  "Don't worry Commander, I didn't hear anything but
the last part" AJ smiled. 
  "Course that was enough for your CO to wonder what's
going on with you two."
  
  "Sir, with all due respect that's private" Harm said
slowly. "I promise you 
  it won't have any effect on our working
relationship."
  
  "Why do I have a hard time believing that" AJ
sighed. "Especially after the 
  past few years with you two."
  
  "Sir you'll just have to trust me on this."
  
  "All right Commander. I'll trust you. And I was just
coming to tell you that 
  I need to get back to Washington before Commander
Turner kills Lt. Singer. 
  I've already had two desperate phone calls from him
and now that it looks 
  like Mac is going to pull through this, I think I
should head back before 
  that happens."
  
  "She was awake for a few minutes," Harm said
quietly. "And the Doctor said 
  she's doing better than he expected."
  
  "And she's in good hands" AJ smiled. "If you need
anything or anything 
  changes I want you to call me."
  
  "Yes sir" Harm nodded. "Sir, I'd like to stay with
Mac until she's released 
  and the Doctors says its okay for her to travel
again."
  
  "I figured that would be the case. And I'll allow
it. Course you know you're 
  going to owe Commander Turner when you get back. If
you're not bailing him 
  out of the brig."
  
  "Thank you sir" Harm sighed. "I promise I'll make
this up to you."
  
  "You're making a lot of promises Commander" AJ
commented. "You going to be 
  able to keep them all."
  
  "Yes sir I will" Harm said firmly as his gaze went
back to Mac. That was one 
  promise he was looking forward to keeping.
  
  "All right. I've got a plane to catch. Take care of
your partner and 
  yourself. Which means gets some rest Commander. You
won't be any good to her 
  if you're not on your feet yourself."
  
  "Yes sir. As soon as I know she's really going to be
okay."
  
  AJ shook his head and with a final pat to his
officer's shoulder walked out 
  of the room.
  
  "Okay Sarah it's just you and me" Harm said softly
as he took her hand in 
  his again. "And we're finally going to make things
right."
  
 "Harm I want to believe that," she whispered.  "I
want. . ."   Her voice trailed off as her eyes closed,

exhausted from that short effort.
 
 "You better believe it Angel," he sighed.  "It's
going to happen."  He bent over her to kiss her cheek,

only to have the room spin around him and he fell
forward slightly, trying to keep himself from landing 
on her.
 
 The pressure roused her slightly, enough for her to
realize that it was Harm leaning heavily against 
her.  "Harm what's wrong?" 
 
 "Can't. . .Can't get on my feet," he managed to get
out, struggling as he spoke.  
 
 The call button had been secured right by her hand
and she lay hard onto it, bringing two nurses 
almost at once.  "Help him.  Please.  He's OK isn't
he?"
 
 One nurse immediately wrapped strong arms around Harm
and lifted him from Mac, guiding him to the 
nearest chair while the other nurse bent over Mac.
 
 "No I'm OK.  Check him please," she said as
forcefully as possible.
 
 "Your friend is going to be looked after," she
promised.  "Liz what have you got?"
 
 "A man who should not be on his feet that's what,"
she retorted.  "Mary I may not be a doctor but I can 
diagnose exhaustion and stress.  I'm going to put him
in six and get Josh to take a look at him.  
Probably all he needs is a good night's sleep."
 
 "Not going anywhere away from Mac," he mumbled,
hearing and deciphering that much.
 
 "You most certainly are," Mary told him.  "Because if
you don't I guarantee you in twenty-four hours 
your body is going to shut down if you don't rest it."
 
 "Harm please, please let them help you," Mac begged,
struggling for consciousness herself in her 
distress for him.
 
 "I'm OK.  You take it easy," he called softly.  "I'll
let them put me to bed if you promise you'll rest and 
not fret."
 
 "I can try," she moaned, feeling a sudden urge to
tearfulness given her anxiety and her own physical 
condition.
 
 "Sarah you stay quiet there," Mary ordered.  "I'm
going to help Liz get your friend into bed and then
I'll 
come back in a bit and tell you how he is, OK?"
 
 "Thanks." 
 
 "No.  No I'm not going anywhere until I see her."
 
 "You can say goodnight," Mary assured him, assisting
Liz to help him to his feet.  "OK Harm, tell Sarah 
night."
 
 With the two nurses steadying him, Harm was able to
lean down and kiss her gently.  "I love you 
Sarah."
 
 "Love you back," she murmured, reaching weakly to
touch his face.
 
 A half hour later he was installed in a bed,
pronounced exhausted and weak by the resident on call
and 
hooked up to an IV line, as well as sedated.  His
final word before giving into the medication was a
plea 
to Liz.  "Take care of my Marine."
 
 And across the hall that Marine stirred just enough
when Mary adjusted her IV to whisper, "take care of 
my Sailor."
     
 ***************
 Her name was the first word from his lips as he awoke
the next morning and 
 at once he started to push himself from the bed.
 
 "Woah, where's the fire Mr. Rabb?" the nurse said as
she walked into his 
 room. It was an older nurse, one he didn't remember
from the day before.
 
 "Mac, Sarah" he demanded. "Is she okay?"
 
 "If you mean Sarah Mackenzie, she's doing just fine.
We moved her from ICU 
 to her own room."
 
 "Thank god" Harm sighed. "Please, I want to see her."
 
 "No offense but you'll scare her looking like that"
the nurse smiled. "As 
 soon as the attending comes around and says your good
to go, we'll help you 
 find the shower and then you can go see your young
lady."
 
 "She's really okay?" Harm asked again as he leaned
back against the pillows.
 
 "Really. Now just relax for a few until Doctor
Marlowe comes around."
 
 An hour later he was freshly showered and he hurried
down to Mac's room.
 
 "Hi" he said softly as he walked over and sat down
beside the bed, surprised 
 to find her awake.
 
 "Hi yourself. You okay now?"
 
 "Nothing some sleep couldn't fix. And you're looking
a lot better than 
 yesterday. Gave me quite a scare you know that. I
thought I was going to 
 lose the woman I loved before I got the chance to
prove to her how much I do 
 love her."
 
 A small smile crossed her face and she reached for
his hand.
 
 "I wasn't sure that had been real or not" she
whispered. "I remembered you 
 saying the words but I was so out of it I didn't
really know for sure"
 
 "I said the words and I'll say them as often as you
need to hear them for 
 the rest of your life" Harm said softly. "I love you
Sarah Mackenzie and I 
 want to marry you. That is if you'll have me."
 
 "Of course I'll have you."
 
 "So when do you want to get married?" he smiled.
 
 "Not until I'm well enough that I can enjoy the
wedding night" she grinned. 
 "But not a minute longer than that."
 
 "I already told the Admiral I was going to stay out
here with you until you 
 were better. So that won't be a problem."
 
 "He didn't find that odd?"
 
 "He uh overheard the I love you part" Harm said
sheepishly. "But I don't 
 think he knows about the rest."
 
 "Are we going to tell him the rest?" she prodded.
 
 "I want to tell the whole world I'm in love with you
" he said quietly. "I'm 
 just afraid of what he'll do if he finds out."
 
 "Like split us apart?" she whispered.
 
 "Exactly. And right now that's the last thing I want
to happen. So we'll 
 just keep this to ourselves for now."
 
 "Your brother might notice that you're not around"
Mac reminded him.
 
 "He won't tell anyone. It's not like he's at JAG all
the time. And if I 
 don't come up with something soon to keep him here
he's not going to be 
 around to notice anything."
 
 "Harm I'm sorry" she said softly.
 
 "Hey, as long as I got you I can deal with that" he
smiled as he squeezed 
 his hand. "Nothing else matters to me except you
Sarah. I almost lost you 
 and there's no way I ever want to have that happen
again."
 
 "You've got me know sailor. For a long long time."
 
 *************
 Five Days Later
 
 "You sure you're okay with this drive" Harm fretted
as he helped her into 
 the car. She'd been released from the hospital the
day before and after a 
 day of relaxing at the hotel she'd pronounced herself
well enough to make 
 the drive to Las Vegas.
 
 "I'm fine" she smiled, stopping long enough to kiss
his cheek before sliding 
 into the car.
 
 "Okay but I want you to tell me if you need to stop
for anything," he said 
 as he climbed in beside her. "I don’t want you worn
out."
 
 "Oh trust me I don't plan on being worn out for
tonight" she grinned. "I'm 
 going to nap while you drive."
 
 "And that's why I love you" he said as he leaned over
for a kiss. "You think 
 of everything."
 
 "I can't believe this is really going to happen" she
sighed happily. "We're 
 getting married. Do you know how long I've dreamed
about this?"
 
 "As long as I have."
 
 "Only if you started dreaming about it the first day
we met," she said 
 softly.

"Bingo.  When we shook hands I felt it.  But it wasn't
until you hauled my sorry six back aboard the 
chopper over the desert.  That's when it happened. 
Our hands locked, and our eyes met and. . ."  He 
gave her a sheepish look.  "I guess we bonded?"

"Fate," she smiled with a smug look that said she knew
it all along.  "Fate and a little divine 
intervention."

"Well where was this divine intervention when we
needed it all this past years," he growled.  "I mean I

wish someone had given me a swift kick in the six and
told me I was being a total jerk."

She smiled at that, reaching over to kiss his cheek. 
"OK, I can't deny that, but you're my jerk.  You were 
all along."

"Even when you were about to marry Mic?"

"Harm you should know something about that," she said
softly.  "I never once, not matter how with Mic I 
was, I never stopped loving you.  I guess I did stop
hoping though,  otherwise I would never have taken 
Mic's ring."

"It was a lot more than you giving up hope.  I drove
you into his arms."  The bitterness in his voice was 
severe and she smacked his arm lightly.

"Stop that.  I was acting of my own free will, and out
of fear--fear of being alone."

"Well maybe, but we're putting that straight right
now.  You won't ever be alone again honey.  Never."

"Is that a promise Sailor?"

"You damn right."  His hand closed over hers and he
brought it to his lips.  "Sealed with a kiss."

A few hours later Las Vegas spread out before them as
they rode in from the desert.

"Do you gamble?" she asked suddenly, seeing the lights
of a hundred places to do just that.

"Oh Renee dragged me up to Atlantic City a couple
weekends," he admitted.  "I'd drown a few nickels 
while she played blackjack.  Not really something I
get a big thrill out of."

"No pulling five Gs would be your thrill," she
giggled.

"Maybe at one time," he nodded, and his next words
were soft and serious.  "But the biggest thrill of my 
life is about to happen.  I'm going to marry the woman
I've loved forever and then I'm going to make 
love to her."

"Yes," she breathed, in total agreement and desire. 
"So in which one of these wedding chapels of love 
are we pulling off this op?"

He gave her a quirky smile.  "Uh. . .well you know all
that time you were lying around sleeping and 
recovering?  I made a few calls and arrangements and
it's not going to be quite like that."

"How so?" she frowned.  "You've changed your mind."

"Yeah.  I don't really love you," he scoffed.  "I'm
far more worried that you're going to smarten up 
before I get a ring on your finger than I am about me
changing my mind."

"Not a chance mister.  You are so stuck with me now."

"Just where I want to be.  And this wedding thing is
totally planned so all you need to do is sit back and 
rest.  I'm still not over nearly losing you.  I have
not ever been that scared.  Not even when I was in the

water."

"I knew they'd hurt you," she whispered, her tears
threatening to return.  "I was scared too."
 
  "Not as scared as I was" he whispered. "When I first
woke up they told me 
  you were dead."
  
  "Oh god Harm I'm sorry" she gasped. "If someone told
me you were dead, I 
  would lose it."
  
  "I did. I didn't care about anything. I thought I'd
lost you and nothing 
  mattered anymore."
  
  "I'm sorry you had to go through that" she whispered
as she reached for his 
  hand, holding it tightly in hers. "But you haven't
lost me and I'm not going 
  anywhere for a long time."
  
  "Well don't be surprised if I don't let you out of
my sight for a really 
  long time" Harm whispered. "Cause it's not going to
be easy after what 
  happened."
  
  "I can live with that" she smiled. "So where are we
going?"
  
  "First stop is the hotel. Where you'll find your
first surprise waiting."
  
  Moments later he pulled the car into the Candlewood
Suites hotel, off the 
  strip and away from the all the noise.
  
  "I wanted us to have somewhere quiet for our first
night together" he 
  smiled. "Is this okay with you?"
  
  "Looks perfect Flyboy" she said as they climbed out
of the car.
  
  He secured the room key and moments later led her
into the one bedroom 
  suite.
  
  "It's not one of those fancy wedding suites," he
said softly as they walked 
  into the room. "But I hope it's okay."
  
  "If I'm with you that's all that matters" she
whispered. She walked into the 
  bedroom and let out a small gasp. "Harm, I think
someone made a mistake. 
  There's a dress in here on the bed."
  
  "It's no mistake honey" he smiled as he walked up
behind her and wrapped his 
  arms around her. "That's for you."
  
  "How did you do that?"
  
  "I managed to find my way to a store while we were
in Reno" he said softly. 
  "I hope it fits. I told the lady at the store your
size and she figured this 
  would be the right size. Open it and see if you like
it."
  
  With trembling hands she slid the cover off to
reveal a simple two piece 
  cream colored dress, the bottom piece a simple
sleeveless dress with a 
  longer jacket to cover.
  
  "Harm" she whispered as the tears slid down her
face. "It's beautiful."
  
  "Hey don't cry," he said softly as he quickly wiped
away her tears. "You're 
  supposed to be happy remember?"
  
  "I am happy" she sniffled. "I'm just can't believe
you did all this."
  
  "Honey you haven't see nothing yet" he smiled. "This
may be a quick wedding 
  but it's going to be special."
  
  "I didn't know you were such a romantic."
  
  "I wasn't until I fell in love with you" he said
softly. "It's our wedding 
  day Sarah. A day we'll never forget. I had to make
it special for you."
  
  "But you've done al l this and I haven't done
anything for you" she 
  whispered.
  
  "You will" he smiled. "Tonight."
  
  She blushed and he reached for her, pulling her into
his arms. "I love you 
  Sarah. And having you be my wife is all I want from
you."
  
  "God you are so sappy today Rabb" she sniffled as
she felt more tears 
  brimming. "You keep making this Marine cry."
  
  "Sorry. But it's true. I love you. And I can't wait
to make you my wife. 
  Mrs. Harmon Rabb Junior."
  
  "I like the way that sounds."
  
  "So do I" he whispered. "Now I want you to rest for
a bit because we're not 
  due at the chapel until sunset."
  
  "Sunset?" she smiled as she pulled away to look at
him.
  
  "Yeah I thought that would be nice. And then we'll
have dinner and then 
  we'll come back here."
  
  "And then I can show you how much I love you" she
whispered.
  
  "We may have to skip dinner" he grinned. "But I do
want you to get some rest 
  before tonight. In to bed Marine."
  
  He took the dress and hung it up before helping her
into bed.
  
  "I really don't need to rest" she sighed. "I'm
fine."
  
  "You just got out of the hospital the other day. I
don’t want you over doing 
  it. We've got a big night ahead of us."
  
  "Yes we do" she smiled as he brought the covers up.
"You're going to stay 
  right? I'll rest better if you do."
  
  "All right. But only until you fall asleep. Then
I'll go out to the living 
  room and watch TV so you can rest."
  
  He slid in beside her and she quickly snuggled close
to him. With a long 
  sigh she closed her eyes, her head resting against
his shoulder. Soft hands 
  stroked her hair and it wasn't long before she was
asleep.
  
  "I love you" he whispered as he gently slid from the
bed. "And in a few 
  hours you'll know just how much."
  
 The rest of the surprise rested in his pocket. 
Wedding rings.  The three-piece matching set,
beautiful in 
their simplicity.  The single diamond that would have
been her engagement ring had they done things 
properly, set off by the plain band which was a
duplicate of the one which she would place on his
finger 
at sunset that evening.
 
 They would go back to D.C. as man and wife, though
that was not something they would share right 
away.  For the time being it would be their secret.
 
 She rested comfortably, dreaming of Harm and their
wedding night, but also of their child.  A very much 
wanted child.  In her sleep her hand rested on her
belly as she willed that God would place a baby there 
to grow.  There was no need to wait.  The time was at
hand.  The future was now.
 
 An hour before their appointment he slipped back into
bed with her, drawing her into his embrace.  She 
smiled sleepily, slow to come awake.  "Harm?"  The
question was asked without her eyes opening.  
 
 "Of course," he smiled.   "Are you ready to shower
and dress?"
 
 "For what Sailor?"
 
 "For. . .for our. . " he sputtered before he realized
she was teasing.
 
 "For our wedding," she supplied and his smile met his
eyes it was so big.
 
 "Yes ma'am for our wedding."  He reached into his
pocket at that point and taking her ring finger, 
before she knew what was happening, had placed the
diamond aboard.  "Technically we're an engaged 
couple," he whispered, holding her hand up for her to
see what he had done.
 
 "Oh Harm it's beautiful," she whispered when she
found her voice.  "Beautiful but why. . .how. . .?"
 
 "Like the dress I have my sources," he grinned and
quickly sobered.  "Sarah, this all isn't moving too 
fast for you is it now?  I'm not pushing or rushing
you?  Because if so. . .if you have the slightest
doubt. 
. .we can hold up.  Go back to D.C. and regroup?"
 
 "The only way I'm going back to D.C. is married to
you," she declared.  "A dream I've had forever is 
about to come true, and god help the sorry SOB who
tries to prevent it.  Even you Harmon Rabb.  So 
unless you're trying to tell me you're getting cold
feet. . ."
 
 "Oh God no," he gasped.  "No way in hell.  Let's go
get married.  And then let's come back here and 
make a baby."
 
 Her eyes widened at that.  "Really?  You're really
ready?"
 
 "Only with you," he nodded.  "Only with you Sarah."
    
  "I can't believe this is happening" she whispered.
"It's almost most like 
  I've died and gone to heaven. Every wish I ever made
is finally coming 
  true."
  
  "It's very real" he smiled. "And this is only the
beginning Sarah. I 
  promise."
  
  "I guess I'd better get ready then" she said softly.
  
  A short time later he stood in awe as she walked out
from the bedroom.
  
  "Is something wrong?" she asked as he stood staring
at her.
  
  "My god you are so beautiful" he managed finally. "I
wish everyone else 
  could see you like this because right now you are
the most beautiful woman 
  on this earth."
  
  "Harm stop it" she blushed.
  
