*1: Adventures in Babysitting*~c

SUNDAY

2155

COLONEL MACKENZIE'S APARTMENT

Harm was a little shocked when Mac picked up the phone and he heard a squeal in the background. "AJ duty?"

"Yeah, and he's wired tonight." She pushed her hair out of her eyes and turned to find her godson smushing his face against the window looking down to the street below. Her laughter danced through the phone to play havoc with Harm's imagination. Sighing, he realized anew that he had to talk to her soon.

"Mac, listen I need to talk to you." he paused but cut in when he sensed her usual witty retort. "In person. It's important."

"Harriet'll be here to pick AJ up any minute. Do you wanna come over?"

Yes! His mind screamed. "I can't right now. Are you free for dinner tomorrow night?"

His tone was starting to worry her. She and Coates had planned a working dinner; mentally, she went over her schedule for the next day. With a little juggling, she could work in a late dinner. Her stomach grumbled at the thought. "It'll have to be late." she commented as she peeled her godson's face off the window and shook her head at the imprint left by his little nose and mouth.

"2030?" Harm asked.

"2100 even?" she countered.

"All right, make sure you eat a snack before then." He chuckled lightly. "I can't afford to buy out the restaraunt."

"All right, Stickboy." He heard the knock on her door just as she did.

"Go, and tell Harriet I said 'Hello.'" he said hanging up as he pulled into an empty space in front of his building.

Mac opened the door to Harriet and smiled brightly. "Harriet." she nodded.

"Thank you so much for watching him, Ma'am." Mac gave her a pointed look. "Mac. I appreciate you giving up a Sunday afternoon to watch him."

'It's nothing, Harriet. I enjoy it." She tweaked AJ's nose as he walked by, teddy bear in hand.

"Mom, I'm tired." The four year old mumbled. "Up." he demanded regressing a full two years.

"No, sir. Mom's not carrying you down those stairs, little man." Mac scolded. "You're big guy," she started.

"Auntie Mac's lil Mawine" he said through a huge yawn.

"That's right, and I'll hold you're hand going down stairs. Deal?"

"Deal." Four year old eyes looked up, totally in love with the tough, loving woman who loved him almost as much as his mommy. "Love you, Auntie Mac"

"Ditto, Kiddo." she rhymed, dissolving AJ into a puddle of giggles. Taking his hand she tried to grill Harriet discreetly about Harm. "Harriet," she finally gave up. 'What's going on with Harm?"

Harriet looked at her and wanted disparately to tell her, but she couldn't so she played dumb. "I don't know what you mean, Ma'a—Mac." she pulled the back door open and let AJ climb in. "Maybe he's just stressed."

"Hi, Ma'a—Mac." Bud tried to divert Mac's attention. "Did AJ behave?" he asked pretending he'd heard none of the previous conversation.

"He was a little...active." She ruffled the blonde hair atop his head. "But we had fun, huh, AJ?"

"Fun--un." he yawned again.

"Looks like he needs his bed." Bud observed pointedly to his wife.

"If you find out anything let me know, all right, Harriet?"

"Sure." Harriet smiled just a little too brightly.

"'Night." Mac called as the Roberts drove toward home and the teenager waiting with the baby.

"He still hasn't told her has he?" Bud asked reaching over to take his wife's hand.

"No, but I think that's why she's worried. She's not blind. Or stupid." Harriet said hoping Harm told Mac what was going on before someone else did.

~*2:Talking the Talk*~

0802

JAG HQ BULL PEN

Sarah Mackenzie arrived in the Bull Pen uncharacteristically lated and hurried. Her alarm had not gone off correctly; twenty minutes ago she'd been dreaming happily of a certain aviator. The content of her dreams bordered on an NC-17 rating and remembering made her blush. Harm's actual presence behind her made her jump. "Harm!" she ground out. "Don't sneak up on me." She said with a chuckled and a playful slap to his arm. As she grabbed a file, he reached up and touched her still damp hair.

"Running late this morning?" He asked with a smile at the thought.

