TITLE: "Vanquished Enemy"
AUTHORS:  Anne R, and Pat Steiner
SUMMARY:  Speculation Fic for the episode "Enemy Below"-the infamous cliffhanger scene.  
If it's to be a #8 on the shock scale, then here it is.
DISCLAIMER:  JAG belongs to Paramount, CBS, et al.  No copyright infringement is intended 
with this work of entertainment.
FEEDBACK:  Never expected much less demanded.  An statement of  enjoyment is always appreciated.
If our work does not appeal, a simple delete is all that's requested.  Feedback addy is ssbpmn@aol.com


"Vanquished Enemy"  Part 1---

Somewhere over the Arabian Sea

"I've got a lock on the target. But you're too close." 

"Take the shot Commander. There isn't time. They'll launch if you don't strike now. Take the shot."

"Sir, the Seahawk is too close" Harm repeated. 

"Dammit Commander take the shot now" Captain Johnson ordered. "I sent you up because I wanted
someone up there who could handle this. We'll be fine down here. Just take those lousy bastards out 
while you can. " 

Over the radio Harm could hear the general quarters alarm being sounded on the ship and he knew
that the Captain was right. He needed to take the shot before Kabir managed to launch the nuclear 
missile. But at the moment his mind was on a certain Marine Colonel whom he knew was standing on 
the bridge of the Seahawk with Captain Johnson. The woman who, when this was all over, he was going 
to tell exactly how he felt.  

"Did you hear me Commander?" Captain Johnson's voice interrupted his reverie and he took a deep 
breath. 

"Yes sir. I'm going to take the shot." 

"Do it" Johnson ordered and with a silent prayer upwards Harm's finger pressed the button to send 
the missile that he prayed would take out the Russian sub before it could launch it's nuclear 
missile at the battlegroup. 

"Direct hit Hammer" Lt. TJ Dierks reported from behind Harm a few seconds later. "They're history." 

"I just hope the Seahawk is okay" Harm murmured before turning his attention back to the radio and 
quickly realizing that he'd lost communications with the Seahawk. A feeling of dread washed over 
him and he continued to try and reach the ship. 

"Nothing sir" TJ reported. "We've lost all communications with them sir." 

"Damn" Harm swore. He knew it has been too close. He just prayed it wasn't as bad as what his mind 
was suddenly conjuring up. And if anything happened to Mac he'd never be able to live with himself.

"OK Lieutenant can you handle the loop?  We're going back."

"Yes sir I certainly can."

With a vengeance Harm hit the throttle, turning the F14 over in a tight loop to head back to the 
Seahawk.  "You keep trying that radio mister.  I want to know the second you find out what the hell 
is going on down there."

"Sir they were pretty close.  The wake from the explosion. . ."

"Thanks.  I needed to hear that," he groaned.  "We'll be over them in two."  At the same time he 
dropped low hard and fast, intending to see the havoc he had wrought.

"Sir, I'm getting something but it's not coming clear," TJ reported.  "What do you want us to do?"

"Tell them we're bringing it in?"

"CAG this is Batman one.  Requesting permission to land."

"Negative Batman.  Negative.  We have a not ready-deck.  Systems are down and being re-booted.  We 
took quite a jolt."

Harm gasped loudly into his mask and thumbed his mike button.  "This is Hammer.  What's the 
situation there?  Are there casualties?"

"Fraid so Hammer.  We're getting damage and casualty reports now.  Hold what you got.  We'll let 
you know as soon as we have a ready deck."

Harm did not acknowledge and TJ answered quickly.  "Roger that.  Standing by."

"They have casualties," Harm said numbly.  

"And good people aboard to take care of it sir," TJ assured him.  "Our main concern should be 
fuel.  We'd better start looking for a station you've got a credit card for."

"Tell me about it," he moaned, but his mind was not on his fuel situation.  It was on a ship below 
and the woman who awaited his return.  Their goodbye had been brief and rushed, but he hoped the 
look he had given her spoke volumes.