  "I mean it" he whispered. "I love you so much Sarah.
And you were right 
  about this being the best dream ever. And maybe we
both died in the desert 
  and now we are in heaven."
  
  "Sappy Rabb" she said softly. "Very sappy. And I
love every word of it."
  
  "You ready to get married?" he said as he reached
for her hand.
  
  "Very" she smiled as they joined hands.
  
  A short time later he pulled into the Little Chapel
of the Flowers.
  
  "Harm this place is gorgeous" Mac gasped as she
looked around the grounds.
  
  "I told you I wanted to make this special" he
smiled. "Come on."
  
  He led her to the small white gazebo where an older
gentleman was waiting.
  
  "Mr. Rabb I presume?" he smiled as they approached.
  
  "Yes sir. Harmon Rabb and this is my bride to be
Sarah Mackenzie."
  
  "Please to meet both of you" the man nodded
"Christopher Robins and I'll be 
  doing the ceremony today. You did want it here in
the gazebo right?"
  
  "Yes sir" Harm nodded. "Is the photographer here
too?"
  
  "Mark will be out any second. By the time we're
finished with the ceremony 
  the sunset will be perfect for pictures."
  
  "Harm you didn't have to do all this" Mac whispered.
  
  "Yes I did" he smiled before turning back to
Christopher. "The flowers. You 
  have the flowers right."
  
  "Coming as we speak" Christopher smiled as an older
woman approached them, a 
  large bouquet in her hand. "Denise, this is Mr. Rabb
and Ms. Mackenzie."
  
  "Congratulations" Denise said as she handed Mac the
bouquet. "Lovely flowers 
  for a very lovely bride."
  
  "Thank you ma'am" Mac blushed. "This is all so
incredible. Harm I can't 
  believe you arranged all this."
  
  "You ready to become Mrs. Harmon Rabb Jr." he
whispered as he took her hand.
  
  She nodded and with one hand clutching the flowers
and the other in his, 
  they stood in the gazebo in front of Christopher.
  
  It was a simple ceremony, but never had the vows of
marriage been said with 
  such meaning.
  
  "I, Harmon David Rabb, take you Sarah Catherine
Mackenzie to be my wife, my 
  partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish
our friendship and love 
  you today, tomorrow, and forever. I will trust you
and honor you.
  I will laugh with you and cry with you. I will love
you faithfully, through 
  the best and the worst, through the difficult and
the easy. What may come I 
  will always be there. As I have given you my hand to
hold so I give you my 
  life to keep."
  
  She sniffled slightly at his words, tears of
happiness sliding down her 
  face. He gently reached up and wiped them away and
she smiled softly before 
  taking a deep breath.
  
  "I, Sarah Catherine Mackenzie, take you Harmon David
Rabb Catherine 
  Mackenzie to be my wife, my partner in life and my
one true love. I will 
  cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow,
and forever. I will 
  trust you and honor you. I will laugh with you and
cry with you. I will love 
  you faithfully, through the best and the worst,
through the difficult and 
  the easy. What may come I will always be there. As I
have given you my hand 
  to hold so I give you my life to keep."
  
  The rings followed and moments later the words
Christopher proclaimed them 
  man and wife.
  
  "You may kiss your bride" he smiled.
  
  "I love you Mrs. Rabb" Harm whispered before his
lips met hers in a long and 
  passionate kiss as Mark snapped the picture.
  
  "I love you too" she managed when they finally
parted.
  
  "You ready for some pictures?" Christopher smiled.
  
  With the setting sun as a backdrop, they stood on
the small wooden bridge 
  next to the wishing well while Mark took picture
after picture.
  
  "How many pictures did you order?" Mac laughed.
"We're going to have the 
  fattest wedding book."
  
  "I didn't want you to forget a minute of this" Harm
smiled.
  
  "Like I ever would" she whispered before leaning
forward for another kiss.
  
"OK don't use up all the film here," Denise ordered. 
"We have a wedding cake to cut."
 
 "Oh no this is too much," Mac gasped.  "Harm we could
have just had a real simple thing you know.  I 
would have been happy. . .not that I'm not loving and
treasuring every second of this."
 
 "It's the only time in your life you're going to do
this," he reminded her with a big smile.  "So we're 
doing it up right.  I mean we could have gone back to
D.C. and had everyone. . ."  He paused and 
cocked his head.  "You're not sorry we didn't do that
are you?"
 
 "Not for one second," she assured him quickly.  "This
is perfect.  Perfectly romantic and wonderful and 
sweet and. . .OK let's eat cake."
 
 More pictures, more kissing and they were finally
being walked out to the car.  "Thank you for 
everything," Harm said sincerely, shaking hands all
around.  "You made this special."
 
 "Harm it's you that made it special," Mac breathed
once they were on their way.  She leaned sideways 
against his shoulder, gently stroking his cheek.  "I
love you Harmon Rabb."
 
 "And I love you Sarah Catherine Rabb."
 
 Her breath drew in sharply at that.  "My god I am."
 
 "And that scares you?" he teased, but he was holding
his breath awaiting her answer.
 
 "No it sounds wonderful.  Of course in the office
I'll still be Colonel Mackenzie."
 
 "I don't even want to think about that.  JAG and DC
are very far removed from the reality of tonight," he 
whispered.  A few minutes more and they were outside
their room.  
 
 "You're not thinking of carrying me over the
threshold I hope," she gasped seeing the look in his
eye.
 
 "You think I can't," he yelped.
 
 "No I know you can.  You carried me in the desert,"
she said softly.
 
 "I didn't know if you'd be alert enough to remember
that," he replied, feeling himself shake slightly as 
he recalled how he was sure he was going to lose her
in that nightmare.  With that in mind he opened 
the door and without warning scooped her into his
arms, depositing her on the bed.
 
 Her arms snaked around his neck and trapped him in
place.  "Make love to me Mr. Rabb.  Make love to 
me and let's make that baby we both want," she
whispered.
 
 "Mrs. Rabb, there is nothing I want to do more," he
whispered back.
   
  Their lovemaking was slow and gentle, the depth of
their love for each other 
  finally being shown. When it was over she lay
contentedly in his arms, still 
  wondering if it wasn't all a wonderful dream.
  
  "I love you Mrs. Rabb" Harm whispered as he kissed
her forehead.
  
  "Am I dreaming?" Mac sighed happily.
  
  "Not ma'am. This is very real. And you have just
made me the happiest in 
  this world."
  
  "Why's that?" she smiled as she looked up at him.
  
  "Because in nine months you're going to make me a
father" he grinned.
  
  "Oh you know that for a fact?" Mac laughed.
  
  "Yes I do. Tonight was special Sarah. At least it
was for me."
  
  "It was for me too. No one has ever made me feel
this loved before Harm. No 
  one."
  
  "No one loved you as much as I do" he smiled as he
gently caressed her 
  cheek.
  
  "You ready for round two sailor?" she asked softly.
  
  "You up to it? I don’t want to wear you out.
Twenty-four hours ago you were 
  still in the hospital remember?"
  
  "I'm fine. It's our wedding night. Let's not think
about anything but us."
  
  "I can do that" Harm whispered as he rolled her into
his arms again.
  
  ****************
  "Morning Mrs. Rabb."
  
  The soft sound of Harm's voice greeted her as she
opened her eyes and with a 
  smile she looked over at him.
  
  "I am aren't?"
  
  "Yes you are. That's still okay isn't it?"
  
  "More than okay" she said softly. "I love you Harm.
That's not going to 
  change this time when we go back to JAG. I promise
you that."
  
  "I love you too" he whispered as he leaned forward
for a kiss. "I wish we 
  didn't have to go back tomorrow. But the Admiral
will wonder what's up if we 
  don't. I should have bribed the doctor to say you
weren't able to travel for 
  another week."
  
  "Like he would have believed that" Mac smiled. "And
I wish we didn't have to 
  go back either."
  
  "We've still got today and we're going to enjoy it.
What do you say we 
  lounge around the pool and soak up some sun and take
it easy? Then maybe 
  later we'll go to the strip and catch a show."
  
  "What kind of show?" Mac teased.
  
  "Not that kind of show" Harm laughed as he pulled
her into his arms again. 
  "I don’t need to look at that anymore. I've got the
best right here in my 
  arms."
  
  "You won't say that in 30 years when I'm old and
gray."
  
  "You will always be the best to me Sarah" Harm said
softly. "I will never 
  love anyone like I do you. And in 30 years I'll be
even older and even 
  grayer and you'll probably have turned me in for a
young Flyboy."
  
  "Not likely" Mac whispered. "One Flyboy is all I
need in this lifetime."
  
  "I love you so much" he whispered before his lips
found hers again.
  
 A long happy contented half hour later she rested
peacefully in his arms.  "You Harmon Rabb are 
exactly what I imagined you would be in a lover," she
sighed.  "Sweet and gentle and considerate, but 
passionate all the same.  I hope we never ever get
tired of doing that."
 
 "Never," he agreed and then smiled.  "So you've
dreamed or imagined me making love to you before?"
 
 "Only about a million times," she said dreamily,
feeling the pleasant fog of drowsiness taking over
her.  
"When it was Mic or even Dalton I could close my eyes
and pretend it was you and it would be OK."  Her 
eyes snapped open as soon as she got out that last
word, realizing she had revealed one of her 
innermost secrets.
 
 He said nothing, just smiled softly as she blushed. 
"OK now you know," she whispered.  "I wanted it to 
be you.  I wanted it to be your hands, your mouth,
your. . .well you et the idea."
 
 "I do," he grinned.  "I wanted it to be me too."
 
 "All you had to do was ask," she reminded him softly.
 "All you had to do was ask."
 
 "I know that now," he yelped plaintively.  "No more
regrets though.  I love you.  Very much.  Mrs. 
Rabb."
 
 "I'm going to startle every time you say that," she
sighed.  "Harm we should talk about when we go 
back.  To work I mean.  How is this going to be
received?"
 
 He shrugged and shook his head.  "Well who said it
has to be received at all.  Who's going to even 
know unless we tell."
 
 "Secretly married?" she gasped.  "You're saying we
shouldn't mention it?"
 
 "Bingo," he grinned.  "Hey it might be kind of fun,
see how long we can pull it off.  It's not like we
broke 
any regs anyway.  And it would only be temporary until
we figure out what's going to happen.  Test the 
waters, get the lay of the land and all that BS."
 
 "We don't even know where we're going to live," she
murmured.  
 
 "Together for one thing," he vowed.  "I do know that
I will not willingly sleep apart from you ever again. 

Obviously we're going to have some separate
assignments but otherwise, not ever."
 
 "I like how you think Sailor," she sighed, snuggling
further into his arms and letting sleep take her once 
more.
   
 
 **************
 Twenty Four Hours Later
 
 "I wish we didn’t have to leave" Mac sighed as she
looked around the hotel 
 room. "We'll have to come back here every year on our
anniversary and stay 
 here."
 
 "In this exact room" Harm smiled as he wrapped his
arms around her. "I'll 
 stop at the desk and make the reservations for next
year. Course we'll need 
 a crib by then."
 
 "I hope" she smiled as well as burrowed into his
arms. "I would then have 
 everything I ever wanted or needed."
 
 "You ready Mrs. Rabb" he said a long minute later.
"We don't want to miss 
 our flight."
 
 "I'm scared," she admitted as she looked up at him.
"Scared this was all a 
 desert mirage. That we'll go back to DC and
everything will be like it was 
 before."
 
 "Not this time. I love you and you're my wife now.
That is never going to 
 change."
 
 A long eight hours later they finally landed in DC,
Harm securing a cab and 
 quickly loading his exhausted wife into it. She was
still far from a hundred 
 percent and he fretted over her as the cab drove them
to her place.
 
 "You okay" he asked as he held her against him,
gently stroking her hair.
 
 "Yeah just tired" she sighed. "I still feel like I've
been zapped of all my 
 strength."
 
 "You're still not totally well. We've been doing too
much the last few 
 days."
 
 "I didn't hear you complaining" she smiled as she
looked up at him.
 
 "I forgot you weren't yourself yet" he smiled as
well. "But I promise I'm 
 going to take good care of you from now on Mrs.
Rabb."
 
 "You'd better not call me that at the office" she
said softly. "Otherwise 
 we're going to have some explaining to do."
 
 "I think we will anyway. I'm not going to be able to
pretend. Not after the 
 last few days with you."
 
 "So we're going to tell everyone?" she asked.
 
 "Not right away" he smiled. "It will be our secret
for a few days. Then 
 we'll tell everyone."
 
 "What about our rings?" she asked as she looked at
the ring on her finger. 
 "The Admiral never misses these things you know."
 
 "Do you mind taking it off?"
 
 "Yeah" she said softly. "Now that it's on, I'm afraid
to take it off. Afraid 
 it won't be the same as it was when we were in
Vegas."
 
 "That isn't going to change" Harm promised. "I still
love you. But until we 
 explain to everyone, we may not want to wear them. Is
that okay?"
 
 "As long as you promise me it's going to go back on
and nothing is going to 
 change."
 
 "Promise" he whispered as he kissed her forehead. "I
love you Sarah. Now and 
 forever."
 
 *****************
 JAG HQ's
 Next Morning
 
 "You ready Mrs. Rabb" Harm whispered as the elevator
came to a halt.
 
 "You're not supposed to call me that" she said softly
as the doors opened.
 
 The morning passed quickly and at noon he walked into
her office.
 
 "Care for lunch with a handsome sailor?" Harm smiled.
 
 "You know one?" she teased.
 
 "Yeah I do actually. And he'd very much like to have
lunch with you if you 
 wouldn't mind?"
 
 "I think I can handle that" Mac smiled, going along
with his game.
 
 "Harmon there you are. When did you get back?"
 
 "Hi Sergei" Harm said with a forced smile. "I uh. .
.we got back late last 
 night" he stammered, realizing he'd forgotten about
Sergei.
 
 "Harm was too tired too drive so I made him stay with
me" Mac spoke up 
 quickly. "That's why he didn't come home."
 
 "Oh I wouldn't have known" Sergei smiled. "I wasn't
there either."
 
 "Where" Harm started before stopping. "Tell me you
weren't with Loren. 
 Sergei you and I need to talk about her."
 
 "Why?" Sergei snapped. "What do you not like about
her?"
 
 "A lot" Harm sighed. "And this is not the time nor
place to get into it. 
 We'll talk about this tonight."
 
 "No we'll talk about this now," Sergei said
irritably. "I do not understand 
 why you do not like her. She is a wonderful person
and I love her very 
 much."
 
 "Excuse me" Harm gasped. "Did you say love her?"
 
 "Hi honey" Singer said as she caught sight of Sergei.
"Did you come to take 
 me to lunch?"
 
 "Honey?" Harm demanded. "What in the hell is going on
here? Singer what kind 
 of game are you playing?"
 
 "It's no game Commander," she said as she wrapped her
arm around Sergei's 
 waist. "Your brother and I are together."
 
 "NO" Harm's eyes widened. "You two are not dating. I
will not allow it. 
 Sergei I can't believe you didn't listen to me. I
warned you about her. 
 She's nothing but a conniving little. . ."
 
 "Stop" Sergei shouted. "You will not talk about my
wife that way."
 
Harm stared for a long moment, his gaze going back and
forth between Singer and Sergei.  "Yeah OK 
that's really funny," he finally got out.  "Big joke. 
Tease the superior officer, give the big brother a
hard 
time.  Now both of you--Lieutenant don't you have
something you could be better occupying your time 
with, and Sergei, much as I enjoy having your company,
the Admiral is not going to be real appreciative 
of these distractions."

"Harm I. . .I think they're serious here," Mac said
slowly, spotting the wedding band on Singer's hand 
and lifting her wrist to show it to Harm.  "Unless
this is a prop that's part of the joke."

"Get in here all of you," Harm growled, taking a quick
look to see if AJ was observing any of this.  He all 
but pushed his brother and Singer into Mac's office
and closed the door.  "OK Lieutenant and this is an 
order.  You've got thirty seconds to tell me what's
happening here."

"It's really pretty simple Harm--and since we're
family now I think I can call you that." She leaned 
casually against the desk, her arm looped through
Sergei's, ignoring Harm's glare.  "There's not a lot
to 
tell really.  Sergei and I have been seeing a lot of
each other, and when something is right it's right. 
So 
last weekend we drove into Maryland and got married. 
It's done.  I'm now Loren Zhukov--well in my 
private life.  Here I'm still Lieutenant, soon to be
on the Lieutenant Commander's list I trust, Singer."

Harm took a deep breath and stood up straight, his
eyes boring into her.  "First of all, Lieutenant, if
you 
ever again address me as anything but Commander or sir
while we're in uniform, I'm going to put a 
formal counseling statement into your jacket.  Let's
see how the Lieutenant Commander board feels 
about that when they're scoring.  Second. . .second I
have nothing further to say except that I find you 
beneath contempt.  Mac would you walk the Lieutenant
out of your office please while I speak to my 
brother."

"You got it."  Mac opened the door, her eyes on Singer
who realized the folly of attempting to disobey 
after being dismissed.

"Oh Lieutenant," Harm called after her.  "This isn't
over with.  It's just not something we're going to get

in to here.  I don't need the wrath of Admiral
Chegwidden, and I know you don't.  Mac please."

"Let's go Lieutenant," she said pleasantly.

"I won't be far sugar," Singer told Sergei, dropping a
quick kiss on his lips as she passed him.

"Well there goes my appetite," Harm muttered,
motioning for Sergei to sit.  Sergei shot him a
defiant 
look but did so, waving to his wife as she closed the
door.

"Just what in the hell were you thinking?" Harm
demanded.

"Harmon you are not our father," Sergei pointed out. 
"You have taken care of me and for that I am 
grateful, but you are not my parent.  What I was
thinking was simply that I refuse to return to Russia.
 I 
have enemies there.  But there was going to be no
choice soon.  So I looked to other options and 
Loren was the best choice.  I find her to be a warm
and caring person and someone I can see myself 
spending my life with."

"And does love enter into that?"

"I can learn to love her."

"Oh Sergei that's not how it's supposed to be," he
moaned, thinking of his own recent wedding.  How 
his love of Mac was above all else.  "Not to mention,
the second your paperwork hits INS, there's going 
to be agents down on you like fleas on a hound.  Ask
your wife about fraudulent marriage.  It could get 
her disbarred and discharged from the Navy, and you
deported."

"Is that not why I have a lawyer for a brother?" he
asked with a sly smile.
==========
"Are you going to rag on me too?" Singer asked as Mac
walked her toward her desk.

