Title: Dreams And A Mistletoe
Author: Aikaterini
e-mail: militarygirl1905@yahoo.com
Pairing: Harm/Mac - what else?! ;)
Category: Romance/Mystery
Rating: PG-13
Spoiler: Psychic Warrior, Lifeline, Answered Prayers (Preview) and other episodes up to now.
Summary: Mac has some dreams and needs help.
Archiving: Sure, but please tell me about it. All my previous stories can be found at http://jaghq2001.tripod.com/
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of JAG! I'm just borrowing them for this little story! They and the concept of the show belongs to Donald P. Bellisario, CBS, Paramount et all!
Author's Notes: I started this story about two weeks ago, because of a dream I had. It practically begged me to write this story. After I read the spoilers for the preview of 'Answered Prayers', I just had to write a small part about it! ;)
Thanks to Christine, Crystal, Rachel and Sarah for the beta reading! You are great!
WARNING: There are a few elements of magic and spirits and such things, so if you don't like it, don't read it!
~~~~~~~
A dark night. The rain was pounding down on her. She was running through a dark forest and people were shouting behind her. She could only see the torches they were carrying, and she was scared to death. She just knew that she had to run very fast to get away from her pursuers.
Suddenly she felt someone pulling at her arm and pushing her to the ground. An ugly face with many scars was looking down at her and grinning.
"Now, who is this?! Isn't this the girl we were searching for?!"
He smiled evilly at her and turned to talk to someone else behind him, but she couldn't hear a word they were saying and she wasn't able to open her eyes fully to see who it was, because the rain was heavier than before. While she was trying to listen closely to the voices of the two men, she hadn't noticed the others coming closer. The next thing she heard was the first man talking to her.
"So, what should we do with you? We already have a plan, but I'm sure you won't be content with it. Well, just follow us and you will see what I mean." He sneered at her and she felt the fear creeping up her back.
She was led to the small village where many people were already gathered and staring at her as if she was an animal in the zoo. Two men were pushing her to a place that looked very much like a stake and bound her to it. She closed her eyes and began to pray when she felt the heat under her.
"That's what she deserves!" Someone shouted from within the crowd before everything went black...
~~~~~~~
Mac's apartment
0816 Zulu (3:16 AM EST)
Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie woke up with a start. She still felt the heat of the fire and she could still hear the shouting of the crowd. She looked through her room and tried to calm down. Nobody was here, and nobody was following her and there was no fire. It was all a dream. Nothing was real. But it was so vivid, as if she was really there. She checked her internal clock and decided that she could get up. It wasn't her usual time, but she couldn't sleep anyway after this dream.
She got up and headed to the bathroom to shower. Usually she would go for a run, but she had to admit that she was a little scared right now, and to run in the middle of the night wouldn't help, so, she wouldn't go for a run today.
After the shower, she went into the kitchen to get something for breakfast and for a strong coffee. It would be a long day and she had to stay awake, even without much sleep. Sure, Harm would be the first to notice, but she couldn't do anything. He was like a hawk regarding her. If she changed something of her outer appearance, he was always the first to notice and that amazed her a lot, because she would have never thought that he would look at her so closely. Well, a bit more make-up could do wonders and he wouldn't see her restless night in her face.
~~~~~~~
JAG HQ
1325 Zulu (8:25 AM EST)
"Morning Mac! Did you sleep well?" Harm was standing in her doorway and smiling at her. She flinched a little at his remark, but as soon as she saw his smile, she knew that it was just a normal question. No concerned undertone.
"Actually, I slept very well. It was never better. Must be the weather or it is something in the air."
"Uhm, Mac, it's winter. I don't think that it is something in the air. That can only happen in the spring time." He said with a twinkle in his eyes. They both knew what he meant and they had the same thoughts: A porch, a warm night in May... and a passionate kiss.
"Harm?"
"Hm?" Mac must have called his name a few times, but he was so engrossed in his thoughts that he hadn't heard her before. His only thought was about the kiss. It wasn't their first, but it was...
"Harm?! Where were you with your thoughts? I called you four times and you never even looked at me! Is everything all right with you?"
"Sure everything is all right. I was just thinking about something, but I will listen now. So, what did you ask?"
He smiled at her again and she felt her knees getting weak. Thank God that she was sitting or she would have fainted as soon as he stepped into her office.
"I asked if you needed something, since you came into my office."
"Mac! Since when do I need a reason to come into your office? I never needed one before. I was often in here without needing something." 'Except you, of course. I will always need you and it is always nice to step into you office to see you and talk to you.' He thought to himself.
"I know, but that was then and this is now. So, what do you want?"
Harm looked at Mac with a sad expression on his face, and she knew that she made a step in the wrong direction, but she couldn't sit there with him in front of her without thinking of a night in May. Plus she had a lot of work to do, so these thoughts wouldn't do her any good.
"Harm, look, I need to do some more work, and I'm sure that you also need to work. Why can't we talk later? Maybe at lunch?" She saw the smile coming back and felt relief rising up. She hated it when she had hurt him, though she would never do it intentionally.
"Why not? As soon as I am ready, I will come back and we can go to lunch together." Harm flashed his bright smile again at her and left her office.
~~~~~~~
Mac's apartment
2304 Zulu (6:04 PM EST)
Mac stepped into her apartment and sighed deeply. This was such a hectic day and it actually ended worse than she would have thought. She spent much more time in the store to get Harm's Christmas present than she wanted and when she came home, her neighbor was telling her about her new job, although the only thing she wanted was a nice hot bath and to sleep. However, she didn't want to be impolite and listened to the story and smiled now and then when it was appropriate.