=============

ABOARD The SEAHAWK

"Ma'am you need to get down to sickbay."  A harried Ensign grabbed her arm without regard to rank 
protocal.

"Thanks but I'm not going anywhere."  Mac shook her head, scanning the sky for one errant 
Tomcat.  "It's just a scratch and it can wait.  I need to know if the delivery boy makes it back.  
What's the good word on the repairs to the deck?"

"Working on it.  They know there's a bird up there.  He has to be running out of fuel."

"Thanks Ensign."  She accepted the towel he handed her, pressing it to the gash across her lower 
arm.  At that moment the injury was not even a blip on her radar compared to her overwhelming 
concern for the Naval Aviator whom she had sent off earlier with a harried goodbye.  They had 
wanted to say so much more, like a time three years previously, and could not.  Once he returned, 
she was determined she would make certain facts known to him.

Making her way through the throngs of Sailors, she returned to the bridge, nodding to Captain 
Johnson that she was all right, her eyes asking the question that was utmost in her mind.

"Racing against time," he replied softly.  "Fuel tanks versus lights and the tail hook system."

She shuddered violently at those words.  "Harm you can do it," she breathed.

Three minutes passed and she held her breath.  Finally she heard Harm's familiar voice, now with 
that dangerously calm tone he used.  "CAG we're going to do this now on the first pass.  There's no 
other option."

"There's Martin Baker."

"No.  Not this time.  You get that deck ready.  Hammer has the ball."

She drew another breath, watching the Tomcat approach.

"Colonel it's going to be a photo finish," Johnson told her, then spoke into his mike.  "Tomcat 
coming hot and hard.  Get that deck up."

"Negative sir, negative," the LSO screamed.  "We've had a system crash.  Negative Hammer.  Wave 
off."

Harm's voice again, still strangely calm.  "Paddles no.  We'll take our chances on the deck.  I 
won't gain enough altitude to eject."

"Sir?" Mac begged.

"Sorry Colonel.  I know these systems.  If I'm a gambling man, it's not going to be on your 
partner."

"Yes sir.  Excuse me," she managed before she fled the bridge.  She would not be witness to 
disaster.

She fled down the passageway now filled with personnel, desperately searching for somewhere that 
she could hide so she wouldn't have to see or hear the crash that she knew was inevitable. At any 
moment she expected to hear the alarm sounding the crash and to her surprise that sound never came. 

********* 
"We made it" Harm breathed as the Tomcat came to a stop on the deck of the Seahawk. Somehow the 
crew had managed to get the tail hook system working just as Harm had landed the plane. 

"Yes we did" TJ echoed from the behind him. "Never had a doubt sir." 

"Glad one of us didn't" Harm sighed as he started to unbuckled himself. "I need to find Mac." 

Without waiting for his RIO, Harm hurried down from the Tomcat and across the deck. He ran down the 
passageway to the Bridge, knowing that was were Mac would have been. He passed several crew members 
being transported towards the sickbay and he picked up his pace, his fear for Mac growing by the 
second. 

"Captain" Harm called as he reached the bridge. 

"Commander. Nice shooting." 

"Sir, where is Colonel Mackenzie?" Harm asked, doing his best to keep the desperation from his 
voice but not entirely exceeding.

"She ran from the bridge just before your landed" Captain Johnson informed her. "You had her more 
scared this time than she was the last time I let you fly." 

"Sir was she okay? Was she hurt at all?"

"Yes sir" the ensign who had attempted to help Mac before spoke up.

"How badly?" Harm demanded. "And why wasn't she taken to sickbay?" 

"I tried sir. She said it could wait. It was just a gash on her arm sir. But she insisted on 
staying here." 

"Did you see her leave?" Harm asked. "Did she go to sickbay?" 

"I'm sorry sir. I didn't see which way she went."

Harm turned and ran from the bridge and Captain Johnson smiled to himself. Three months ago he 
thought he'd seen something between to the JAG officers. Now he knew he hadn't imagined it. 

Harm pushed his way through the passageways, finally making his way down to the sickbay that was a 
scene of managed chaos. 