"No I'm not.  I don't need to.  I know all about you,
and what you're about," Mac said quietly.  "And I 
know that someday you're going to step over that line
you seem to be getting closer and closer to and 
the fall you're going to take is going to be long and
hard."

"No ma'am," she smiled, shaking her head in reply.  "I
learned from the best.  My daddy."
 
  "Well you are sadly mistaken Lt." Mac sighed.
"Because when INS finds out 
  about this, you can kiss your Naval career away."
  
  "What are they going to find out? I love Sergei and
he loves me."
  
  "And what do you think your friends are going to
say?" Mac countered. "You 
  don't even know this man."
  
  "Yes I do. Sergei and I have spend a lot of time
together recently."
  
  "That still doesn't make a marriage. And no one who
knows you is going to 
  believe that you and Sergei fell in love that
quick."
  
  "Why not" she smirked. "Rumor around here is that
you and the Commander fell 
  in love at first sight."
  
  "Leave the Commander and I out of this" Mac said
sharply. "We're not the 
  one's who've gotten married fraudulently."
  
  "It was not fraudulently. I care for Sergei and he
cares for me. He treats me 
  better than any man I've ever met. I'm sure that
eventually we'll come to 
  love each other but for now this is enough to get us
past INS."
  
  Mac shook her head as she saw Harm approach her
door.
  
  "I'm done with my lecture" he sighed. "He isn't
listening to a word I say."
  
  "With all due respect sir, he does have a mind of
his own" Loren snapped. 
  "And he's capable of making his own decisions."
  
  "Oh and he's done a brilliant job so far" Harm
countered. "He married you. 
  How worse of a decision could he have made."
  
  "I warned you Harm" Sergei said irritably as he
walked into the office. "Do 
  not talk to her that way."
  
  "Listen all of you, chill" Mac ordered. "Before the
Admiral hears you. Harm, 
  why don’t we go to lunch and get some fresh air for
awhile. You can talk to 
  Sergei about this later."
  
  "You're right" Harm sighed. "And we will talk about
this later" he added as 
  he looked at Sergei.
  
  "Not unless you stop talking about my wife that way
we won't" Sergei 
  retorted. "I will not listen to your poison any
longer."
  
  Harm opened his mouth and promptly closed it as
Mac's look. "We'll talk 
  later. Right now I need some air."
  
  "See you later brother" Loren added as Harm started
to the door.
  
  "Let it go" Mac whispered to Harm. "Just let it go.
She's just trying to get 
  to you."
  
  "And doing a damn good job of it" Harm groaned.
  
  "Come on" she said as she grabbed his arm and led
him to the elevator.
  
  "I'm going to kill them both" Harm sighed as the
doors closed behind them.
  
  "No you're not," she said as she hugged him tightly.
"We'll get through 
  this."
  
  "We" he said softly.
  
  "We're married now remember" she smiled. "It's not
all your problem now. 
  It's out problem."
  
  "Have I told you how much I love you Mrs. Rabb?" he
sighed before the doors 
  opened again.
  
  "You can remind me" she smiled as they walked to the
car. "But save it for 
  when we're alone."
  
  He drove to the nearby Chinese place and secured a
booth for them in the 
  back of the restaurant.
  
  "I don't believe this" Harm sighed. "Can you believe
they did something this 
  stupid?"
  
  "He was desperate Harm. He doesn't want to go back
to Russia. And Singer was 
  offering him what he wants. Course I think he does
have some feelings for 
  her."
  
  "Those kinds of feelings don't make a marriage" Harm
countered. "And I have 
  no illusion about her motivations. She's enjoying
every second of watching 
  me flip."
  
  "Yes she is but you're letting her."
  
  "Mac, he married Singer. The woman I hate more than
anyone else in this 
  world. That woman is now my sister in law."
  
  "And mine too" Mac smiled. "Remember we're married
too."
  
  "Lucky you. You married me and got Lt. Witch as an
in-law."
  
  "I can live with that. Besides, I'm sure the rest of
the family isn't so 
  bad."
  
  "No they're not" Harm sighed. "You'll love Mom and
Grams. And as soon as I 
  can get you up to meet Grams, I want to do it."
  
  "Are you going to tell her about us?" Mac asked.
  
  "I don’t know. I hadn't thought about it. I guess I
could. It's not like 
  she'd tell anyone."
  
  "I'd love to meet her," she smiled happily.  "Harm
for the first time I feel like I could have a family. 
A 
real family.  Not just people related to each other. 
Well Singer would be that, but it's a relation by 
marriage.  And soon as you stop flipping out, she'll
likely stop rubbing it in.  In the meantime your 
brother is immune from deportation."
 
 "Mac you know these marriages are investigated
thoroughly.  He's bought himself some time, OK, and 
that in turn buys me some time to find a way to
legally keep him."
 
 "Except once the INS finds out, that's going to
negate anything you might do," she pointed out gently.
 
 "You know what, at this point I'm not going to think
about it any more.  I refuse to let my happiness 
with you be ruined by my brother's idiocy.  I love you
and we're married and we're going to have a 
baby."
 
 "You are god awful mighty sure of that aren't you?"
she smiled.
 
 "I was magnificent that night," he grinned, squeezing
her hand.  "And then there's the dream."
 
 "Excuse me?"
 
 "Oh nothing," he smiled.  "Only a dream I had that
night while I was holding you while you slept and I 
saw our babies be born."
 
 "You know Commander you can be scary," she giggled. 
"Baby boy or girl?  Whoa wait---babies, 
plural??  As in more than one?"
 
 "Just for that I'm not going to tell you."
 
 "Suit yourself."
 
 "Boy," he grinned after a moment, and added slyly,
"and girl.  And Dammit I woke up before we named 
them."
 
 "You are scary," Mac sighed.  "As much as I would
love that."  Her hand went to her belly as she spoke, 
her eyes turning far away.
 
 "You're the one that's supposed to have some of the
gift," he grinned.  "Maybe you rubbed off on me."
 
 "Harm don't talk about that any more," she begged
suddenly.
 
 "Your gift?"
 
 "No the baby or babies or whatever," she begged.  "I
want that so very much and talking about it like 
it's a foregone conclusion is just going to make it
hard if it doesn't come about."
 
 "OK I can do that," he smiled and squeezed her hands.
 "We can talk about the Talbot case if you'd 
like."
 
 "Not when I'm about to eat.  How about when we're
going to Grams place?"
 
 "It's supposed to be a beautiful weekend.  No time
like the present.  Maybe the Admiral will let us slide

out a little early Friday afternoon.  I mean it's not
like we've had a lot of time off lately."
 
 "Uh. . .not a good idea," she grinned.  "But please
yes let's go."   
 
  "All right. I'll call Grams tonight."
  
  "Harm now that Sergei is with Singer, do you think
it will be okay for us to 
  stay together?" she asked softly.
  
  "I think we can manage that" he smiled. "Course you
know eventually we'll 
  have to tell the Admiral. But with this Sergei
Singer mess I'd rather wait 
  to do that."
  
  "I know" she nodded. "It's okay. I understand."
  
  **************
  Harm's Apartment
  7:30 PM EST
  
  "Thank you for dinner" Mac sighed contentedly. "I
think I'm going to love 
  being married to you Mr. Rabb. Especially if you
handle all the cooking."
  
  "You know I will" he smiled as he dropped a kiss on
her forehead. A knock at 
  the door interrupted anything further and with a
frown he walked to the 
  door.
  
  "Hello Harm" Sergei smiled as he and Singer stood in
the hallway. "I hope we 
  did not come at a bad time."
  
  "Mac and I were just finishing dinner" Harm said
slowly as he looked back at 
  Mac.
  
  "I was hoping we could talk again" Sergei continued.
  
  "Sergei I'm not sure that is a good idea" Harm
sighed. "You're not going to 
  like what I'm going to say."
  
  "Well I want you to listen this time" Sergei replied
as he and Singer walked 
  into Harm's place.
  
  "Mac what a surprise" Loren smiled.
  
  "She's Colonel to you, Lt." Harm reminded her
irritably.
  
  "I'm sorry. Of course. It's Harm that I'm related to
now."
  
  "Loren, give it a rest" Harm sighed. "Now what did
you want to talk about?"
  
  "I was thinking that I would like to meet the rest
of my father's family. 
  You mentioned that my grandmother was still alive. I
would like to meet her 
  and have her meet my wife."
  
  "Sergei" Harm sighed.
  
  "Harmon what is wrong? This is my grandmother. Do I
not have the right to 
  meet her?"
  
  "Yes you do. But I'm not sure now is a good time."
  
  "Why not? I want to meet her Harmon. She is my
father's mother. I want to 
  talk to her about my father."
  
  "I can tell you anything you want to know about Dad"
Harm countered.
  
  "I meant when he was a boy. I want to see where he
grew up."
  
  "All right" Harm sighed. "I'll talk to Grams. I was
thinking about going up 
  to visit her this weekend anyway."
  
  "Oh good" Loren spoke up. "This will be fun."
  
  "You're not going" Harm said firmly.
  
  "She is my wife Harmon. Of course she is going with
me. She is part of the 
  family now."
  
  "That's right big brother" Loren smiled. "We're all
one big happy family."
  
  "This is not happening" Harm sighed. "Fine. If she
comes then Mac comes as 
  well."
  
  "I didn't know you and the Colonel were that close?"
Loren commented.
  
  "My relationship with the Colonel is none of your
business" Harm snapped. 
  "So I suggest you keep your comments to yourself."
  
  "Lieutenant,  the Commander and I have been good
friends for a long time" Mac said 
  as she stood up and walked over to them. "He's told
me about his grandmother 
  several time and we'd already arranged for me to met
her."
  
  "I see" she smiled. "Well won't this be cozy. The
four of us together for a 
  weekend."
  
  "God kill me now" Harm murmured under his breath.
  
  **************
  Friday Evening
  Harm's Apartment
  
  "Maybe they changed their mind about going" Harm
sighed as he paced his 
  apartment.
  
  "Now do you really think you're that lucky" Mac
smiled as she wrapped her 
  arms around him.
  
  "I got lucky enough to have you in my life" he
smiled. "Have I mentioned 
  lately how much I love you?"
  
  "Yes but I don't mind being reminded" Mac said
softly. "And while we're on 
  the subject, I love you too Mr. Rabb. And we'll get
through this weekend 
  somehow."
  
  "Will you defend me if I'm in the brig for murdering
her" Harm sighed as he 
  hugged Mac tightly.
  
  "Always. But that won't happen."
  
  "You hope," he said with a small smile.
  
  "Harm," she said warningly.  "I know you're kidding
about murder, but seriously you want to be careful 
around her.  She's not above keeping track of any kind
of disrespect and then hitting you with a charge 
of conduct unbecoming and then I'm going to have to
spend a lot of time getting you off."
 
 "Point taken," he growled.  "But I've got a file on
her too."
 
 "Excuse me?'
 
 "OK that's in confidence," he said hastily.  "But
since the day she came I've been keeping a file of
what 
I consider poor judgment or possible violations of the
UCMJ.  Remember the evidence in your car when 
we were working on the drop zone mishap."
 
 "Harm you have proof of that?" she gasped.
 
 "No no of course not," he said quickly.  "But I've
got my eye on her, and I have a statement from 
Galindez and. . .and never mind.  It sounds like I'm
plotting against her, which I am but I don't need to 
sound like that."
 
 "Don't change on my account," she smiled, forcing him
to still his frantic pacing and kissing him 
soundly.  "I want the man I fell in love with and
married."
 
 "You've got him, for always," he sighed happily,
returning her kiss, and just beginning to get other 
ideas when the door buzzer sounded.  "My brother's
timing again," he groaned before letting her go 
and striding to the door.
 
 "Sergei, Lieutenant," he greeted them.
 
 "Harm.  And I'm using the name deliberately," Singer
said firmly.  "Harm we are out of uniform and off 
duty and about to take a weekend together.  If you
think I'm going to call you sir or Commander while 
we're on our own time you'd better think again."
 
 "Loren," he said, and with great effort managed to
keep his tone civil, thanks to Mac's warning look.
 
 "Then let us go.  I am most anxious for this time
with my grandmother, and for her to meet my bride," 
Sergei spoke up.
 
 "By all means," Harm said in that same civil tone,
tossing Sergei the keys.  "Take the bags down and 
pull the car around.  We'll be right down."
 
 When they were once again alone, Harm pulled her into
his embrace.  "Listen you, that woman is not 
going to be the only bride Grams meets.  I want her to
know you're my wife and that I'm proud and 
happy."
 
 "OK you plan to announce that at dinner or what?"
 
 He opened and closed his mouth several times before
he could speak.  "OK no we'll just have to find a 
private time to tell her that's all.  Let's go. 
Sergei shouldn't even be driving my car really."
 
 When they reached the front steps the SUV  was
waiting, and there in the front seat were Sergei and 
Singer, locked together in a long kiss.
 
 "Now there's a picture I'm not going to get out of my
head any time soon," Mac giggled.
 
 "Where is my air sick bag when I need it."  He
reached out and banged on the window.  "OK you two, 
this is a public place and we don't allow that."
 
 "No problem, I bet your Grams place has lots of
private places," Loren laughed as she rolled down the 
window.
 
 "It had better, for all our sakes," Harm hissed into
Mac's ear.
 
 At Harm's motion Sergei dismounted the driver's seat
and escorted Loren to the back seat, buckling 
her into the middle where she could be adjacent to
him.
 
 "Don't," Mac mouthed.  "Just don't."
  
  "I am never going to survive this weekend" he
murmured under his breath.
  
  By the time they reached Belleville his patience for
Singer was gone and all 
  he wanted was to be alone with Mac.
  
  "Isn't this cute" Loren smiled as Harm pulled the
SUV in front of the old 
  farmhouse.
  
  "This is where my father grew up," Sergei said
proudly. "And now my wife and 
  I will see it for the first time."
  
  They hurried out of the car and Harm let out a long
sigh.
  
  "I'm going to kill them both" Harm groaned when they
were alone. "I swear 
  I'm going to kill them."
  
  "No you're not" Mac smiled as she squeezed his hand.
"You'll be fine. Come 
  on before they wonder what we're doing in here."
  
  An elderly woman had come out on the front porch and
Harm hurried to 
  introduce everyone.
  
  "Harmon" she smiled as she reached to give her
grandson a hug. "How are you 
  dear?"
  
  "I'm fine Grams. There are a few people for you to
meet. First off, this is 
  Sarah Mackenzie, my partner at JAG."
  
  "Pleased to meet you Sarah" Grams smiled. "And this
young man must be my 
  other grandson."
  
  "Grams, this is Sergei Zhukov" Harm said quietly.
"And his wife, Loren 
  Zhukov."
  
  "Wife? I thought you said he'd only been in the
country a few months."
  
  "It's a long story Grams" Harm sighed. "I'll explain
later."
  
  "It is a pleasure to meet you" Sergei said slowly.
"I do not know much about 
  my father. I hope that you will tell me more."
  
  "Of course I will" Grams smiled. "Loren, it's nice
to meet you as well."
  
  "Thank you Mrs. Rabb" Loren smiled. "This is a
lovely old place you have 
  here."
  
  "Been in the Rabb family for generations" Grams said
proudly. "And hopefully 
  will be for many more to come. That is if my
grandson here ever gets married 
  and has children of his own."
  
  "Well one of your grandsons is already married"
Loren smiled.
  
  "Oh god if she mentions kids I'm going to barf" Harm
whispered to Mac.
  
  "Why don't we all go inside. I've got dinner just
about ready."
  
  "Grams I'm going to show Mac around" Harm said as
she started to lead Sergei 
  and Loren inside.
  
  "Don't get lost" Grams smiled.
  
  "You okay?" Mac asked as they strolled around the
property.
  
  "Now I am" he smiled as he held her hand. "Being
with you is all that 
  matters to me now."
  
  "Sounds like Grams is going to be happy when she
finds out you're married" 
  Mac said softly.
  
  "That's because all of this will be mine one day. I
think she was afraid I'd 
  be the last Rabb."
  
  "We're going to fix that" Mac smiled. "And I can see
why you love it here. 
  This is a wonderful place to come and unwind."
  
  "Could you ever imagine yourself here?" Harm asked.
  
  "You mean all the time?"
  
  "Yeah. Raising those children we're going to have."
  
  "Oh yeah those twins you dreamed about" she smiled.
"I think I could imagine 
  myself doing that. What about you?"
  
  "In a heartbeat" he whispered before dropping a
quick kiss on her lips.
  
  "We'd better go before we forget we're not supposed
to be like this," she 
  said softly. "I know Singer is suspicious already."
  
  "And Grams hates when I'm late for dinner" he
smiled. "But trust me, we will 
  find some time alone this weekend."
  
  They survived a long dinner of listening to Sergei
and Loren's plans for the 
  future; Harm rolling his eyes several times as Loren
informed Grams of her 
  goals to be the first woman JAG.
  
  Finally Mac kicked him under the table and shook her
head almost imperceptibly, meaning 'let her 
prattle--she'll be lucky to make the next Lieutenant
Commander's list'.
 
 "Perhaps Loren and Sergei will help with the dishes,"
Grams said firmly once dessert was over with.  
 
 "Sure I'll be glad to load the dishwasher," Singer
smiled.
 
 "You do that, if you can find one," Harm groaned. 
"Meanwhile I'm going to do the barn tour with Mac."  
He took her hand and helped her to her feet.
 
 "Mrs. Rabb that was the best food I've had in
forever," she declared.  "Thank you ma'am."
 
 "Grams."
 
 "Yes ma'am.  Thank you Grams."
 
 "Thanks Grams," Harm grinned and kissed the older
woman's cheek.  "You're the best."  He did not 
release Mac's hand as they walked outside, and he led
her to the old barn, complete with rooster 
weather vane on the top.
 
 "This is like something out of time gone by," she
breathed, walking into darkened interior.  "How old is

this building?"
 
 "Older than me, but kept in good repair," he grinned.
"Grams really does want to pass this place along 
to me, preferably me with a family.  Which is already
happening."
 
 "I like how you think Flyboy," she grinned, pressing
her hand to her belly.
 
 "Yeah well I've got another idea," he whispered,
leading her to a back corner and through a door which 
he locked from the other side.  
 
 "Harm what is this place," she gasped when he turned
on the overhead light.  "I feel like I've stepped 
back in time to. . .to your room when you were little
but surely you didn't sleep in a barn?"
 