Between the remembered dreams, the touch and the intimate tone of his voice mac was swiftly losing any shred of control over her reactions to the man. Turning on a heel she put on her professional mask and nodded toward the conference room. "Tell the Admiral I'll be right in." she requested as she passed him and headed for the ladies head. Harm, as usual oblivious to the devastation he cause her, shrugged and walked into the Monday Morning Meeting he knew would be his last for quite some time.

Admiral Chegwidden, unhappy at losing a key member of his staff for an extended duty assignment didn't wait on Mac to start the meeting. "As you all know, Commander Rabb will be leaving us for an extended assignment. At his request no bon voyage will be held." Harm watched the door as the Admiral talked wishing him to finish before Mac arrived. "We will miss you, Commander." He finshed and a murmur passed through the room. Nods and smiles pointed in his direction wished him well. That was all Harm needed. Mac walked in still flustered from her late start. "Good of you to join us, Colonel." AJ Chegwidden intoned carefully knowing the situation with Harm had to be hard on her.

"Sorry sir." She nodded and took the last vacant seat across from Harm. She was confused by the enormous caseload heaped on Sturgis and Bud while nothing seemed to land on Harm's plate. But then he's had to be at the Pentagon a bunch this month. Shrugging she let wrote it off as a fluke. About noon Mac went to Harriet to ask for a file and all conversation quieted when Harriet, Gunny Galindez and Tiner saw her approach. "Harriet, I need the Jacobs file." she said and saw a couple of legal aides smile sadly at her and walk on. "What is going on around here?" she asked more to herself than anyone. Tiner and the Gunny quickly found menial chores to complete. Harriet dug through a file cabinet and produced the Jacobs file without much drama. Harm watched the day go by and sighed as he packed up his briefcase. He buzzed Tiner and went to see the Admiral with about five minutes left in the day.

"Sir, I'm sorry I have to leave this way. I just wouldn't work any other way."

"I know, and I'm sure everything'll be fine, but your leaving doesn't make things easier—for any of us." the senior officer said pointedly.

"I know, sir." Harm put out a hand. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Stay in touch when it's safe, Harm." AJ said taking the young man's hand and shaking it.

Harm walked out of the Admiral's office and stuck his head into Mac's. "We still on for tonight?" He asked hoping his casual tone hid the tightness in his voice. Please say yes.

"Yeah I'll be ready to go at 2100 sharp." He smiled that smile and started to walk out. "Harm!" she called and he was back in less than a second. "Could you get me a Twinkie from the machine?" she asked all sweetness and light. He shook his head, but dug in his pocket for change.

2030

COLONEL MACKENZIE'S APARTMENT

The knock on her door half an hour early left Mac flustered as she was still twenty minutes from ready to go. She walked to the door talking through it, "Harm, I'm running late—STILL—"she opened the door to the surprise of Harm in a dashing gray suit and sapphire cored shirt. "Wow, you meant dinner." She smiled standing in her robe and house shoes.

"Yeah, I forgot to mention that, huh?" he quipped.

"Let me go change, and we'll go."

"No hurry. Our reservation is at 2100." He walked to her kitchen looking for something to much on. He gotten her a snack earlier but had neglected himself. Opening her fridge he cringed at the assortment of cookies, snack cakes and leftover Chinese. Deciding to wait on dinner he walked back out to the living room. She came out of her bedroom and stole his breath. The garnet colored dress was scooped at the neck and boasted the barest of straps. A floaty skirt of the same color flared from her waist to just below her knees. She let her face mostly unpainted to Harm's delight. She grabbed her purse and smiled. Ready? Her eyes asked. As I'll ever be. Harm thought offering her his hand. As she took it they walked out of her building a very attractive couple that turned more than a few heads.

At the restaraunt, their hostess seated them quickly, at this late hour there were few other diners. All of which suited Harm perfectly. He and Mac ordered and as they waited on their meals Mac looked out the window into the still busy street. Smiling at the bustle of it all she turned to find harm staring at her. His eyes were sad. "Harm, was all this about?" she gestured to the restaraunt. "really it's nice, but I feel like I'm being set up—and I've got great instincts."