"I'm trying to locate Colonel Mackenzie" he said as he grabbed the arm of the first corpsman he 
found. 

"Sir, we've got dozens of injured crewmembers" the corpsman sighed. "When was he brought down?" 

"I don't know when she came down" Harm said impatiently. "She would have brought herself down." 

"She could be in the conference room. That's where they're attending to the non-life threatening 
injuries." 

"Thank you" Harm sighed before turning and running from the sickbay. He hurried down to the 
conference room, once again pushing his way through in an attempt to find Mac. It didn't take long 
for him to ascertain that Mac wasn't there and with a long sigh he left the conference room. 

***************
From her spot on Vultures Row she could see the Tomcat on the deck. Once again he'd managed to beat 
the odds and somehow had landed safely. Tears of relief brimmed and with a small sob she hung onto 
the rail as everything finally caught up with her. In a matter of seconds their two lives had 
almost come to an end. 

She was still sobbing when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and without even turning around 
she knew who it was. 

"Mac" Harm said softly. "You okay?"

She sniffled loudly as the sound of his voice and she wiped away some of the tears before finally 
turning around to face him. He was still in his flight suit and she sniffled again as she realized 
he was okay. 

"You're okay?" she whispered, still unable to believe that was the case. 

"Of course" he said with a small smile. "You thought otherwise." 

"I was so scared" she admitted in a shaky voice. "I thought you were going to crash. I ran from the 
bridge because I couldn't watch that happen. Captain Johnson probably thinks I'm a head case." 

"No more than he thinks I am" Harm said quietly. "Because I've been running around this ship for 
the last twenty minutes trying to find you. They said you'd been hurt. Which I can see you have 
been and why the hell aren't you in sickbay getting that taken care of."  As he spoke his hand 
gently lifted her arm and looked at the gash on her arm that still had a slow trickle of blood 
coming from it. 

"I wasn't worried about me" she whispered. "I was more worried about you." 

"Unacceptable Marine" he said softly. "I'm going to take you down and we're going to get that arm 
looked taken care of now." 

"No not yet" she said quietly. "Not before we talk. There's something I have to say to you."

"Can't we walk and talk at at the same time?  You're bleeding to death here."

"You're exaggerating. Not to mention I was afraid they were going to be needing to scrape your 
brains off the deck up there.  So this little scrape doesn't seem like much.  I want to talk to 
you.  Please."

"And I want to talk to you.  But dammit I love you and I want you taken care of.

"And dammit I love you and I want to tell you. . . "

His eyes opened to their widest point as he heard her words and at the same time listened to his 
own.  Her mouth dropped open and she stared in shock as she had the same reaction.

He was the first to recover.  "Maybe don't need to talk after all?"

"Oh yeah I think we do," she breathed.  "At this moment I think we need to talk more than we ever 
have in the past."

"OK we can do that," he nodded, swallowing hard.  "Your arm first and then talk.  Promise."

In sickbay Harm hovered over her, holding her hand while the corpsman cleaned and bandaged her 
arm.   "She's OK isn't she?"

"She's going to be fine sir.  By all means take her somewhere she can get off her feet and be 
quiet.  And I don't think that's going to be easy in this zoo."

"We'll manage.  Come on,"  Harm wrapped his arm around her and led her away, up a back way to 
Vulture's Row.  Confusion reigned below and Harm turned his back on it, giving her a short 
smile.  "OK Marine, you wanted to talk?"

"Yeah I do, but first I need to do this."  

Before he could react, he found himself engulfed in her warm hug and immediately responded, his 
arms wrapping around her back and pulling her to him.

"I was so scared," she whispered.  "And I don't care if I am a Marine I don't mind admitting that 
to you.  I was scared.  Scared that I was going to see a ball of flame on that deck."

"You and me both," he confessed.  "But I was more afraid for you.  I'm up there getting all these 
reports of damage and casualties.  I tried to tell the skipper you guys were too close and . . ."

"You did the right thing," she assured him quickly.  "It's over, and we're just. . . .we're just 
beginning aren't we?  I mean we're. . .you and I. . . "

"What's wrong?  Why can't you get it out?" he asked, a bemused smile across his handsome features.