 "No but my mom used to yell what the hell's the
matter with you boy--were you born in a barn," he 
laughed.  "No this was where I would come when I just
wanted to be with my stuff.  Or I had friends 
over.  We could be as rowdy as we wanted out here. 
And then when I left for the Academy--when I knew 
I had spent the last full summer here I ever would, I
moved all my stuff from my room out here so Grams 
could have use of it.  I'm cringing to think of Singer
and my brother up there spawning some demon 
child, but never mind."
 
 He lifted the cloths that covered the shelves and
suddenly the Harmon Rabb of thirty-odd years ago 
was alive and well.  Comic books, baseball cards,
model planes abounded.

 A framed picture of Harm Sr, proudly in the center of
one of the shelves.  It was his official picture, in 
uniform with the flag behind him, his gold wings
picking up the light of the flash.
 
 "Oh Harm I love the airplanes on the bedspread too,"
she giggled.  
 
 "Oh yeah.  Ordered from the Sears catalogue.  They
don't make them any more."
 
 "No I wouldn't think so," she sighed, brushing her
hand across it and then turning back to him.  "Why 
don't we carefully fold it up so it doesn't get
damaged, and then you and me see if we can make love
in 
that little bed."
 
 "I was hoping we'd end up in there," he sighed.  She
was in his arms a second later, his mouth coming 
down hard on hers, loving and demanding at the same
time.
 
 "Well Sergei and Singer may be making a baby at some
point, but you and I might have just done the 
same thing," she sighed when it was done and they lie
content and quiet wrapped together.
 
 "Already taken care of," he smiled happily, his hand
going to her belly.  "Baby on board, thanks to my 
magnificent wedding night performance."
 
 "You really are full of yourself Harmon Rabb," she
laughed and kissed him once more.
 
 "Guess we'd better get moving," he sighed.  "But we
will be back.  And we still have to talk to Grams 
about us.  I don't want to leave here without her
knowing."
   
   "What about Frick and Frack?" Mac smiled.
  
  "We'll send them away for a while" Harm smiled.
"I'll talk Sergei into 
  taking her for a nice romantic walk. Maybe they'll
get lost along the way."
  
  "You are so bad," Mac said as she gave his arm a
playful swat. "Thanks for 
  the alone time. It's going to be hard not being with
you tonight."
  
  "I know" he sighed. "But for now we have to do it
this way."
  
  "We'd better get back before Singer starts looking
for us and finds our 
  spot."
  
  They walked back to the house, Loren giving them a
long glare as she and 
  Sergei finished the kitchen.
  
  "How come you didn't have to help clean up?" she
demanded.
  
  "Oh please" Harm groaned. "Did it kill you to wash a
few dishes?"
  
  "Yes. I want to know why you get the special
treatment? Sergei's just as 
  much family as you are."
  
  "Loren honey please do not make a scene" Sergei
begged. "I did not mind cleaning up 
  the dishes."
  
  "Sergei if you're not going to stick up for yourself
I will. You're a Rabb 
  just as much as Harm is."
  
  "Is there a problem?" Grams asked as she wandered
into the kitchen. "I 
  thought I heard some loud voices in here."
  
  "No problem Grams" Harm said with a glare in Loren's
direction. "I was just 
  going to show Sergei and Loren up to their room. I
think they might like 
  some alone time."
  
  "Of course" Grams smiled. "Sarah and I will be down
here chatting." With 
  that she took Mac's arm and led her to the living
room, much to Loren's 
  annoyance.
  
  "What am I chopped liver?" she hissed to Sergei.
"I'm the granddaughter in 
  law here."
  
  "Compared to her you are" Harm murmured just loud
enough that Loren heard 
  him and whirled around.
  
  "I heard that" she snapped. "Sergei you're not going
to let him get away 
  with that kind of talk are you."
  
  "Harmon please. She is my wife. I know you do not
understand our 
  relationship but please do not insult my wife."
  
  "I'm sorry it just slipped" Harm sighed. "I'll try
and refrain in the future 
  from making such comments."
  
  "Thank you. Now please show Loren and I to our
room."
  
  "So tell me about you and Harm" Grams smiled. "He's
talked about you for 
  years and then all of a sudden he brings you up
here."
  
  "We've gotten a little closer recently," Mac said
softly. "It's been a long time 
  coming but we're finally getting on track."
  
  "He loves you Sarah. I can see it in his eyes. He
looks at you just like 
  Harm Sr. looked at Trish and Peter looked at me."
  
  "He means a lot to me too" Mac smiled.
  
  "I know. So tell me more about this woman Sergei has
married. He doesn't 
  love her does he?"
  
  "I think he's convinced himself he does Grams.
Course she was offering him a 
  way to stay in the country so it wasn't hard for to
convince himself of 
  that."
  
  "I've always prided myself on being a good Christian
woman who can find good 
  in anyone but I don't think that woman has one kind
bone in her body. She's 
  so spiteful."
  
  "I know. We've been dealing with her for the past
three years at JAG and her 
  and Harm have had gone round and round on many
occasions."
  
  "I could sense that. They really dislike each
other."
  
  "That's an understatement" Mac sighed. "And of
course now she's put him in 
  the middle of this. And he doesn't want to hurt
Sergei yet at the same time 
  he knows this is all wrong. INS is going to be all
over them for a 
  fraudulent marriage. Despite what Sergei thinks,
Harm won't lie for him."
  
  "No Harm will not," Harm said as he walked into the
living room.
  
  "Sit down Harm. Sarah and I were having a nice
little chat here."
  
  "About this hoax of a marriage" Harm sighed. "Grams
he's gotten himself into 
  big trouble and I'm not going to be able to get him
out of it."
  
  "Harm you can't fix everything" Grams reminded him.
"And he and Loren made 
  the decision to get married. It's not on your
shoulders."
  
  "Thanks. I just wish I could have done more for
him."
  
  "You did what you could. He's a grown man who will
have to accept 
  responsibility for his actions."
  
  "Yes he will" Harm nodded.
  
 "Except that Harmon Rabb won't walk away.  He can't,"
Mac sighed.  "He doesn't have a walk away 
bone in his body."
 
 "Rabb stubborn.  I feel for you when you have Rabb
kids," Grams laughed lightly.
 
 "Grams could we walk outside a bit," Harm asked, one
eye looking to Mac.  "I don't really care to hear 
the bedsprings start to creak for one thing and for
another, there's something we need to tell you."
 
 "This sounds serious," she smiled.  "Let me get my
sweater.  Once the sun goes behind the mountain it 
gets pretty chilly out there."
 
 "Can you bring one for Mac too," Harm spoke up.
 
 "Harm I can get my own wrap," she objected giggling.
 
 "But you won't," he growled.  "You'll do that Marine
thing.  I'm fine--no coat thanks.  And you are not 
that long out of the hospital Miz. . ."  He stopped
himself just in time with a wary glance upstairs. 
"Just 
get the damn sweater will you."
 
 "Yes sir," Mac giggled again and when Grams brought
two sweaters Harm placed one on Mac's 
shoulders and helped his grandmother on with hers.  
 
 "We can walk down by the grapes," he told him, his
arm around Mac's shoulders and his hand around 
his grandmother's arm as they started down the path.
 
 "I don't believe this arbor still produces," he
sighed, looking at the baby grapes over head.  "These 
grapes were growing when I was a kid."
 
 "With no particular care on my part," Grams nodded. 
"And Matt Fletcher still presses them into wine for 
me.  Mac you might try a half glass before bed.  That
and the fresh air will put you out."
 
 "Thanks but no.  I'm an al. . .I don't drink," Mac
smiled.
 
 "No neither do I.  This is medicinal," Grams laughed
and looked closely at her grandson.  "OK boy, let's 
have it."
 
 "Yes ma'am."  Harm put his arms around Mac and while
Grams watched, safely hidden from the house 
and any prying eyes, he placed a soft and tender kiss
on her lips.  "Grams I'd like you to meet Mrs. 
Harmon David Rabb Junior."
 
 "Wha. . .?"  It took several seconds for his words to
sink in, and when they did, the elderly woman's 
entire face lit up.  "Harm you and Sarah?"
 
 "Yes ma'am," he grinned proudly,  "Thing is, no one
knows it yet.  I wasn't counting on having the 
junior and his bride accompany us this weekend.  If
she gets wind of it, it will be all over JAG and we're

not quite ready to go public yet."
 
 "Just why not," Grams demanded.  "There's no shame in
two people loving each other like I can see 
both of you do, and then acting on that."
 
 "No ma'am," Mac smiled, leaning lightly into Harm's
embrace.  "But it's complicated because of where 
we work and that we work closely with each other--that
kind of thing.  Obviously eventually we're going 
to have to tell."
 
 "Yeah I figure in about four months," he chortled.
 
 "Honey are you pregnant?" Grams gasped hopefully.
 
 "You bet she is," Harm spoke up before she could
answer.
 
 "Commander Ego here thinks he got me pregnant on our
wedding night," Mac laughed.  "And he may 
have but we won't know that for a while."
 
 "Do you want a baby Sarah?"
 
 "Yes ma'am--more than anything," she answered at
once.  "Well, second only to wanting to be his wife 
that is."
 
 "I’m glad you told me.  And I think it's wonderful,"
Grams smiled tearfully.  "Now what do you want to do 
about the sleeping arrangements?"  
 
 "I guess we're going to sleep apart and be crazy,"
Harm sighed.
 
 "Mac you may want to reconsider that wine," Grams
laughed, seeing the distressed look on her face.
  
  "Honey you knew it would be this way" Harm said
softly.
  
  "I know. And I don't want to give Lt. Witch anything
to use against us" Mac 
  sighed.
  
  "Well if you're lucky you might get a visitor during
the night" Harm smiled.
  
  "I'll be waiting" she smiled back.
  
  "I'm so happy for you two" Grams sighed. "I'm just
sad that I wasn't there 
  to see it."
  
  "We've got a ton of pictures" Mac laughed. "Harm
ordered the huge wedding 
  package at the chapel in Vegas."
  
  "You got married in Vegas? How did this all happen?"
  
  "It's a very long story Grams" Harm said quietly as
he draped his arm around 
  Mac and pulled her closer. "It took almost losing
Mac to realize how much I 
  loved her."
  
  "My goodness what happened?"
  
  "We were carjacked on our way to the Air Station at
Fallon. They eventually 
  took the car and left us in the desert. After they
took a large chunk out of 
  Mac's arm and her neck. She almost bled to death on
me."
  
  "Oh my" Grams gasped.
  
  "That night I promised myself that if we got through
that I was going to 
  make Sarah my wife" Harm finished.
  
  "And I held him to that promise" Mac said softly.
"And as soon as I was able 
  we went to Vegas and got married."
  
  "Well the important thing is that you two are
together," Grams said finally. 
  "But I think you both realize how precious time our
time together is. We 
  don't get any guarantees."
  
  "We realize that" Harm nodded. "Which is why I
didn't wait any longer to 
  marry Mac. I've loved her for so long that it just
didn't seem right to wait 
  any more."
  
  "Well I hope you two are blessed with a long and
happy marriage" Grams 
  smiled. "And one day once you've told everyone, I'd
like to have a little 
  reception. Just family and close friends."
  
  "Grams you don't have to do that" Mac said quickly.
  
  "Oh yes I do. And I want to. Please. I always
dreamed of Harm's wedding day. 
  Watching my only grandson marry and hopefully start
the next generation of 
  Rabbs."
  
  "Sorry Grams" Harm said sheepishly. "I didn't know
it meant that much to 
  you."
  
  "Of course it does" she smiled. "You're my only
grandson. The last that I 
  have left of your father."
  
  "I know. And we'd love to have a small reception
once we've told everyone" 
  Harm said softly. "Emphasis on the word small Grams.
I don't want you going 
  crazy."
  
  "Oh I'll keep small" she smiled. "I just have to
remember I can't tell 
  anyone just yet. I take it you haven't even told
your Mother."
  
  "No ma'am. You're the first to find out."
  
  "And I'm so thrilled that I am. And it's wonderful
to have you as part of 
  the family Sarah."
  
  "Thank you Grams" Mac said softly. "It's wonderful
to be part of such a 
  wonderful family."
  
  "With the exception of the evil half sister in law"
Harm muttered and both 
  Mac and Grams couldn't help laughing.
  
  "Speaking of which we'd better get back before they
wonder where we got 
  lost" Mac sighed.
  
  "I'll head back in" Grams smiled. "You two enjoy a
little time to yourself."
  
  "Thanks Grams" Harm said as he gave her a quick hug.
"For everything."
  
  "You're welcome," she said softly. "Just make sure
that from now on you and 
  this lovely bride of yours spend a little more time
up here with the old 
  lady."
  
  "Count on it" Harm smiled before dropping a quick
kiss on her cheek. "We'll 
  be in in a minute."
  
  Grams nodded and headed back to the house, leaving
them alone for the 
  moment.
  
  "I think she likes you" Harm whispered as he hugged
Mac close to him.
  
  "And I like her a lot too. She's wonderful Harm.
You're so lucky."
  
  "Yeah I am. I've got everything I need now. Right
here in my arms."
  
  "Sappy Rabb" she smiled. "But I feel the same way."
  
  "I'm going to miss being with you tonight" he
sighed. "But I promise I'll 
  come and visit if I can."
  
  "If not we'll manage," she said softly. "The last
thing we want is for her 
  to find out and go running to the Admiral."
  
 "Well we're not really doing anything wrong," she
sighed.  "But you're right--it's not something we're 
really needing to share right now."  Her face clouded
over as she contemplated JAG and the eventual 
discovery however and she clung tightly to him.  "I
can't bear to think about us being separated, not 
working together and so forth."
 
 "Hey relax," he soothed.  "None of that is a foregone
conclusion, and if it does happen we'll deal.  
We've never known the Admiral not to be a fair minded
man.  But we're not going to be separated no 
matter what.  I'll resign and re-enlist as a seaman if
I have to."
 
 The absurdity of that offer made her swallow her
tearfulness and burst into giggles.  "Come on, let's
go 
in."
 
 As soon as they got to the top of the stairs they
could hear exactly what Harm had hoped to avoid.  
Soft moaning and creaking bedsprings.
 
 "I'm going to be sick," he sighed.  
 
 "Harm, pull back a bit," she smiled.  "Not for them
but for your own peace of mind.  They've made their 
bed--so to speak--now let them lie in it.  You and I
have our own lives to live.  Especially if you're
right--
if your baby, or babies, are growing inside me now."
 
 "Yeah," he grinned with a long happy sigh.  "Why
don't we sleep and meet in the barn about 0300.  
Deal?"
 
 "Oh yeah," she smiled.  "Deal big time."
 
 They kissed goodnight, long and loving, and then
goodnight again.  
 
 "This is hard," she panted.  "I'm totally addicted to
you."
 
 "And I to you," he replied softly, stroking some hair
back from her face.  "I'll see you soon."
 
 The bedsprings gave a particularly large squeak and
Harm's face took on a pained expression.  "You 
want to put in for a transfer to Iceland?"
 
 "Long as it's for a domestic domicile," she
whispered.  "We're entitled to that now.  I happen to
be Mrs. 
Commander Harmon Rabb as well as Lieutenant Colonel
Sarah Mackenzie."
 
 "Yes you are and don't you ever forget it."
  
   "Never. See you later sailor."
  
  **************
  "So what is there to do around here for fun?" Loren
asked the next morning 
  following breakfast.
  
  "Harm would you show us around the property" Sergei
asked. "I am sure you 
  know it very well and we can all spend some time
together."
  
  "Of course" Harm said with a forced smile. "There's
miles of hiking trails 
  and of course the river isn't too far away."

  "Maybe we could go skinny dipping" Loren whispered
to Sergei, just low 
  enough that Grams didn't hear but Harm did. He
rolled his eyes and Mac gave 
  him a gentle nudge under the table to remind him to
keep his cool.
  
  "I can pack you four a picnic" Grams spoke up. "You
can have a nice little 
  lunch by the river."
  
  "Thank you" Sergei smiled as he looked over at her.
"That would be very 
  nice."
  
  An hour later they started off, Harm carrying the
picnic basket and walking 
  beside Mac as Sergei and Singer walked ahead.
  
  "If they go skinny dipping, I'm going to die" he
sighed. "It was bad enough 
  listening to the bed creaking all night."
  
  "Well I'm sure the barn was creaking later" she
smiled. "Only no one was 
  around to notice."
  
  "True" he smiled as well. "I am so glad you are
here. I swear I would have 
  killed her by now."
  
  "No you wouldn't have."
  
  "Yes I would have. I still can't believe he married
her Mac. What on earth 
  was he thinking?"
  
  "Harm it's not your problem remember?"
  
  "Yeah I'm just stuck with the evil sister in law" he
sighed. "Of all the 
  people in DC he could have married, he had to pick
her."
  
  "Harm he seems to like her" Mac pointed out softly.
"I'm not sure I'd call 
  it love but he does care about her."
  
  "I'm still trying to figure out why she agreed to
it."
  
  "Probably because she knew it would drive you
insane" Mac smiled. "Which is 
  exactly what she's doing."
  
  "I know. I should just forget about them and enjoy
my time here with you. 
  Except that we have to pretend we're just friends
while we're with them."
  
  "Get used to it sailor. We have to do the same thing
when we get back to 
  JAG."
  
  He nodded and sighed as Sergei and Singer stopped at
a fork in the path to 
  kiss. "Spare me" he muttered.
  
  "Which way Harm?" Loren asked when she and Sergei
parted.
  
  "Depends on what you want to do. Do you want to go
up into the mountains a 
  bit or down by the river?"
  
  "Down by the river" Loren smiled. "I wonder how cold
it is."
  
  "You are not going skinny dipping" Harm said
tersely. "Not while I'm around 
  anyway."
  
  "I'd hope not Harm" she smiled. "I figured you and
Mac could go off and 
  leave Sergei and I alone for awhile. We are
newlyweds remember?"
  
  "After last night how could I?" he retorted. "You
made enough noise to wake 
  the dead."
  
  "Like I said, we're newlyweds" Loren grinned as she
reached for Sergei's 
  arm. "Now which way is the river?"
  
  "Follow me" Harm sighed as he started down the path
to the left, Mac right 
  behind him.
  
  They reached the river a short time later and Harm
dropped the picnic basket 
  and sat down on one of the large rocks while Sergei
and Loren walked further 
  down the river.
  
  "You okay?" Mac asked softly as she joined him on
the rock.
  
