Title: The Power of Love Author: Lia E-Mail Address: fairyland15@hotmail.com Rating: PG Classification: R (Harm/Mac) Spoilers: None Summary: Having been torn apart by Harm´s loyalty to duty, Harm and Mac are reunited only to have her fears keep them from being a family. Disclaimers: Belongs to Donald P. Bellisario, Belisarius Production and CBS. No infringement is intended. No money is being made with this. Author´s Note: Thank you, as always, to Pat for beta and keeping me up-dated. Heard the new season premiere was great, so all you who can see that, enjoy, I´m stuck with the season six, and so far, it sucks. Anyway, feedback much appreciated and wanted. Enjoy the story! ----------- “Daddy!” The little child run to meet his father as the familiar car pulled in front of the house. “Hey buddy.” Harmon Rabb kneeled down and wrapped his arms around his son. “You´re late.” Daniel pulled back and looked at him seriously. “Very late.” “I know, I´m sorry.” He ruffled his hair and walked toward the house. “Let´s get your stuff.” Sarah Rabb stood in a doorway, a look on her face of showing sadness and disappointment. “Danny, go get your bag.” She looked softly at the dark haired boy before turning her eyes back to her husband. “Hey.” He smiled gently. “You´re late.” “I know, I´m sorry. I was caught up with the client.” “He has been standing by the window since five o´clock.” “I said I´m sorry.” “Harm, he doesn´t understand that your job is more important to you than he is. He adores you.” “That´s not fair.” He said quietly. “You and Danny come first. You know that.” “Like we came first when you left us for ten months.” “I don´t want to talk about this again.” He sighed tiredly. “The order came from the Admiral. You´re military, you know how it works.” His last words came out more sarcastically than intended. “I know that nothing would have made me leave my family for ten months.” She snapped back her eyes flashing. “I didn´t have a choice. Jesus, Sarah. We have talked about this before.” “Mommy?” Danny´s quiet voice made him stop and his face softened as he looked at his son. “You´re ready?” Harm offered his hand and his heart ached with love as the little fingers curled around his. Mac kneeled down to button Danny´s jacket. “Remember to be a good boy.” She whispered softly and pulled him into a tight hug. “I love you so very much.” “I love you too mommy.” Danny replied and gave a kiss on her lips. She stood up and looked at Harm. “Give your mom and Frank my love.” “We have to tell them soon.” He said softly. “They're going to wonder why you didn´t come with us.” “I know.” She lowered her eyes. “I just need time to—“ “Think, yes I know.” He finished for her. “It´s been two months, Sarah. Somebody will find out that I am not living here anymore.” “I know.” The flash of pain in his eyes made her look away. She walked them to the door and leaned to kiss Danny´s cheek one more time. “Bye, sweetie.” “Bye mommy.” She stood in the porch watching as Harm strapped Danny in his car seat and waved before the doors were closed and he drove away. Slowly she walked inside the silent house and locked the door behind her. ----------- Four days later Harm sat on the patio watching as Danny played with Frank. Trish walked to him and offered a steaming cup of coffee. “What?” Harm frowned softly as he looked at his mother. “Nothing.” She said and sat down next to him. “I didn´t say anything.” “But you were thinking.” A small smile on her lips she watched her grandson, before turning her attention back to his son. “Did she kick your rear out?” “What?” “You don´t know how worried she was. How worried we all were.” “Don´t start mom.” He sighed. “You disappeared for ten months.” “It was a CIA operation and my help was needed. I´m in the military, I do what they need me to do. You of all people know what it means to get orders and to march.” “Ten months, Harm. You left her for ten months alone with a two-year-old. Those first weeks she thought you were dead.” “I know all that.” “She loves you, Harm. More than the life itself. But when she heard you were alive, she was crushed by the knowledge you had left her voluntarily without a word.” She said quietly, her words stabbing him like a knife. “What do you want me to do? I have apologized for two months, I moved out when she couldn´t bear to be near me when I got home. I have tried everything.” He stood up angrily, hating himself for hurting the woman he loved so badly. “I´m going for a walk.” For a long moment Trish stared after him, her eyes wet with unshed tears. She shook the sadness away and stood up. “Danny.” She called smiling to the small child. “How about a walk by the water. You can feed the birds if you like.” ----------- He found the quiet place from the beach, far enough from the house. He sat on the sand, watching as the waves crashed the shore, the seagulls flying above the water. Heavy clouds hid the sun, the temperature falling day by day, the warm summer days far behind. Four years ago in that same beach in a warm spring day he had knelt in front of Sarah MacKenzie, asking her to marry him. Promising to love her every day of his life. Promising not to hurt her. The warm breeze had danced around her, her hair covering the teary eyes as she had whispered yes. He had stood up, gently taking her face between his hands, brushing her hair away from her eyes and kissed her softly. “I love you.” She had laughed through her tears and kissed him again. A year after their wedding day she had given birth to the healthy baby boy, Daniel Liam Rabb taking his first breath in a rainy night, with a spring storm crashing outside. Only hours after they had arrived to the hospital he had watched her holding their son for the first time. She had cried with joy, lifted her eyes to look at him and reaching to take his hand to pull him closer. “Our son.” She had whispered. “I love you.” He had leaned to kiss her forehead before touching his son´s head gently. “I love you both.” The distant crash of thunder pulled him from his dreams and he lowered his eyes to stare the sand. One