"Yeah, you do." he said smiling that same sad smile.

"Harm, please let's just get it over with—tell me."

He hesitated wanting so badly to enjoy this last few hours with her. Not wanting to hurt her. "I'm leaving, Mac."

"Flying?" she swallowed.

"I can't say. All I can tell you is that it's an extended assignment, and i wouldn't go if I trusted anyone else to do it."

She swallowed again, audibly. She wanted a drink—just a glass of wine—badly. Shaking the thought from her brain she looked him in eye. "How long?"

"I don't know."

"Ball park."

"Six months."

"Worst case?"

"Eighteen months."

"How long have you known?"

"A couple of months."

She let out a breath. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I—I didn't want to—" he stopped unable to find a good enough lie. He decided on the truth. " Because telling you makes it real. Makes it impossible to avoid."

"When do you leave?"

Tomorrow. 1300." he said suddenly finding his feet all too interesting.

"Of course." The waiter approached as she looked down. Her appetite gone, Mac pushed away from the table caught between anger, desperation and agony. "Take me home, Harm, now."

Harm pulled out his wallet and lay enough money on the table to cover the tab plus a generous tip. He pushed away from the table and took her home. They rode the whole way in silence.



Pulling back into a space in front of her building, Harm opened his mouth to speak, but closed it quickly. A minute later she punched him—hard—on the arm. "Hey!" he fussed rubbing at the offended arm.

"This may be the most cowardly thing you've ever done, Rabb." She said climbing out of the car and slamming the door behind her.

He rushed after her as she stalked up the stairs toward her door. "Mac!" he called after her. "Please let me talk to you."

She reached the door seconds before he did. The tears blurring her vision kept her from making it inside and slamming the door in his face. He took her keys and unlocked the door. After guiding her inside her took her shaking form in his arms and held her as sobs racked through her system. Soon she was past the tears and was back to punching him. Beating on his chest she screamed that she hated him, that she'd never forgive him. "Sarah." Two gently spoken syllables calmed the storm and he lead her to the couch. Keeping her hand in his, Harm reached up to touch her face. After a moment he spoke again. "I wanted to talk to you tonight to ask a favor." he smiled thinly at the restrained violence that crossed her face. "It's something I asked you to do once before." He looked her straight in the eye. "I've still got some things to sort out, but somethings I see very clearly, and you, my dear marine, are on both those lists." He took her face in both his hands. "Wait for me, Sarah." His eyes pleaded as his voice broke over the words.

"How long Harm?"

"As long as it takes." She pulled away from him.

"I've waited quiet a while as it is, Flyboy." She tried humor through her tears.

"Just don't do anything crazy—like fall in love—without talking to me first." Harm tried to smile.

"Same goes." she responded. "How will we talk?"

"I'll write, call and email whenever it's safe, but that might not be very often."

"I'll wait, Rabb, but six months from our last contact. One letter, email, or phone call every six months or your screwed." She sighed running a shaky hand through her hair. "Think that's reasonable?"

"Yes ma'am." He snapped and leaned in to kiss her lips gently. "I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you, Sarah MacKenzie."

"Hmm. After seven years he's 'pretty sure' Get back to me when you're sure." She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, kissed him senseless, then walked him to the front door. Shutting it while he stood in the hall was the hardest thing she'd ever done.



She woke up precisely eight hours after she'd laid her head on the pillow and smiled at the note she found on the pillow beside her.

In Harm's scrawling hand it read:

Chère Sarah,

Dans le délai de six mois à partir d'aujourd'hui, tu entendras parler de moi. Je te le promets.

Tu as tout de moi.

Au revoir,

Harm

She looked at the paper for a moment before she realize it was French. Struggling to translate, and wonder why he would write her this why, and when on earth he'd learn French she reread the words.

Dear Sarah,

No later than six months from right now you will hear from me. I promise.

You have all of me.

Goodbye,

Harm

Rolling over in her bed, Mac prepared to meet the dawning day.