  "No. I swear that woman's main goal in life is to
aggravate me."
  
  "Yeah well you're letting her. Just ignore her Harm.
Try and enjoy being 
  here with me."
  
  "I am," he said softly as he reached for her hand,
confident that Sergei and 
  Loren were far enough out of sight not to notice. "I
just wish it was us 
  alone up here."
  
 "If we leave them alone and wander off aren't we
alone?" she whispered suggestively.  "I mean look---
have blanket will travel."
 
 "No wonder you're the brains of this outfit," Harm
grinned, grabbing the blanket with one hand and her 
hand with the other.  "I know the perfect place too."
 
 "Won't they miss us?"
 
 "Who cares.  Come on."
 
 At a fast pace he led her through the trees, back
from the river a half mile until they came to a small 
clearing and some rocks.  "It's a deep water cove," he
pointed.  "No fish here, just icy cold water and 
flat soft ground to put down a blanket to warm up on
by making love after we freeze our naked sixes off 
in that water.  Which we will."  As he finished
speaking he tugged her T-shirt up over her head and
came 
down hard on her mouth with his.
 
 "Oh yeah Squid," she breathed.  In less that ten
seconds they were both naked as the day they were 
born and he held her hand as they poised on the edge
of the rocks.  "OK Marine what are you made 
of?"
 
 "I can take it sir," she squealed as if she was back
in Boot.  He laughed long and hard and jumped, 
pulling her in after him.  The icy water engulfed them
at once as they sank below the surface and he 
held her close, pressing their bodies together.
 
 "I'm numb," she panted when they broke to the
surface.  "I'm numb all the way through."
 
 "But thawing out is going to feel so good, and I'll
show you the best way to do that," he laughed.  "But 
first we have to do a lap."
 
 "Oh my god I'm going to sink," she moaned after a few
game strokes, "Did you do this a lot as a kid?"
 
 "Oh yeah.  Me and Jenny Farkus from the farm down the
road," he laughed.  "Just about every day after 
our chores got done.  But we never did what you and I
are about to."
 
 "Right.  And I'm still a virgin," she chortled, only
to have anything further taken by his long kiss.  He 
levered them both from the water onto the blanket, and
a few minutes later the bright sun and the heat 
of their bodies sent warmth spreading through them.
 
 "OK now I can face food with her," he sighed when
they had both exhausted and warmed themselves.
 
 They dressed and folded the blanket, holding hands
while they walked back to the river.  The area was 
just in sight when they heard Sergei's frantic
screaming of Harm's name.  "I cannot find her.  She is

gone," the young man shouted as soon as he saw them
approach.  "I tried to search and I cannot find 
her at all."
 
 "OK Sergei, slow down," Harm ordered firmly.  "Loren?
 Where did she go--into the woods?"
 
 "No No she went into the deep water out in the
center, where you told us not to go," he screeched 
frantically.  "I tried to stop her.  Honestly I did. 
She said she could swim out to the old tree and when 
she went into that dark water she did not come up."
 
 "How long ago?" Harm demanded.  "And I told you guys
that with good reason--there's bad undertow 
and current out there.  We never go past the shallows
here."
 
 "Whoa wait a minute what do you think you're doing,"
Mac screamed as she realized Harm was 
stripping his clothes and shoes.  "If you think I'm
letting you go out there so you can drown too, you'd 
better lose that notion real damn fast."  Her hands
clamped tightly around his arm to emphasize her 
words, fear in her eyes.
 
 "I know the river and the current," he reminded her
quietly.  "Don't worry, I won't put myself at risk,
but 
if there's a chance to get her, then I need to take
it."
 
 "You better promise me," she whispered.  "And I'm
coming with you."
 
 "No, no way in hell," he roared.  "You don't know
what it's like out there.  Sergei keep her here. 
That's 
an order."
  
  He took off running before she could stop him and
Sergei grabbed onto Mac as 
  she tried to follow.
  
  "No let me go," she said as she struggled to get out
of his arms. "You can't 
  let him go alone."
  
  But Harm had already dove into the deep water and
she held her breath as she 
  waited for him to resurface. Moments later he did,
grabbing a quick breath 
  before diving below the surface again.
  
  "Please Lord" Sergei wailed. "Do not take Loren from
me."
  
  Mac at the moment was issuing her own silent prayers
as she waited for Harm 
  to resurface again. She mentally counted the seconds
and was struggling to 
  break free again to dive in after him when she
finally saw Harm resurface 
  with Loren under his arm.
  
  "Thank you lord" Sergei breathed as he started into
the water to help Harm, 
  Mac right behind him.
  
  "I don't think she's breathing" Harm gasped as he
hauled Loren's limp body 
  to the shore, Sergei dropping beside her.
  
  "NO" Sergei wailed. "No she can't be dead." His loud
sob echoed through the 
  woods and Mac quickly pushed him aside and
immediately began CPR.
  
  Moments later her effort was rewarded when Loren
finally began to cough and 
  Mac helped her to an upright position as Sergei
quickly moved over to assist 
  her.
  
  "Loren thank god" Sergei whispered as he wrapped his
arms around her.
  
  "Harm are you okay?" Mac demanded as she turned her
attention back to him.
  
  "Yeah I'm fine" he assured her between deep breaths.
"You saved her life."
  
  "We saved her life" she corrected as she helped him
to his feet and over to 
  the nearby rock. "Are you sure you're okay?"
  
  "Yeah I'm okay. Honest."
  
  "God I was so scared for you" she whispered. "I
swear I was about to break 
  Sergei's arm if he didn't let me go."
  
  "Well at least he had the sense to keep you back"
Harm sighed.
  
  "Harmon I want to take Loren back to the house"
Sergei announced as he 
  helped her to her feet.
  
  "Of course" Harm said as he pushed himself off the
rock and put back on his 
  clothes and shoes.
  
  "Loren are you okay?" Mac asked.
  
  "Yeah I think so," she said quietly. "I don't really
remember what 
  happened."
  
  "You went under and did not come back up" Sergei
whispered as he hugged her 
  close. "Harm brought you up and Mac brought you
back. I thought I'd lost 
  you."
  
  "They saved my life?"
  
  "Yes they did" Sergei nodded.
  
  "I guess I should say thank you then," she said as
she looked at Harm and 
  Mac.
  
  "Only if you want to" Harm sighed as he started down
the path back to the 
  house, Mac right behind him.
  
  "Loren they saved your life" Sergei whispered. "I
would have lost you if 
  they had not been here. You should thank them."
  
  "I will" she sighed. "I just don't like being
indebted to those two. Who 
  knows when they'll want to collect."
  
  "I do not think my brother is like that. And neither
is Mac."
  
  "Yeah we'll see" she sighed.
  
  "Come I will get you back to the house so you can
get out of those wet 
  clothes" Sergei said as he wrapped his arm around
her.
  
  ***************
  "I didn't expect you back so soon," Grams said as
Harm and Mac made their 
  way into the house. "And why are you all wet Harm?"
  
  "Because my favorite sister in law tried to drown
herself in the river" Harm 
  sighed.
  
  "Oh goodness" Grams gasped. "Is she okay?"
  
  "Thanks to us yes" Harm sighed. "I'm going to take a
shower and then I'll be 
  back down. Mac can tell you what happened."
 
 "I'll tell you what happened," Loren screeched,
coming in with Sergei in tow. "That river is a death
trap."
 
 "Loren I distinctly heard Harm tell both of you not
to go out into the middle," Mac said with as much 
calmness as she could muster, remembering that Harm
had risked his own life for this woman and 
shuddering at the thought that there might have been
real tragedy on this day.
 
 "You went out in to the current?" Grams gasped.  "I
mean I know you're not from here and I 
understand but if Harm told you not to?  Why Loren?"
 
 "Look I was a swim team member and I swim really
well.  I was just planning to swim out to this old
tree 
lying across the river and then suddenly it reaches up
and grabs me."
 
 "Like a giant hand," Grams nodded with wisdom.  "I've
lived here all my life and that river has always 
had that treacherous current in the middle.  You'll
know better next time."
 
 "Next time my ass," she exploded.  "Not likely.  May
I get changed please.  And hopefully he didn't hog 
the hot water."
 
 "Come Babushka I will give you some help," Sergei
smiled, taking her hand.
 
 "Babushka?  Please," Mac groaned.   "I'm going up to
make sure Harm is OK."
 
 "You in there Sailor?" she called as she knocked and
then entered, still hearing the shower water.
 
 "Yeah I am, praying that when I come out I've somehow
gotten a new life where I never heard of Loren 
Singer."
 
 "Is there room for me in this new life?" she asked
softly.
 
 "Oh yeah, you damn right there is," he grinned,
shoving the curtain back to reach for her.  "I've just

gotten you into my life.  I'm sure as hell not going
to wish you out, Mrs. Rabb."
 ================
 The remainder of the weekend passed uneventfully and
they returned to JAG on Monday, with Harm 
barely tolerating the idea of Loren Singer as his
sister in law.
 
 For the next two weeks the secret was safe.   Harm
and Mac maintained both apartments, sleeping 
alternately at one and then the other and carried on
normally at work.
 
 Now they were sitting in his office, going over a
brief when both Sergei and Singer appeared in the 
doorway.
 
 "Oh good you're not busy," she said softly, only half
facetiously.  "This is important."
 
 "And good morning to you Lieutenant," Harm said
firmly, letting his tone remind her that he would have

expected a 'commander' or a 'sir' to be included in
her statement.
 
 "We've sent proof of our marriage to INS you know
that right," Loren plunged ahead, "with Sergei's 
application for a green card."
 
 "Yeah?"  Harm looked at her warily, holding his
breath for what was coming.
 
 "We had our first meeting with the agent on his case
this morning," she went on, keeping her voice 
calm and even.  "We're going to have to provide
substantiation."
 
 "And this surprises you?" Mac spoke up.  "Loren
you're a lawyer.  You should have a pretty good idea 
how these things work--what to expect."
 
 "Yeah I expected. . . I mean yes ma'am, I expected it
to go to some overworked really harried 
underpaid civil servant who would look at the marriage
certificate, which by the way is real, and mail him 
his green card.  That's what I expected."
 
 "Adding naivete to your other good qualities," Harm
muttered.  "Loren, in this day and age these things 
are totally scrutinized.  Sergei is Russian, and most
recently spent a lot of time in Chechnya.  You know 
Al Qaeda and Chechen rebels have been linked."
 
 Sergei drew his breath in sharply at that.  "I cannot
go back."
 
 Harm chewed on his upper lip and leveled a stern gaze
at his brother.  "Sergei, if you have reason to 
fear for your life, then by all means, apply for
political asylum."
 
 "I have already looked at that option," he sighed
miserably.  "To do that would require me to give 
names and supply narrative of what I know."
 
 "And this would be wrong because?"
 
 "Because I may as well step in front of a speeding
Metro," he replied.  "Word would get out quickly that 
I had done this."
 
 "But this is not Russia," Mac objected.  "Those
people. . ."
 
 "Those people have very long arms and very deep
pockets," he interrupted in that same sad tone.  
"You will have to trust me.  Asylum is not the way to
go."
 
 "Which brings me back to what we need from you,"
Loren said pointedly.  "We have to establish the 
validity of our marriage.  It's going to require you
both to depose yourselves as to the nature of our 
relationship.  How we've been in love since the first
day we met and that you knew we were destined to 
marry.  That it had been weeks in the planning and
then we just decided to elope instead.  I'll get you 
each copies of the statements that Sergei and I are
writing so we'll all be on the same page."
 
 Harm and Mac looked at each other, momentarily
speechless.  "Loren I'm going to now pretend that I 
didn't hear you admit that you're about to perjure
yourself.  Or that you're enlisting us in this half
ass'd 
conspiracy," Harm finally hissed.  "Are you out of
your mind?  Lying in sworn testimony.  You may not 
have known about Chechnya and Al Qaeda that I can buy,
but you've had countless hours of instruction 
in what constitutes perjury.  And being disbarred is
only the start."  

  "What's the big deal?" she snapped back. "Sergei is
not a criminal. And he 
  deserves to be here in this country. You know that
as well as I do."
  
  "Yes I do Loren" Harm sighed. "But lying about your
marriage isn't the way 
  to make that happen. There were other options."
  
  "Well you didn't provide very many options" Loren
countered.
  
  "I did what I could. But you both should have known
that INS would 
  scrutinize this."
  
  "So you won't lie for us?" Sergei said quietly.
  
  "No I will not. And neither will Mac. I'm sorry. But
that's not going to 
  happen."
  
  "So you're going to let them deport him" Loren
shrieked. "What kind of 
  brother are you?"
  
  She stomped from the office and with one last glare
at Harm, Sergei did the 
  same.
  
  "I don't believe them" Harm sighed as he looked at
Mac. "Did they really 
  believe they could get away with this?"
  
  "Probably. Desperate people will do desperate
things," Mac said softly. "You 
  okay? I know this isn't easy for you. Contrary to
what Loren thinks, I know 
  this isn't easy for you either."
  
  "No it's not. I don't want to see him deported back
to a country where 
  people hate him. But at the same time I can't sit
there and lie to the INS 
  people either."
  
  "No you can't. And I'm sorry they've put you in this
position. It's not fair 
  to you. You've done all you could to keep him here."
  
  "Maybe I didn't do enough" he sighed.
  
  "Hey stop that. You had the DNA tests. You offered
to help him apply for 
  political asylum. And you told them not to do
anything stupid like this. 
  Which of course they ignored and did anyway."
  
  "Yeah they did. God this sucks."
  
  "We'll get through this," she said softly.
"Somehow."
  
  "I have no clue what I'd do if I didn't have you,"
he said with a small 
  smile. "I need to get out of here for awhile. Grab
some lunch with me?"
  
  "Sure. Just promise me you won't take all the blame
on this situation. It's 
  not your fault."
  
  "Then why do I feel so guilty?" he asked.
  
  "Because you're a good man Harmon Rabb" she smiled.
"And the last thing you 
  want is for Sergei to be deported. But at the same
time, you know that you 
  can't do what they're asking you to do."
  
  "What if I did?" he asked quietly.
  
  "Harm, don't even consider it. This is your career
you're talking about 
  here. Everything you've worked for in life."
  
  "What about his life Mac?" he countered with a long
sigh.
  
  "I know you want him to stay," she said quietly.
"But lying to INS and 
  risking your own career is not the way to make that
happen."
  
  "I know. I just want to do something to help him
Mac."
  
  "Well just keep thinking because that is not the
option."
  
  ******************
  Two Days Later
  JAG HQ's
  
  "I wish you'd stayed home" Harm fretted as he and
Mac stepped onto the 
  elevator. "You look horrible and you should be home
resting."
  
  "Gee thanks" she sighed. "And I'm fine."
  
  "Yeah that's why you were sick twice this morning"
he sighed. "I should have 
  made you take the day off and dragged your six to
the doctor."
  
  "Like I'd let that happen" she scoffed. "You have
court this morning 
  mister."
  
  "Yeah well I could have gotten a continuance."
  
  "You were going to tell Admiral Harris you needed
the day off to take your 
  sick wife to the doctor" she smiled.
  
  "Well maybe not. But one day I will be able to say
that. Once we get past 
  this thing with Sergei."
  
  "I'm sorry he won't talk to you" Mac said softly as
the elevator doors 
  opened and they stepped off.
  
  "I've tried. But there's nothing else I can do."
  
  "Sir" Tiner called as they walked across the
bullpen. "Sir there's an agent 
  from INS waiting in the lounge to talk to you."
  
  Harm let out a long sigh as he looked at his watch.
"I'll be right there 
  Tiner," he said quietly before continuing to his
office. "This is not what I 
  need before court."
  
  Mac shook her head as she watched him walk, knowing
that he was carrying a burden of stress and 
guilt, and wishing she could ease it somehow.
 
 "Ma'am?  Ma'am you wanted to work on the Jennings
court-martial first thing," Bud reminded her.  
"Can I get you some coffee before we start?"
 
 Her stomach did a double flip at the word.
 
 "I have a bottle of water that I think will do me
better," she smiled.  "Bring the file and lets get it
over 
with."
 ===============
 "Ma'am good morning.  Harmon Rabb.  What can I do for
you?" Harm put on his best Flyboy manners 
to approach the woman, who was standing with her back
to the door.  
 
 If Harm expected a stern older woman he was
pleasantly surprised for the woman who turned to face 
him was a petite blonde, a good foot shorter than he. 
"Commander Rabb," she smiled and held out her 
hand.  "Rebecca Morrisette, Special Agent INS.  I'd
like to talk to you about your brother."
 
 "Yes ma'am please sit," he smiled.  "I'll be glad to
help you with what I know."
 
 An hour later Rebecca stretched in the hard chair.
"OK Mr. Rabb that should do it.  I'm going to need 
to talk to the others whom Mr. and Mrs. Zhukov listed
as being aware of his situation and their 
marriage.  But this will be it for this morning.  I
have a hearing to get to."
 
 Harm nodded and walked her out, starting across the
bullpen only to hear Bud's voice from the 
direction of Mac's office.  "I need help in here. 
Colonel Mackenzie passed out or something," the young 
lieutenant shrieked, panic in his voice.
 
 "Ma'am excuse me," Harm gasped.  "That's my partner
he's yelling about.  I need to go to her."
 
 "Of course you do.  I can find my way out."
 
 Harm sprinted across the floor, pushing his way
through several people who had gathered at her office 
door.  "Move it aside people," he yelled and his panic
ratcheted up a notch when he saw her sitting in 
her chair, Bud bending over her, holding her wrist as
if taking her pulse.
 
 "Lieutenant what the hell happened to her?" Harm
demanded, taking a deep breath as he forced 
himself to remember to not react as a husband but as a
friend and partner instead.
 
 "Sir I don't know," Bud gasped in shock.  "We were
talking about the court-martial and she put her 
hand to her head and said she was feeling sick and
needed to be excused and she stood up and sank 
back down and her face got all funny.  For a second
there I was afraid she wasn't breathing and she 
couldn't seem to focus."
 
 Harm glared at him as if it was his fault as he knelt
by her chair, resting a hand on her forehead.  "Mac 
you OK?  Can you tell us what happened?"  
 
 She stirred slightly, the sound of his voice helping
her awareness level.  "I don't know," she whispered, 
her eyes wide with alarm.  "I was feeling sick, and
that's the last thing I remember. I think I tried to
get 
up to the bathroom and Bud was here and. . ."
 
 "People what the hell is going on in there," AJ
thundered.  "Is the Colonel doing a strip show or just

what?  And how many of you want to still be working
here this time tomorrow?"
 