year before, he had accepted the mission that took him away from his family. Through the last night he had spent home, he had loved her, stared at her while she had been sleeping, caressed her face softly, wishing he could tell her that he was leaving. As the sun had started to rise, he had quietly packed and kissed his sleeping son goodbye. One more time he had returned to her, reaching to place a kiss on her lips before silently leaving the house. And then, ten months later he had knocked the door of his own house. She had opened the door, and for a long second she had stared at him, his beard covered face and messy hair. A soft cry had escaped her lips as she had reached for him, wrapping her arms around him and crying against his chest. He had stood silently, his own arms around her slender figure, caressing her back, her neck and then pulling back to cup her face and kiss her softly. “I missed you.” He had whispered. The slap had come from nowhere, the relieved look in her eyes changing to angry and frustrated. “I´m sorry.” “I thought you were dead. For weeks I thought you were dead.” “I know.” He lowered his eyes. She hugged him again, her hands running across his face as to make sure he was okay. The tears came again, and she let them fall. “Mommy?” Danny asked behind her, staring his father with his big eyes. “Danny.” Harm breathed out and reached for him. The little child hid behind his mother´s back. “It´s daddy.” She said softly and lifted him up in her arms. The memory made him close his eyes in pain. The night after his return had been full of love and passion, their love making slow and gentle. But the words leaving her lips afterwards had broken his heart, knowing their relationship had changed. “How can I be sure you will be here when I wake up?” She had whispered as he had held her. He had known she was crying silent tears, the darkness covering her face from him. She had laid her back to him, his arms wrapped around her, lips touching her cheek softly. “I will be.” “I don´t know if I can trust you anymore.” Her whisper was barely audible, but it broke his heart. Two weeks later he had moved away. “Daddy!” Danny saw his father sitting farther and pulled his hand free from Trish´s hold and ran to him. He stood up and walked to meet him, lifting him up in the air. The small child bent his head back and giggled loudly with joy. Frank wrapped his arm around his wife and smiled softly. “Look at them.” A gentle smile on her lips she watched the father and the son playing on the beach, chasing seagulls and running away from the waves. “If she leaves him for good, it will crush him.” She said sadly. “I think everything´s going to be alright again.” Frank said staring behind her. “She´s here.” Trish turned her head, a happy smile brightening her face. “Sarah.” She exclaimed and reached to hug the younger woman. “When did you come?” “Just now.” Sarah smiled softly and hugged Frank. “The house was empty so I figured you would be down here.” “Mommy!” Danny shouted in delight and ran into her arms. “Hey sweetheart.” She kneeled down to hug him, kissing his cheeks happily until Danny pulled away laughing. “I missed you.” She pulled him again into her arms and hugged him tight. Harm walked to them, the look on his eyes soft as he watched the woman he loved with their son. She stood up and met his eyes, a small, unsure smile on her lips. “Hey, Danny.” Frank took the boy´s hand. “Let´s go to see if we can find a treasure.” Trish chuckled softly as she followed the man and a small boy. “Hey.” Harm said breaking the silence. “Hey.” She replied softly. “Sarah.” He took a step closer, his eyes filled with fear that she would say the words that would end their marriage. “No.” She moved slightly away. “Let me say what I came to say.” “Please.” “You hurt me Harm. More than you can ever imagine. I thought you were dead, and I died from the inside myself. I have loved you for so long, that the life without you seemed impossible. I couldn´t breathe.” “Sarah.” He whispered, but she interrupted him. “Without Danny in my life I...” She lowered her eyes, trying to blink the tears away. “He is the reason I stayed strong. And then, I get a call from the Admiral that you are alive, and that you will be gone for a long time. I was hurt. I was confused. Ten months, Harm. Ten months I was alone, not knowing where were you, or if you were even alive anymore. The Admiral refused to answer my questions, and Clayton Webb avoided me.” “I understand why.” He smiled softly. “He´s afraid of you.” For a second a small smile crept on her lips before she turned her sad eyes to him. “I love you, and I don´t want to lose you again.” “Sweetheart.” “But I have to be able to trust you.” “I know.” His voice was soft. She lifted her eyes to look at him. “Can I trust you, Harm?” “Yes.” A silent sob of relief escaped her lips as he reached to pull her into his arms. “God I missed you.” He whispered. She pulled back to look at him, her fingers brushing softly across his cheeks before she pressed her lips against his, the first kiss in weeks gentle and loving. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. They broke off the kiss, breathless and smiling softly. “I love you.” He said smoothing her face, brushing a lock of hair away from her eyes. “So much.” “And I love you.” She smiled at him, kissing him again. He wrapped his arm across her shoulders as they made their way back to where Frank and Trish stood watching as Danny chased seagulls throwing bread in the air and laughing happily at the screaming birds. He ran to them and reached his arms up to take his mother´s face between his hands and kissed her on the lips. Laughing she pulled him into a hug and kissed his cheek and neck until he was giggling loudly. She reached to tie his scarf tighter around his neck and pull the hat deeper on his head before letting him go. He settled between his parents, taking their hands and swinging back and forth. “Lead the way, sailor.” She looked up to Harm a soft smile on her lips. “Let´s go home.” He replied as softly. The End