"Because when I've tried before it's gotten all messed up."

"It won't this time."

"You think?"

"Yeah I do."  His green eyes pierced hers.  "Yeah I do.  And if it helps, I'll say it first.  I 
love you Mac."

"I love you Harm," she replied softly, her eyes not leaving his.  "I love you and I have no clue 
what to do about that.  We're in the middle of a war here for godsakes."

"But it's not going to last forever.  We're going home.  Probably very soon."

"OK then what?" she challenged.

"Mac honest I don't know.  I just know I want to be honest with you and with myself and it's sure 
as hell overdue.

"I won't argue there.  But I'm guilty of the same thing.  Of holding back and hiding and denying.  
I don't want to do that any more."

"What do you want do to then?" he asked gently, cupping her face with one palm.  

"What we did on the Admiral's," she replied shyly.

"Well what we should have done was march inside and tell everyone---including Mic and Renee---that 
the farce was over.  But I think what we did was something like this," he smiled very softly before 
his lips found hers in a kiss that promised much more than friendship. It was only when they heard 
someone clear their throat behind them that they finally parted. 

"Sorry to interrupt" Captain Johnson smiled. "I see you've found the Colonel. And she seems to be 
doing much better now." 

"Yes sir she is" Harm blushed. "And I'm sure this looks pretty strange…" 

"Commander I wasn't born yesterday. Every time I've seen you two together it became more and more 
apparent that you were more than just partners. As there's nothing strange about two people being 
in love." 

"No sir there's not" Harm agreed as he draped his arm around Mac's shoulder. "Did you need us for 
something sir?" 

"Washington wants to be briefed on what happened. They're setting up the communications in my 
office as we speak. Can you two be there in five minutes?" 

"Yes sir" Mac replied.

"Good. Your RIO is already on his way up so he'll meet us up there as well" Captain Johnson 
continued. "I'll see you in a few minutes." 

He turned and walked away leaving them alone once again. 

"Duty calls" he said softly. "But I want us to talk more after this is over. Because we're not 
going to let things go back to the way they were before. Not after this." 

"That a promise sailor?" she whispered.

"Yes ma'am. And you know you how I am about my promises." 

"Can I get another one of those hugs before we have to go" she said softly. "I'm still having a 
hard time with thinking about how close I came to losing you." 

"Anytime" he murmured as he drew her into his arms again and held her tightly. "I love you Sarah. 
Don't forget that." 

"I won't. And don't you ever forget that I love you just as much Mr. Rabb." 

He nodded and finally let go of her. "We'd better go. We don't want to keep the big guys waiting." 

His hand stayed on her back as he guided her through the still chaotic passageways and up to the 
Captain's office. For the next few hours they briefed Washington on the events that had transpired. 

"Finally" Harm sighed when it was over. "How you holding up Marine?" 

"Tired" she admitted with a weak smile as they walked down the passageway.  

"I'll take you to your quarters and get you tucked in" he said softly. "You've had a rough day." 

"Almost watching the man you love nearly killed tends to do that" she sighed. "You have no idea how 
scared I was." 

"Yes I do. When the Captain told me to fire I knew the Seahawk was too close. But I had no choice. 
I had to take the shot. I just kept praying you were okay." 

"You did the right thing sailor. And I'm okay and it's all over now." 

"And now that it is maybe we can spend some time getting this new relationship we have all figured 
out" he smiled. 

"I'd like that" she said softly. "Very much actually."

"Good. Now let's get you tucked in." 

Minutes later she climbed under the covers and Harm pulled the blanket up to her. His hand gently 
caressed her cheek and she caught it in hers a second later. 

"I'm really glad you made it back to me tonight" she whispered. "I can't imagine my life without 
you Harmon Rabb." 

"You don't have to" he said softly. "Because nothing will ever keep us apart again." 

"Is that another promise?" she said tiredly. 

"Sealed with a kiss" he whispered before dropping a gentle kiss on her lips. 

THE END
For now.   We will pick this up over the summer.