 The people gathered magically dispersed, leaving Bud
and Harm with Mac.  
 
 "Now what's going on here?" AJ demanded in a more
mollified tone.  "Colonel are you ill?"
 
 "Yes sir. I'm sorry," she sighed.  "I certainly
didn't mean to make a scene.  But I guess I scared the

Lieutenant here."
 
 "Yes ma'am--big time," he admitted.  
 
 "Well the Commander is pretty scared right now too,"
Harm said quietly, giving Mac a short nod to 
acknowledge her look of warning.  "Sir, permission to
take the Colonel to the doctor?"
  
  "Don't you have to be in court Commander?" AJ asked.
  
  "Yes sir but I can ask for a continuance," Harm said
as he looked back and 
  forth from Mac to AJ. "I'd really like to take Mac
to the doctor."
  
  "Permission denied. There's no reason for you to ask
for a continuance when 
  Lt. Sims or Lt. Roberts can take the Colonel to the
doctor."
  
  "But sir" Harm started before catching Mac's warning
glare. As much as he 
  wanted to be with his wife, he wasn't going to be
able to be.
  
  "Harm I'm fine" she said with a weak smile. "And I
don't need the doctor."
  
  "Well you should at least go home and rest" Harm
countered.
  
  "I agree Commander. And one of the Lieutenants will
see that she does. Now don't 
  you have to be in court."
  
  "Yes sir. On my way now." He gave Mac one last
longing look before hurrying 
  off to the courtroom.
  
  ***************
  "Thanks for the ride Harriet" Mac said as she let
them into her apartment. 
  "I would have been fine on my own thought."
  
  "It was no problem ma'am. Are you feeling better
now? You look better."
  
  "I'm fine now. If the Admiral hadn't ordered me
home, I would have stayed."
  
  "Well if there's anything you need, let me know. If
you get sick or dizzy 
  again, I want you to call me."
  
  "Harriet I'm fine" Mac assured her. "I'm just going
to lay here and stare at 
  the Reynolds case the rest of the day."
  
  "All right. Take it easy and I'll check with you
later."
  
  "Thanks Harriet" Mac smiled. She waited until
Harriet was gone before 
  reaching for the phone. It was time to find out for
sure if Harm was right 
  about the additions to the Rabb family.
  
  *********************
  To Harm the morning in court seemed to drag on
forever and when the judge 
  called for the recess he practically ran from the
courtroom. He headed 
  directly to his office, closing the door and
immediately reaching for the 
  phone.
  
  "Hi it's me," he said softly when Mac picked up.
"How are you?"
  
  "I'm all right honest" she assured him quickly. "I
hope you're not worrying 
  about me when you should be worrying about your
client."
  
  "I'm not married to my client and I'm not in love
with her" Harm sighed as 
  he sank into his chair. "So of course I'm worrying
about you and not her. 
  You scared me to death Marine. And I hated not being
able to stay with you."
  
  "You almost gave us away you know."
  
  "I know and at that moment I wouldn't have cared. I
was scared and worried 
  about you and I didn't want to leave you."
  
  "Harm I'm fine. Honest."
  
  "Mac you passed out cold. That is not fine. And you
should have gone to the 
  doctor."
  
  "Chill sailor. There's a perfectly good explanation
for what happened. And I 
  made an appointment with the doctor for tomorrow."
  
  "Which doctor? And what time? I want to take you."
  
  "My OBGYN and I got the last appointment of the day
so you can be with me."
  
  "Did you say what I thought you said?" Harm
whispered.
  
  "Don't sound so surprised sailor" Mac laughed.
"You're the one who predicted 
  this remember?"
  
  "I know I just didn't think it would really happen."
  
  "Are you okay with it if I am?" she asked quietly.
  
  "Of course. I just can't believe you might actually
be pregnant with my 
  baby."
  
  "Babies" she corrected.
  
  "Babies" he smiled. "Our babies."
  
  "I just hope I can keep this from everyone for a
little while longer" Mac 
  sighed.
  
  "Not much if you're having twins" he smiled. "But
we'll cross that bridge 
  when we come to it. Right now I just want to make
sure you're okay. Are you 
  really okay now?"
  
  "I'm fine for the moment. And before I forget, what
did INS want?"
  
  "To talk about Sergei and Singer's marriage of
course. I'm sure I haven't heard the 
  last from them either."
  
  "I'm sorry. I know you hate being put in that
position."
  
  "Yes I do. And I won't lie for them. If INS holds a
hearing, I will not lie 
  like they think I should."
 
 "Your brother versus the truth and your honor," she
sighed.  "Not an easy decision."
 
 "Well I'm not going to say that it's a farce, but I
can't say that they've been in love from the start,
had a 
courtship and all that BS.  And I don't want to talk
about them anyway.  I want to talk about you and 
how you are and if you're pregnant."
 
 "Or you could go back to court before they come
looking for you," she laughed.  "I am honestly fine.  
Soon as I got home and relaxed it eased up a lot. 
Poor Bud.  I scared him to death."
 
 "Poor Bud?  What about poor Harm," he screeched. 
"Poor Bud my six.  Poor Harm your husband you 
mean."
 
 "Watch it Flyboy those walls have ears.  And you know
if this is true, it's not going to be a secret much 
longer."
 
 "Then we'll announce it proudly and take our
chances," he laughed lightly.  "All right you promise
me 
once more you're OK and then I'll go back to court. 
You're taking it easy too right."
 
 "On both counts yes.  Make me proud."
 
 Harm fretted for the remainder of the day, and was
not happy until he was wrapping her in his embrace 
that evening.  "I about lost it today when the Admiral
refused permission for me to take you to the 
doctor," he whispered into her ear.  "This is not
working."
 
 "It will.  Just give it some patience," she soothed. 
"How was court?"
 
 His scowl answered her question and she pushed him
down to the floor by the sofa, rubbing his back 
and neck muscles.  "You always know what I need," he
sighed.  "Of course I do have additional needs if 
you're feeling up to it."
 
 "You bet I do," she laughed.  "In fact what's wrong
with now?  Nothing like creating a scene and 
scaring my husband to put me in the mood."
 ============
 FOLLOWING MORNING
 
 "I wish I felt better about you going in," he
groaned.  "My nerves can't take a repeat of
yesterday."
 
 "Well Bud's can't either," she replied.  "Honestly, I
feel better than I did yesterday at this time and I 
can't be missing any more duty.  The Admiral will know
something is up.  And we have the doctor 
appointment.  I'll be fine.  Promise."
 
 "OK but I've got my eye on you.  Hey anyway, speaking
of the doctor, why didn't you just take the test 
from the drugstore like Harriet did?"
 
 "Flyboy I don't need the test.  I trust your
prediction.  I just need to know that me and the
babies are 
fine.  Or baby, if you were only half right."
  
  "Am I ever half right?" he grinned.
  
  "Of course not" she smiled as well.
  
  ****************
  "I never thought this day would be over" Harm said
as they sped to the 
  doctor's office that evening.
  
  "Getting anxious already Dad?"
  
  "Dad. I'm going to be a Dad aren't I?" he smiled.
  
  "If the doctor agrees with your prediction. Course
there's a small nine 
  month wait in there until Junior and his sister come
out."
  
  "God I'll never survive nine months" Harm groaned.
"I'll be a basket case by 
  then."
  
  "You'll be fine" she smiled as she patted his arm.
"You're going to make a 
  great dad."
  
  A half-hour later they had the confirmation from the
doctor.
  
  "Congratulations Mac" Dr. Sheila Allen smiled as she
delivered the results. 
  "You are definitely pregnant."
  
  "Of course I am" Mac smiled as she looked at Harm.
"Why else would I be 
  throwing up every morning."
  
  "You can give her something for that right?" Harm
asked. "So she isn't sick 
  all the time."
  
  "Harm it's okay" Mac laughed. "It's part of being
pregnant."
  
  "Yes it is" Doctor Allen nodded. "But I'm going to
give you a prescription 
  in case it gets worse. You don't want to put you or
your baby at risk."
  
  "Babies" Harm corrected.
  
  "Excuse me?" Doctor Allen smiled. "Do you know
something I don't know Mr. 
  Rabb?"
  
  "Sorry ma'am. But I'm pretty sure that Mac is going
to have twins."
  
  "And you know this how?"
  
  "I just do" Harm smiled.
  
  An hour later he took her home, leading her at once
to the sofa.
  
  "You relax. From now on I'm taking care of
everything," he said as he gently 
  pushed her down.
  
  "Harm you can't do everything for the next nine
months" Mac laughed. "I'm 
  pregnant but that doesn't mean I can't do anything."
  
  "I know. But I want you to take it easy and relax
during your pregnancy. 
  You've got our babies growing inside you and I don't
want anything to happen 
  to them or you."
  
  "Nothing is going to happen. We're all going to be
fine."
  
  "Well just let me fuss over you for a while would
you" he sighed. "It's one 
  of the privileges of being a father."
  
  "Okay you fuss, I'll relax" she smiled. "And thank
you for taking such good 
  care of me."
  
  "I love you very much Mrs. Rabb" he whispered as he
knelt down in front of 
  her. "And I promise I'm going to take good care of
you and our babies for 
  the rest of my life."
  
  "I know you will," she said softly as she drew him
against her. "You're a 
  good man Mr. Rabb. And I'm so lucky to be your
wife."
  
  ****************
  Mac's Apartment
  1 Week Later
  
  "Mac I'm getting that prescription filled tonight"
Harm fretted as he gently 
  placed a cool washcloth on her forehead as she sat
on the floor of the 
  bathroom. "You've been sick every morning for a week
now. And god knows how 
  many other times you haven't told me about."
  
  "You won't get any arguments from me" she said
weakly as she leaned against 
  his shoulder.
  
  "Honey I want you to stay home today. At least until
this passes."
  
  "Harm the Admiral is going to start wondering what's
going on" Mac sighed. 
  "I'm sure he's noticed that I've been late."
  
  "I'd rather tell him that have you try and push
yourself" Harm countered. 
  "You need to stay home and rest."
 
  "No, I'll be okay" she said after a few moments.
"It's starting to pass. 
  Once I get to JAG I'll be fine."
  
  "All right. But I'm not letting you out of my sight
today. And fortunately 
  we have the Colon case as a cover."
  
  "Nice of the Admiral to assign us something together
wasn't it" she said 
  with a weak smile.
  
  They finally arrived at JAG HQ's, Harm letting out a
long sigh when he saw
  Rebecca Morrisette from INS waiting for him.
  
  "Mr. Rabb" she smiled when she saw him. "I'm sorry
to bother you but I 
  wanted to deliver this in person. You've been
requested to appear at the 
  hearing INS is holding regarding the validity of
Sergei Zhukov's marriage to 
  Loren Singer."
  
  "This is going to a hearing?" Harm sighed.
  
  "Mr. Rabb I think you know as well as I do why this
is going to a hearing" 
  Rebecca replied. "I'll see you then Commander."
  
  "Great" Harm muttered as he walked to his office.
"Just great."
  
  "Your worst nightmare" Mac said softly as she
followed him. "You're going 
  to have to destroy your brother and Singer."
  
  "I don't care about Singer. I do care about Sergei.
This should not have 
  happened Mac. I should have done more for him. He
shouldn't have had to go 
  to that extreme to stay here."
  
  "I know. But you did what you could. He and Singer
made the choice to get 
  married."
  
  "Yeah they did" he sighed. "And I'm sorry I
shouldn't be dumping this on 
  you. You've got enough to worry about without me
dumping on you."
  
  "I want you to dump on me" she said quietly. "That's
what we do for each 
  other remember? I can handle it."
  
  "But you shouldn't have to. This is my problem."
  
  "Our problem" she corrected softly. "We're married.
This is no mine or 
  yours. It's all ours now."
  
  "I do not deserve you" he whispered.
  
  "No you don't," she smiled.  "You deserve a helluva
lot more but it was me you fell in love with and me 
you're stuck with because me is letting you go no
where."
 
 "Thank God for small favors," he whispered, daring to
give her hand a quick squeeze, dropping it right 
away when he caught sight of Singer storming in their
direction.
 
 "I hope you two are happy," she shrieked, immediately
getting the attention of everyone.  "A few simple 
words to INS and everything would have been fine.  But
no.  You had to do the right thing. Well did it 
ever occur to you that maybe the right thing was
keeping a guy who fears for his life safe in this 
country."
 
 "Sergei knew he had other options," Harm said softly,
holding his hand up in an attempt to get her to 
quiet and calm.  "Lieutenant if you want to discuss
this, let's go into my office please."
 
 "There is nothing to discuss--except for this. 
Colonel I'm hiring an attorney who specializes in
these 
things.  A pit bull in fact.  Expect to be subpoenaed.
 Allan Woods is going to rip you apart and when 
he's done with you he'll take on Commander Rabb. 
Excuse me."  Without waiting for dismissal she 
turned on her heel and strode across the floor.
 
 Harm and Mac simply looked at each other for a long
moment before Harm's hands doubled into fists 
at his sides.  "No.  No way," he got out through
gritted teeth.
 
 "No way what Flyboy?"
 
 "No way am I going to allow you to be attacked by
this guy.  I know who he is--by reputation--and she's 
right.  He's ruthless."
 
 "Let's take this into your office," she whispered,
"before it gets too personal."  She gave his hand a 
quick tug and he dutifully followed her in there.
 
 "Harm listen. . ." she began as soon as he closed the
door, only to have him wave her off.  
 
 "No.  Don't Harm listen me," he growled.  "I'm not
going to allow this to happen.  No way."  

"As I was saying," she went on with as much patience
as she could muster.  "This guy may be a pit bull, 
but he's just a man, subject to the decorum of the
hearing room.  He's not going to hurt me."
 
 "Maybe not Sarah Mackenzie Woman Marine," he groused,
"but Sarah Rabb my pregnant wife, that's 
another matter, and my main concern.  Mac you don't
need this kind of stress.  You need to be taking 
care of yourself, and you need to let me take care of
you too."
 
 "And I love you for wanting to, but you'll have to
trust me too to know what I can handle.  And this
Allan 
Woods guy I can take.  I'm not going to refuse a
subpoena and I'm not going to refuse to testify.  You 
know I have no grounds.  I'll simply tell the truth
and it will be all done with.  And on that note I've
got 
client meeting in fifteen and it might be nice if I
was a little prepared.  See you later?  We've got the
rest 
of the day to work on Colon."
 
 "I hate this," he whispered.  "I hate that you're not
well and I hate this whole damn Sergei mess."
 
 "I'm not really happy with it either," she reminded
him, running her hand down his arm.  "But it's going 
to be OK.  Getting the prescription filled will help
since it doesn't seem inclined to stop of its own and 
having this whole INS thing over will help too.  I
want you to try to relax some too will you.  I worry
about 
you too you know.  I  happen to be in love with you,
which since we married for that reason does work 
out real well." 

  "I love you too" he whispered. "Please take care of
yourself."
  
  "I will. I'll see you later."
  
  *************************
  1 Week Later
  INS Offices
  
  "You okay?" Harm asked Mac for the hundredth time
since they'd left her 
  place.
  
  "Better than I was when we were in the car" she
sighed. "Sorry but next time 
  I'm driving. I can handle it when I drive but not
sitting in the passenger 
  seat."
  
  "I'm sorry. You should have reminded me. Hopefully
this won't last long and 
  I can take you home and you can relax for the rest
of the day."
  
  "It's okay. And it's you I'm worried about" she said
softly. "How you doing? 
  I know this isn't going to be easy for you today."
  
  "I just want it over" he sighed. "So that we both
can relax and go back to 
  our lives the way they were before all this."
  
  As he spoke Loren and Sergei stepped off the
elevator, both giving them long 
  glares but saying nothing as they walked past to
where their lawyer was 
  waiting.
  
  "I'm sorry" Mac said softly. "You don't deserve
this. You did what you could 
  for him. If it weren't for the fact that you and
Clay are friends, he'd 
  still be in a POW camp in Chechnya."
  
  "I guess he doesn't see it that way. Course I think
a certain person has 
  clouded his judgment a little. I warned him about
her Mac. And he didn't 
  listen."
  
  "Hey it was his choice. You didn't force him to do
anything. Just remember 
  that."
  
  Harm nodded and minutes later they were called into
the hearing room.
  
  Mac was the first to testify, answering the
questions Rebecca asked of her 
  concerning her knowledge of Sergei and Loren's
relationship.
  
  "So prior to their marriage, Mr. & Mrs. Zhukov had
only gone on one date" 
  Rebecca repeated.
  
  "As far as I know, yes ma'am" Mac replied. "He asked
her out and a week 
  later they were married."
  
  "Did you see them ever together prior to this first
date?" Rebecca asked.
  
  "No ma'am" Mac replied.
  
  Rebecca finished her questions and Harm held his
breath as Allan Woods 
  stepped forward. Mac gave him a weak smile and he
could tell from the 
  paleness of her face that the warm hearing room was
starting to get to her.
  
  "How long has Sergei Zhukov been in this country?"
  
  "Since Christmas Eve" Mac answered.
  
  "In those six months, how often did you see Sergei
or talk to him about his 
  affairs?"
  
  "Just a few"
  
  "And Loren Singer. She's a co-worker of yours. How
often did you talk to her 
  about her affairs during this time?"
  
  "Probably never" Mac admitted with a long sigh. "The
Lieutenant is not very close 
  to anyone." She took a deep breath as she felt the
nausea rising up again, 
  the heat of the room making her more ill by the
second.
  
  "So just because you never saw Sergei and Loren
together before their 
  "supposed" first date, they never were" Allan Woods
demanded loudly. "Isn't 
  it possible, Ms. Mackenzie, that they were together
and you simply didn't 
  know it."
  
  "Excuse me" Mac managed as her hand flew to her
mouth and she stumbled from 
  the chair and out the doors of the hearing room.
Harm hurried after her, 
  finding her hunched over in the hallway, having been
unable to make it to 
  the ladies room.
  
  "I'm sorry" she wailed as she leaned weakly against
him.
  
  "Shh it's okay" he whispered softly. "You're not
feeling well and you 
  shouldn't even be here. And it was way too warm in
there for you."
  
  He gently led her to a nearby chair as Rebecca came
out of the hearing room.
  
  "Mr. Blake asked me to step out and see if you were
going to be able to continue," she said quietly, 
leaning over Mac.  "I'm sorry.  I know this is really
hard.  Are you ill?"
 
 "I'm pregnant," she admitted with a wry smile.  "I
was sort of car sick on the way over and that room is 
so warm."
 
 "And that jerk  Woods is screaming at her," Harm put
in. 
 
 "Mr. Blake has told him to tone it down," Rebecca
told them.  "We've dealt with him before.  He's trying

to get you to walk into something, but hey you both
are attorneys, you know how the game is played."
 
 "Frankly I want them to rule in favor of Sergei, you
know that," Harm sighed.  "But I will not perjure 
myself--especially when the boy had other options."
 
 "I know," Rebecca nodded.  "OK I want you to take Ms.
Mackenzie down to the lounge in the basement.  
Some cold gingerale and maybe a cold cloth for her
head.  I'm going to ask for thirty minutes, and then 
maybe she'll feel better.
 
 "I'm OK.  Just give me a minute," Mac protested.
 
 "You are anything but OK," Harm told her adamantly. 
"Thank you Ms. Morrisette.  We'll try that, but if 
she's not one hundred percent I'm not allowing her to
go back in there.  Meantime maybe you can ask 
if the building engineer will turn up the air?"
 
 "Harm I'd sooner continue."
 
 "I'm sure you would.  But it isn't going to happen. 
Don't argue.  You've already lost."
 
 She gave him a resigned nod and when he helped her to
her feet she leaned weakly against him for 
support.  "In fact if you're not a whole lot better
real quick you'll be leaving here in an ambulance."
 
 "This is maddening," she whispered as they walked
along slowly. "I'm a Marine for godsake.  Worse, 
what's going to happen if we get assigned a case.  How
am I going to function.  Not to mention the 
admiral doesn't even know I'm pregnant.  Hell he
doesn't know we're married."
 
 "Hey back the caisson up there Colonel," he smiled. 
"It's going to be OK.  This is going to pass.  The 
book said so."
 
 "Whoa wait a minute," she yelped.  "You've been
reading the book?"
 
 "Of course," he grinned.  "I want to know what to
expect when you're expecting too."  He guided her 
down the steps, easily locating the lounge and before
she could object had her on the sofa.
 
 "You take good care of me."
 
 "You've taken care of me plenty of times," he
reminded her.  "Many a time I would have fallen on my 
face had you not been there.  Times like Russia.  In
five lifetimes I would never manage to repay you for 
that.  And we weren't involved then."
 
 "We weren't?" she asked slyly.  "Commander I don't
know about you but I was very much involved with 
you back then."
 
 A slow smile spread across his face.  "And I with
you; and terrified that I was going to be the cause of

your death."
 
 "Ancient history now," she sighed.  "Now the only
thing that's going to cause my death is this puking."
       
  "Don't even say that" he gasped. "I came too close
to losing you in the 
  middle of a desert a month ago."
  
  "Easy sailor" she soothed. "I'm just joking."
  
  "Well that is nothing to joke about. I have no clue
what I would do without 
  you in my life. I love you Mrs. Rabb. And I need you
more than you'll ever 
  know."
  
  "The feeling is very mutual Mr. Rabb" she sighed as
she lay her head against 
  his shoulder.
  
  "Feeling better Colonel?" Loren asked a few minutes
later as she made her 
  way down. "If I'm correct that's not the first time
you've gotten sick in 
  the morning is it?"
  
  "It's a stomach bug," Mac said as she looked up at
Loren. "Not that it's any 
  of your business."
  
  "So it's not morning sickness and you're not
pregnant?" Loren taunted.
  
  "No it's not" Mac lied. "So whatever thoughts you
have in your mind just get 
  them out."
  
  "You mean thoughts like the fact that you and Harm
here are involved" Loren 
  smiled. "And that he got you knocked up."
  
  "Get out of here" Harm said tersely. "Now."
  
  "Guess I hit a nerve. Must be true."
  
  She turned and walked away and Harm glared at her
until she was out of 
  sight.
  
  "Harm let it go" Mac sighed. "She's just baiting
you. Don't let her do 
  that."
  
  "Mac you know she could go running to the Admiral
with this" Harm sighed. 
  "And not that I care that he finds out but I'm much
rather it be from us and 
  not her."
  
  "Maybe we should tell him then," Mac said quietly.
  
  "Let's get through this first" Harm sighed. "Then
we'll think about it."
  
  He made sure she rested for the entire thirty
minutes and it was only when 
  Rebecca came to find them that he finally allowed
her up.
  
  "You sure you're okay?" he fretted as he held onto
her arm tightly.
  
  "I'm fine. Honest."
  
  "It's a little cooler in there now too" Rebecca
informed them as they made 
  their way back up.
  
  The hearing was called to order again and Mac once
again sat ready to 
  testify.
  
  To Harm's relief Allan Woods had decided that going
after Mac wasn't going 
  to work to his advantage and after a few questions
she was excused.
  Rebecca called for Harm and for the next hour he
truthfully answered her 
  questions regarding Sergei and Loren's relationship.
  
  "Mr. Rabb, did Sergei and Loren Zhukov approach you
and ask you to lie for 
  them regarding their marriage?"
  
  "Yes ma'am" Harm said as he looked at Sergei. "She
had prepared a cover 
  story for their relationship that she wanted us to
use."
  
  "And that cover story was necessary because they
were never in love were 
  they?"
  
  "No ma'am."
  
  "And the only reason Sergei married Loren was so he
could stay in this 
  country correct?"
  
  "Yes ma'am."
  
  Sergei glared at Harm as he finished his testimony
and Harm took a deep 
  breath as Allan Woods approached to question him.
  
  "Isn't it true Mr. Rabb that you have always had a
personal vendetta against 
  Loren Zhukov?"
  
  "No sir. As her superior officer I've had to
discipline her on several 
  occasions but I do not have a personal vendetta
against her."
  
  "No but you didn't want your brother Sergei to date
her now did you?"
  
  "I thought he could do better" Harm sighed.
  
  "I'm sure. But the fact is your brother met Loren
and fell in love with 
  her."
 
  "No sir. My brother was not in love with her. He was
in love with the idea 
  of being in this country but he was not in love with
Loren Singer."
  
  The hearing was recessed and Harm led Mac from the
room and over to the 
  nearby chair.
  
  "You okay?" he asked.
  
  "I'm fine. Are you okay? I saw the looks Sergei was
giving you."
  
  "I can handle it" he sighed. "I just want it to be
over. I'm sorry I have to 
  do this but there is no way I could get up there and
lie for him. What they 
  did was wrong and they both knew it would blow up in
their faces. I wish 
  he'd given me more time to come up with other
options."
  
  "I'm sorry. I know this isn't easy for you."
  
  "No it's not," he admitted. "I wanted Sergei here
and when he got there I 
  couldn't help him stay."
  
  It didn't take long for Mr. Blake to make his
decision and neither was 
  surprised when he ordered Sergei to be returned to
Russia.
 
 Harm, despite his expectation of the ruling, trembled
when it was announced and she squeezed his 
hand hard.  "I'm sorry," she whispered.  "I wish there
was something we could have done."
 
 "I can't shake the feeling that there was and that I
simply didn't do it," he sighed, looking over at 
Sergei, now being comforted by his wife.
 
 "Mr. Zhukov will have forty-eight hours in which to
clear up any affairs here in the United States then he

will remand himself to the custody of the INS agent in
charge of his case for transportation to his home 
land.  That's all.  We're finished." Blake announced
and the hearing room began to clear.  
 
 Loren and Sergei remained in place, as did Harm and
Mac, until they were the only four in the room.
 
 With a long breath for courage and Mac's hand firmly
in his, Harm rose and walked to where they sat.  
"Sergei I'm so sorry," he said tentatively.  "If you'd
like to file an appeal, I'll help you."
 
 "The only way you can help us is to stay away from
us," Loren hissed.  "Help?  There was plenty of 
opportunity for that and you turned your back on him. 
On your brother."
 
 Her words rocked him and Mac squeezed his hand hard. 
"Loren please," she tried.  "Harm wanted 
Sergei to stay.  He wanted to help, but not the way
you thought he should.  I wish you had trusted him 
enough to let him do it his way.  But once you did
this marriage thing it was out of his hands more or 
less."
 
 Sergei had been sitting quietly, resting his head in
his hands.  Finally he rose and put his arm around 
Loren's shoulders.  "It is over.  We gave it our best.
 I will resign myself to my fate."
 
 "You can still apply for asylum," Harm reminded him
quickly, "though of course that looks weak since 
you tried this first.  In fact anything you do after
this is going to be suspect I'm afraid.  I wish you
had 
consulted me."
 
 "This is no where," Loren screeched before Sergei
could answer.  "Come on.  We've got plans to make."  
She grabbed Sergei by the wrist and hauled him to his
feet, heading for the door.
 
 "Sergei let me meet you tonight.  I want to talk to
you," Harm called after him anxiously.
 
 Sergei was able to manage only a helpless gesture
before being dragged out by his wife.
 
 "God this is so awful," Harm moaned, sinking into the
nearest chair.  "I don't know maybe I should 
have. . ."
 
 "You don't really mean that I hope," Mac said softly,
squiggling her fingers through his hair.  "Harm a 
man who gives up his integrity doesn't have much love.
 In fact I'm proud of you for setting the tone for 
both of us."
 
 "Yeah well I may just have cost my brother his life,"
he muttered darkly.  "Come on.  You need to get 
home."
   
 He reached for her hand and they headed outside. He
saw Sergei and Loren at 
 their car hugging and a wave of guilt washed over
him.
 
 "Sergei" Harm said as he headed over to him. "Sergei
please we need to 
 talk."
 
 "Haven't you done enough talking?" Loren snapped as
she lifted her head. "Go 
 away."
 
 "Sergei talk to me" Harm begged. "I'm sorry."
 
 "Sorry" Sergei exploded. "You should be sorry. Why
could you not just tell 
 them that we had been in love? What would it have
hurt?"
 
 If he'd been slapped, he wouldn't have been more
surprised by Sergei's 
 outlash. "I'm sorry" Harm said quietly. "I wanted to
help you. You have to 
 believe that."
 
 "You could have helped me," Sergei shouted. "But you
and your honor come 
 first. Not me your brother."
 
 "Sergei that's not fair. You know I wanted to help
you. But you didn’t give 
 me much choice."
 
 "You had a choice. I am the one who does not have a
choice. They will kill 
 me when I go home. I hope that makes you happy."
 
 "Sergei you know that's not true" Mac gasped, paling
at Sergei's words. Harm 
 said nothing, the reality of his words hitting him
hard.
 
 "It is true," Sergei said quietly. "Because of him my
life is over. Come on 
 Loren. We must enjoy what little time we have."
 
 "Do you feel good about yourself?" Loren snapped at
Harm. "Is this what you 
 wanted?"
 
 "Stop it Loren. You know he didn't" Mac said quietly.
 
 "Yeah right" she snickered before climbing into the
passenger side of the 
 car.
 
 "Sergei please" Harm whispered. "I'm sorry."
 
 Sergei just glared as he climbed into the car and
Harm let out a long sigh 
 as he and Mac walked to their car.
 
 "You okay?" she asked as they stood outside the car.
 
 Before he could reply, Sergei's car tore past them in
the parking lot, tires 
 screeching as he headed for the parking lot exit.
Harm watched the car, 
 feeling the guilt rise up even more. His gaze
returned to Mac, only to shift 
 back when he heard a horn blare and more squealing of
tires. Mac looked as 
 well, her scream following a second later as a large
delivery truck slammed 
 into the side of Sergei's car as he attempted to pull
out into traffic obviously without looking.
 
 "No" Harm screamed as he started towards the accident
scene. He was almost 
 to them when the car suddenly exploded, bursting into
a ball of flames.
 
 "Sergei" he screamed as he tried to get to the car.
In the distance he could 
 hear Mac screaming for him to stop, but he had to try
and save Sergei. As he 
 neared it, a second explosion ripped through the car,
the force sending him 
 and the others nearby to the pavement.
 
 "Harm" Mac screamed when the car exploded again. She
ran towards where he 
 had landed, for the moment not caring about anything
but him.
 
 "Ma'am stay back" a young man ordered as he grabbed
her arm.
 
 "No I have to get to my husband" she screamed.
"Please I need to make sure 
 he's okay."
 
 "He's okay ma'am," the man said as he watched Harm
and the others get up. 
 "But it's best you stay here. No telling what else
might explode out there. 
 And there's nothing they can do for the two that were
in the car."
 
 At his words, the realization that she'd just
witnessed Sergei and Singer's 
 death's hit her and she turned away as her stomach
revolted again.
 
 "Ma'am are you okay?" the young man asked as he heard
her vomiting.
 
 "No" she whispered as she weakly sank to the ground,
the world spinning 
 around her.

Harm got to his feet, hearing screaming and realizing
it was coming from him.  The noise and the smell 
were both horrendous and he covered his face with his
hands, forcing himself to turn away and take 
several breaths of clearer air.  The wail of sirens
added to the general pandemonium and he stepped 
back further, instinctively making room for the
impending arrival of the firefighters.

It was not until he heard the young man who was
assisting Mac shout that he needed paramedics there 
that full awareness returned.  Sergei and his wife
were gone, but his own wife needed him now.  Without 
further hesitation he flung himself toward where she
was crouched on the sidewalk, the young man 
attempting to help her and not knowing what to do.

Her name tore from his lips in a hoarse cry and he
gathered her to him, mindless of the evidence of her 
sickness.  "Mac I'm here," he whispered.  "I'm sorry. 
Rest easy, there's help coming."

She shuddered hard against him, her eyes closed
tightly against the dizziness.  "Sergei?  He's dead?"

"I couldn't help either of them," he confirmed.  "God
Mac it's awful over there but there's nothing I can 
do for them.  I wanted to.  I tried to get to them.  I
wanted to pull them out."

"I know honey," she whispered, her voice barely
audible and when she opened her mouth to speak 
again, she struggled for the words.  "I love you," she
managed before collapsing weekly against him.  
He screamed once more, this time sending a cry of
'Sarah' to the heavens in prayer for her, and for 
their baby.

The next hour was a blur of sirens and of ambulance
rides and of Harm telling a doctor no way in hell 
was he letting Mac go.  Dr. Powell took one look at
the frantic man before him and gave in, issuing 
orders as he listened to the information his nurses
were feeding him.

"Doctor she's pregnant," Harm gasped, trying to stay
out of the way and keeping hold of her hand at 
the same time.  "And she's been sick all morning. 
What's wrong with her?"

Before the doctor could answer Mac opened her eyes and
to the shock of everyone in the room, let out 
a long and continuous scream.  No one moved or spoke
until she stopped except for Harm's gentle 
stroking of her forehead back into her damp hair.

"Sarah honey it's OK," Harm told her, keeping his
voice as calm and quiet as he could.  "You're here 
with me, and they're going to take good care of you."

"Yes we are," Dr. Powell assured her.  "Her pregnancy
is confirmed?"

"It is."

"OK, then we want to be careful what we give her.  And
ma'am I want you to calm down as best you can.  
It's important for your baby."

"OK I'll try," she whispered and tears replaced the
screaming in her emotions.  "Is the baby OK?  I need. 
. ." Her face went blank and she looked around
frantically.  

"Turn her on her side and get a basin," Dr. Powell
barked.  "Then I want an IV started. . ."

He rattled off more instructions for drugs Harm did
not recognize as he simply bent over her, keeping 
eye contact and telling her she was going to be fine
even as an already empty stomach attempted to 
once again purge itself.

"Doctor this can't go on," he gasped when she was
finished and he had helped her to lie back down.

"We're going to get her quieted down right now."

"But she had passed out.  Something has to be wrong."

"She's dehydrated and her electrolytes are out of
whack, that I'm certain.  Probably anemic on top of 
that if she's had a lot of this.  So we're going to
run some tests and you're going to relax before we 
have to be running tests on you to see why you had
cardiac arrest."
 
  "All I care about is her" Harm whispered. "Please
just tell me she's going 
  to be okay."
  
  "I'm sure that will be the case. But in the meantime
why don't you have a 
  chair in the waiting room and as soon as we finish
running the tests, you 
  can be with your wife again."
  
  "Honey it's going to be okay" Harm soothed as he
gently stroked her forehead 
  before dropping a quick kiss. "You're going to be
fine and so is the baby. 
  You just rest and let the doctor take care of you."
  
  "Harm I'm worried about you" she said weakly as she
reached for his hand. 
  "Are you okay?"
  
  "Please honey just worry about you and the baby" he
begged. "I'll be fine. 
  But I won't be if anything happens to either of
you."
  
  "I'll try" she promised as she brought his hand to
her lips and gently 
  kissed it. "I love you. And I'm so sorry."
  
  "Shh don't even think about that. You just worry
about you. I'll handle the 
  rest. I love you and everything is going to be
okay."
  
  The nurse finally pulled him away and with a sigh he
headed to the waiting 
  room. There he found two police officers who'd been
at the accident scene 
  waiting for him.
  
  "Mr. Rabb, I'm Martin Rayle and this is my partner
Sam Watson. Do you have a 
  minute to talk to us about what happened?"
  
  "Yeah sure" Harm sighed.
  
  "How's your wife?" Sam asked.
  
  "They're running tests" Harm said as he sat down.
"But she's had the 
  pregnancy from hell and she's only been pregnant for
two weeks. And now 
  this."
  
  "Can you tell us what happened?" Martin asked.
"Besides the obvious that 
  your half brother pulled his car into the path of an
oncoming truck."
  
  "We'd just come from the INS hearing" Harm said
quietly. "He had married 
  Loren so he could stay in the US. Of course INS
investigated and held a 
  hearing on the matter. And decided that it wasn't a
valid marriage."
  
  "Based on what?"
  
  "Based on my testimony against him" Harm sighed. "I
knew Sergei wasn't in 
  love with Loren when he married her. And I wasn't
going to lie under oath to 
  protect him. There were other options he'd had for
staying in this country 
  besides that."
  
  "So you testified that his marriage was a sham."
  
  "Yes sir. And because of that, he was going to be
deported back to Russia."
  
  "Did you talk to Sergei and Loren after the
hearing?" Sam asked.
  
  "We had words in the INS parking lot" Harm admitted.
"He was furious with me 
  for not helping him. And then he took off out of the
parking lot and a 
  second later I heard the crash. I ran over but there
was nothing I could 
  do."
  
  "No not in that case" Martin sighed. "He pulled
right out in front of the 
  truck. According to the driver of the truck he never
looked their way."
  
  "He was upset and wasn't thinking straight."
  
  "Bad combination to be when you're driving" Sam said
quietly. "And it cost 
  him and his wife their lives."
  
  Harm nodded but said nothing. He hadn't allowed
himself to think about what 
  had happened, keeping his mind focused on Mac
instead. But the reality was 
  that two lives had been lost. And he couldn't help
but think that he was 
  responsible. If only he'd done more for Sergei. Why
couldn't he have just 
  lied and told INS that Sergei and Loren had been in
love from the beginning.
  
  "Mr. Rabb are you okay?" Martin asked as he looked
at Harm.
  
  "Yeah sorry. Did you have any other questions? If
not, I need to call my CO 
  and let him know what happened and then I want to
check on my wife."
  
  "No I think we're through" Martin said quietly. "I'm
sorry about your half 
  brother and his wife."
  
  "So am I" Harm whispered.
  
  He watched the two officer's walk away before
heading to the pay phone's to 
  call the Admiral and let him know what happened. He
got as far as picking up 
  the phone when he realized he would have to explain
why Mac was at the 
  hospital. He hung up the phone, deciding to wait
until he had word on Mac's 
  condition before calling.
 
 Through channels AJ was notified quickly that one of
his officers had been killed, and once he learned 
the location, he knew Harm and Mac had been nearby.  A
call to Emergency Services for Arlington 
County had told him the rest and now two hours later
he was striding into the hospital.  The front desk 
told him another of his people was in trouble and
where, and it was a grim faced Admiral who made his 
way down the long corridor where Harm was awaiting
word.
 
 "Rabb," AJ called, spotting him pacing.  "Rabb what
the hell happened?  Are you OK first of all?  And 
Mackenzie is being treated?  What the hell for?  Was
she too close to the explosion?"
 
 Harm looked up helplessly.  "Sir it's not easy to
explain.  Mac. . ."  He was saved from further comment

by the reappearance of Dr. Powell.  
 
 "Mr. Rabb."
 
 Without so much as an excuse me to AJ, Harm was at
his side.  "Please, she's OK?"
 
 "The IV with the mild sedative has calmed her down
emotionally, plus we've gotten the nausea under 
control and we're slowly re-hydrating her."
 
 "OK that's sounding like good news."  Harm dared to
allow himself a small measure of hope.  "Is there 
more?"
 
 "Our OB resident examined your wife, and there's at
the moment no evidence of threatened 
spontaneous abortion," he went on.
 
 "Oh thank god.  She can't lose this baby," Harm
breathed, and at that moment AJ cleared his throat.
 
 Harm froze in place, realizing to what he had just
confessed, a marriage and a pregnancy that they had 
been keeping to themselves.
 
 "Can I see her please?" he got out, feeling AJ's eyes
boring into his back.
 
 "We're going to take her up to a room.  The OB and I
agree that she should stay over night just to be 
sure.  Soon as she's settled you can come up."
 
 Harm nodded his understanding and as soon as the
doctor had left him, felt AJ's firm hand on his 
shoulder.  "Son you're carrying a heavy burden right
now.  Dead brother and sick wife.  I think you'd 
better let me help you."
 
 Harm's head dropped, his chin hitting his chest. 
"Yes sir.  Mac and I married in Nevada when we were 
there after the carjacking.  After I almost lost her. 
I believe she got pregnant on our wedding night and 
she's been pretty sick since.  In fact the doctor
she's seeing doesn't seem to be able to help.  He gave

her a prescription but it's only making a marginal
difference most days, and she's afraid of hurting the 
baby taking it."
 
 "Why don't I ask Sydney to refer you guys to another
doctor," he offered. 
 
 Harm drew his breath in sharply.  "Sir you could do
that?  You would do that?"
 
 "Sydney and I talk occasionally yes," he admitted,
keeping his hand in place as he walked around in 
front of Harm.  "Now you want to tell me why this was
such a secret?"
 
 He shrugged helplessly.  "We were just trying to keep
it out of the office sir.  It was just that simple. 
We 
wanted to keep working together."
 
 "OK and that's a whole other subject that we'll
re-visit.  On a more at-hand matter, Harm I'm sorry 
about your brother."
 
 "Yes sir thank you.  I didn't do enough there.  He
needed my help.  He begged my help and I let him 
down and that's something I'm going to be dealing
with, but right now Mac is my priority."
 
 "May I see her as well?" AJ asked.  "After you've had
a few minutes alone with her of course."   
  
  "Of course sir" Harm sighed. "Please just don't
upset her."
  
  "That's the last thing I want to do" AJ assured him.
"But you go ahead. And 
  then you and I are going to have a nice long chat."
  
  "Yes sir" Harm nodded.
  
  Minutes later he quietly made his way into Mac's
room. She opened her eyes 
  as he reached for her hand and he sat down beside
her.
  
  "Hi" she said softly. "How are you?"
  
  "I'm fine. I'm much more worried about you and our
baby. You really scared 
  me this time."
  
  "I'm sorry. But the doctor said everything is okay
right?"
  
  "Yes. Both you and the baby are fine. But they're
keeping you here overnight 
  just to make sure. And of course I'll be here with
you."
  
  "Harm no. You have things you need to take care of."
  
  "That can wait" he sighed. "Right now making sure
you're okay is my first 
  priority. And the Admiral has offered to help out
with whatever he could."
  
  "Does he know" she started and he nodded.
  
  "I haven't told him everything but I will. He got
the call about Singer and 
  of course that you were in the hospital. And so I
gave him the quick version 
  for now."
  
  "Was he mad?" she whispered.
  
  "No. And he wants to see you but I told him not to
upset you."
  
  "You told him that?" Mac smiled.
  
  "I'm very protective of my wife and our baby" Harm
said softly. "You're the 
  most important people in my life right now."
  
  "Harm I'm so sorry about Sergei. I don't know what
else to say. And I know 
  you're holding all this in because you don't want to
upset me but I know you 
  have to be feeling something."
  
  "Right now I'm just numb," he admitted. "It hasn't
sunk in yet. I know it's 
  real but I'm just not ready to deal with it yet. And
thankfully I've got you 
  to worry about instead."
  
  "I don't want you worrying about me" she sighed.
"You've already had so much 
  to deal with these past few weeks. The last thing
you need is a sick wife."
  
  "I love you remember. And right now taking care of
you is the only thing I 
  care about. Nothing else matters."
  
  "Well I love you too. And you've just watched
someone you cared about get 
  killed. In a horrible horrible way. And I know how
good you are at tucking 
  these things away instead of dealing with them."
  
  "I will deal with it. When I have to."
  
  "Liar" she sighed. "And unfortunately I don't have
the energy to argue with 
  you."
  
  "Then don't. You just rest. I'm going to handle
everything and you are going 
  to take it easy for the next nine months. I don't
want anything to happen to 
  you or our baby."
  
  "I'm so glad I have you," she said softly. "I love
you very much Harmon 
  Rabb. And I'm going to take care of me and our baby.
I promise."
  
  "That's all I want you to do" he whispered as he
leaned forward and dropped 
  a quick kiss on her forehead.
  
  "I'm not interrupting am I" AJ smiled as he walked
into the room a second 
  later.
  
  "No sir" Harm smiled. "Did you want me to talk to
Mac alone? Should I 
  leave?"
  
  "No stay. I won't be staying long. I just wanted to
make sure everything is 
  okay. But I can see that Mac is in good hands."
  
  "Yes sir I am" Mac said softly. "I guess we have
some explaining to do to 
  you."
  
  "Your husband will handle that. Right now your only
priority is to rest and 
  take care of yourself and your baby."
  
  "I will sir" she nodded. "But I'm also worried about
Mr. Stubborn here and 
  what he's going through."
  
  "I know" AJ spoke before Harm could. "And I'll be
helping him with the 
  arrangements for the funeral."
  
  "Thank you sir. I would if they let me out of here."
  
  "You are staying here until they say you can go
home," Harm said quickly. 
  "And then you're going straight home to bed to
rest."
  
  "Harm I want to be there at the funeral with you. I
will not let you go 
  through that alone."
  
  "Mac that's the last thing you need. Those places
are always so stuffy and 
  warm and there's no reason for you to put yourself
through that."
  
  "Yes there is" she countered. "You need me."
 
 Harm turned to AJ and moaned.  "This from the woman
who calls me stubborn."
 
 "I'd say between you you have the market cornered.  A
stubborn Jarhead and an equally stubborn 
Squid together.  And there are people who claim God
doesn't have a sense of humor?"
 
 "Well He wanted us together a long while back," Harm
sighed.  "We were both just too busy denying it 
to see the signs."
 
 "And then we fixed it right, and sealed it with a
baby," Mac smiled and Harm kissed her cheek.
 
 "Getting deep in here," AJ moaned.
 
 "Sir what about Lt. Singer's family.  Are they coming
here?  I'm assuming she had family at least.  But I 
mean it's not like she's ever mentioned them."
 
 "She has a brother in Ohio who has agreed to receive
the body," AJ nodded quietly.  "And we should 
talk about what you would like for your brother."
 
 Harm shrugged helplessly and Mac squeezed his hand. 
"How about the cemetery over near my place--
well our place?  It's a nice area to walk through,
pretty and quiet.  We could visit.  And just a simple 
service at the graveside?"
 
 "Oh yeah," Harm breathed.  "Thank you.  Sir it's
called Gate of the Angels.  Could you?  Long as you've

offered I mean."
 
 "You bet, and on that note I'm going to leave you
guys alone."  He gave Mac's shoulder an awkward 
pat and walked out of the room.
 
 "He's a good friend," Mac sighed, looking up into
Harm's eyes.  "I'm going to move over and then I 
want you to lie down here with me.  I think we need to
hold each other."
 
 "Oh god yes," he gasped.  "That's exactly what we
need."
 
 "I will be at that funeral," she said firmly.  "It
won't be for a couple days, and by then I'll be back
on my 
feet.  It's going to be outside, so no excuse there
either."
 
 "Can we talk about it later," he tried.
 
 "Can you just recognize when you've lost?"
 
 "God let me just survive this pregnancy," he sighed.
 ===============
 Mac was released the next day and went home to rest,
where Harm hovered for the next twenty-four 
hours as the time for the funeral drew closer.  "I
hope having people back here after isn't going to be 
too much."
 
 "Harm the deli down the street is delivering a
platter of cold cuts and some salads.  Now honestly
how 
much exertion is that going to require on my part. 
I'm far more worried about you.  Did you sleep at all 
last night?"
 
 "I was right here next to you.  Of course I did."
 
 "You paced the apartment most of the night."
 
 "Did not."
 
 "Yes you did, and I know that because once I don't
have your arms around me, sleeping is a dead 
issue."
 
 "I was hoping I wouldn't wake you."
 
 "I don't sleep without you holding me, it's just that
simple," she smiled.  "But considering how much I 
love you, no surprise there.  You want to share what
was on your mind?"
 
 "I just keep wondering how hard it would have been
for me to say, 'sir my brother and Loren have 
been seeing each other steadily since the first day
they met and they fell in love and eventually married.
 
He often told me how much he loved her and how much he
wanted to marry her'.  See I said it.  It would 
have been over in twenty seconds."
 
 "And it would have been a lie.  And the Harmon Rabb I
know has never lied outright."
 
 "Well sometimes a lie can be for the greater good
can't it?"
 
 She reached for his hand, kissing the back.  "I think
that's not a question I can answer.  That's between 
you and your conscience, and your God."
 
 Two hours later that same God looked down on a small
group of mourners.  Bud and Harriet, Sturgis, 
Tiner, Gunny had joined AJ at the cemetery.  Harm and
Mac were the final arrivals, getting there just 
ahead of the hearse.  He kept his arm tightly around
her as they navigated the small rise to the grave 
site, leaving her with Harriet while he and the others
assumed their duty as pallbearers.  
 
 Once the casket was in place, Harm returned to her
side and she read a short prayer in Russian from 
the Russian Orthodox faith prayerbook that was among
the few things he had brought with him.  With an 
encouragement squeeze to his hand from Mac, he stepped
up to the casket, resting his hand on the 
simple cross of flowers.
 
 "We come into this world with nothing, and it is
certain we take nothing back with us when we leave
it," 
he said softly, paraphrasing the traditional funeral
wording.  He took a deep breath before continuing 
and when he did, his words were halting. "My brother
was a good and decent man, born during a time 
of upheaval in a country where political matters are
too often settled by might, not right.  And it was
this 
legacy that sent him to the United States.  And this
same legacy that made him fearful to return.  Made 
him resort to an act of desperation to stay.  Now he
and my father and grandfather are together.  Rest 
in peace Sergei.  God is nigh."
 
 Mac let out the breath she had been holding during
his short speech and moved to his side, wrapping 
her arms around him.  "I didn't want him to die
Sarah," he whispered tearfully.
    
  For several minutes they stayed that way and it
wasn't until AJ put a gentle 
  hand to his shoulder that he finally let go of Mac.
  
  "Sir would you mind taking Mac home?" Harm managed
in a choked voice. "I 
  just want some time alone to say goodbye."
  
  "Then I'm staying with you" Mac interrupted.
  
  "Honey please" he begged. "It's getting warm out
here and you need to get 
  off your feet and back in the air conditioning
before you get sick."
  
  "I don't want to leave you alone like this."
  
  "I'll be okay" he promised. "But right now if
anything happened to you or 
  our baby I'd completely lose it so please go home
and rest."
  
  "You're coming back right?" she asked quietly. "You
have to promise me that. 
  Cause if you promise me, I know you will."
  
  "I promise" he whispered. "Now please go home and
rest. Sir, please make 
  sure she does that."
  
  "I will" AJ nodded as he reached for Mac's arm.
Reluctantly she took it and 
  with a long sigh allowed AJ to lead her to his car.
  
  "Sir I'm don't like leaving him" Mac said as AJ
helped her into the car. 
  "He's not in a good frame of mind right now. He
hasn't really dealt with 
  everything that's happened."
  
  "I know" AJ sighed. "But sometimes we need to be
alone to work through this. 
  He'll be okay."
  
  Harm remained standing next to the casket as the
car's pulled away from the 
  gravesite.
  
  "I'm sorry Sergei" he whispered tearfully as his
hand touched the casket. "I 
  should have done anything I could have to help you.
And I didn't. If I'd 
  helped you none of this would have happened. You'd
be alive today." His 
  voice broke and he finally gave into the tears he'd
managed to keep at bay. 
  It was his fault that Sergei's life had tragically
been cut short. It was 
  all his fault.
  
  How long he stood there crying he didn't know and it
wasn't until he heard 
  movement behind him that he finally turned around to
see a young man behind 
  him.
  
  "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. Is this
where the service for Sergei 
  Zhukov was?"
  
  "Yes" Harm managed as he wiped his face. "Did you
know Sergei?"
  
  "No. I never had the chance to meet him. I'm Daryl
Singer. Loren was my 
  sister. I just wanted to pay my final respects to
her husband."
  
  "I'm sorry" Harm whispered. "I'm Harmon Rabb. Sergei
was my brother."
  
  "Rabb" Daryl said quietly. "Loren mentioned you.
You're the one who wouldn't 
  lie to INS for them aren't you?"
  
  "I'm sorry" Harm started.
  
  "You should be" Daryl shouted. "Because of you Loren
and Sergei are dead. 
  They didn't have to die. They had their whole lives
ahead of them. And you 
  may not have known it but they did love each other.
Your brother was in love 
  with Loren from the moment he laid eyes on her."
  
  "But she wasn't.."
  
  "My sister wasn't one to show her emotions" Daryl
continued loudly. "But she 
  loved your brother just as much. And they should
have been able to stay 
  together. But no. Mister High and Mighty couldn't
tell a little lie to INS 
  so they could stay. You testified against your own
brother. What kind of 
  person are you?"
  
  "I'm so sorry" Harm whispered again.
  
  "Sorry won't bring them back," Daryl shouted. "This
is your fault."
  
  He turned and strode back to his car, leaving Harm
alone once again.
  
  "Oh God Sergei I'm sorry" Harm whispered. Was it
possible that Sergei and 
  Loren had been in love? And that he had destroyed
their lives for no reason? He 
  dropped to his knees at the casket as the tears came
once again.
  
  ************
  Mac's Apartment
  Same Time
  
  "Sir he should be back by now" Mac sighed as she
paced the living room. "I 
  want to go back to the cemetery and make sure he's
okay. I should never have 
  allowed him to stay there alone."
  
  "Mac sit" AJ ordered. "Stress is the last thing you
and your baby need. And 
  the last thing Harm needs is for anything to happen
to you or your baby. 
  He's very fragile right now Mac."
  
  "I know sir" she whispered as she sank down onto the
couch. "And I'm scared 
  to death about him. That's why I want to go find
him."
  
  "You will stay in here and relax and either myself
or Sturgis will go back 
  to the cemetery to find him."
  
  "I can't relax until I know he's okay" she moaned.
  
  "All right. I'll go look for him. But I want your
promise that you're going 
  to stay here and take it easy."
  
  He no sooner said the words when the apartment door
opened, a somber Harmon 
  Rabb making his way inside.
  
  "Harm thank god" Mac whispered as she hurried to
him. "Are you okay?"
  
  He looked at her blankly, the words of Daryl Singer
running through his 
  head.
  
  "I don't know Mac," he said finally. "I don't know
if I'll ever be okay."
  
 "Sit down and let me get you a drink," AJ told him
firmly.  "Not that that's an answer but for the short 
term at least maybe you can relax and think more
clearly."
 
 Mac guided him to the sofa and a moment later AJ
pressed a cold glass into his hand.  "Drink that, and 
then eat," he ordered.  
 
 Mac kept her arm across his shoulders, and gradually
he did relax.  "Thank you all for coming," he 
managed finally.  "And let me also say thank you and
apologize at the same time."
 
 "For what for crying out loud?" Sturgis frowned.
 
 "For how I'm likely to be about this in the future
and for putting up with me," he sighed morosely.
 
 Mac patted his hand and looked around the room at
their friends gathered.  "On the other hand, on a 
more cheerful note--and this is something the Admiral
knows and it's about time we shared with all of 
you.  And I'm going to give you both barrels.  Harm
and I are married and I'm pregnant."
 
 The announcement was greeted by shocked silence all
around until Sturgis broke into a broad grin.  
"Way to quiet a crowd Colonel.  Congratulations to you
both on both."

THE END

Watch for the concluding chapter as Harm allows the
guilt he's feeling to overwhelm him, threatening 
the happiness he thought he had found with his wife
and expected child.