Fortunately, she had already eaten on her way home, so she didn't have to bother about that, too. She stepped into her bathroom and let hot water into her tub, along with vanilla and cinnamon bathing oil.
When Mac lay in her tub, she closed her eyes and tried to relax, but as soon as she did that, a light sleep overcame her and she was again in the dark forest with the voices behind her. Her eyes flew open. No, not this dream again! She wouldn't dream about that again. She had to stay awake, though it would be very dangerous to fall asleep in the tub. She could drown and nobody could help her, because nobody was here. She sighed and thought of Harm. What is he doing at the moment? She knew that she shouldn't think of him too much, but that was the only thing that kept her from falling asleep.
After half an hour, the water was cold and she felt better than before, but also more tired. It was barely seven o'clock, but she had to go to bed. The night before was awful enough and she needed the sleep.
Mac stepped out of the tub and headed to the bedroom where she quickly dressed into her nightgown and laid down. Before her head hit the pillow, she was already asleep. And with sleep came the nightmare again. It was always the same scene, but she couldn't make any sense out of this. She looked at the phone beside her bed and thought about calling Harm. It wasn't too late to do so, only half past eleven, but maybe he wasn't alone. He never said so, but it could be possible. She just had to try, since she felt worse than before and she really needed to talk to someone. So, she dialed the familiar number and waited for Harm to pick up.
"Hello?" Came a mumbled voice from the other end.
"Did I wake you?" Great question, Marine! What did you think he was doing? He sounded a lot as if he was sleeping.
"Actually, yes, but it's okay. What time is it?"
"It's 23:31 PM. Sorry that I had to wake you, but I don't feel too well..." She started to say, but was interrupted by a very concerned voice.
"What do you mean, you don't feel too well? What happened? Wait, before you answer, I'll be there as fast as I can!" Mac hadn't even the chance to say something, but what did she expected? She should have said it in another way. Now she could only wait for Harm to arrive. There goes another night of no sleep.
~~~~~~~
Mac's apartment
0503 Zulu (12:03 AM EST)
There was a knock at the door, Mac stood up from her place in front of the fireside and went to the door. She knew that it was Harm - not only because nobody else would come here at this time of the night, but also because of his knocking. She couldn't explain it, but he had a kind of knocking that she would recognize everywhere. It was a funny thing, though she would never tell him so.
As soon as she had opened the door, Harm burst inside and looked her up and down.
"Okay, Mac, I'm here. What is it?! Are you hurt or something? Where? Tell me, please!"
Mac smiled at him. "Calm down, Harm! I'm not hurt and I never said so. You thought that and I couldn't even keep you from these thoughts. Let me guess, you raced all the way here and I'm pretty sure I should be glad that you weren't involved in an accident! Am I right?"
Harm grinned sheepishly at her and Mac couldn't help but thinking that he looked like a little boy who had done something that he shouldn't have.
"Maybe I didn't see one or two traffic lights and I was probably a little too fast, but I was worried. You sounded so desperate on the phone that I thought you were hurt. Now that I think about it, you aren't hurt, but you called me in the middle of the night. What happened?"
"God, I feel so stupid now! I'm sorry that I woke you, I just felt bad after this nightmare and I needed to talk to someone about it and..."
"Wait a sec. A nightmare? So, it is bad. A nightmare can be really scary sometimes and if you had one that made you call me, it must have been a bad one. I mean, you are a Marine and you are very seldom scared."
"Seldom? What about 'never'?!" Mac grinned at Harm.
"Okay, never. You are never scared." He smiled at her and thought about what she had said earlier. About what could this nightmare have been? He took her arm and walked with her to the sofa to sit down.
"I know that you would have never thought of me to be scared of something, but I was and still am and I cannot forget the details of this dream. It was horrible and it wasn't the first time. I had this nightmare two times before and it is always the same. I'm running through the woods, and it's dark. There are men behind me who are pursuing me and they are shouting something, but I cannot make out the words. It is too noisy because of the rain, which is coming down and pounding on the leaves of the trees. I manage to turn around, but it's too dark to see my pursuers. The only thing I can see is that they are carrying torches. When they are very close, I feel someone pushing me down and I was scared to death at that time."
Mac was sobbing quietly while she was talking, so Harm reached for her and took her in his arms to calm her a little bit. "They were saying things to me like 'You are the one' and 'You will get what you deserve', but I don't know what they are talking about. Then they are leading me to a village where many people are gathered around a stake and the next thing I know is, that I am at the stake. The crowd is laughing and cheering, and I feel the heat of the fire. That's all. That's always the time when I wake up. I suppose that this was my death, since nobody can dream about his own death. What does this mean?" She lay secure in Harm's arms and sniffled.
Harm took a long breath and thought about his answer. He was clueless, but he had to be careful, since she was already stressed about this nightmare.
"I don't know what this could mean. I've never heard about such a dream, but I'm no psychologist. You know, maybe you should consider going to one. I know that you don't want to hear that, but that's the only way to find out what is wrong."
Mac lay still for a few seconds and sighed before she said: "You're right. I guess I will do that. But only if you will come with me. I don't want to be alone. I know this sounds ridiculous, but it makes me feel much better. Will you come with me?" She looked up at him with a hopeful look in her eyes. How could he decline?
"Of course I will come with you. Just tell me when and where and I will be there."
"What about tomorrow afternoon? I don't have an address right now, since I was never before at a psychologist's, but I will have one tomorrow. Thanks, Harm, for doing this. I don't think anybody else would do this for me." She had to hold herself back to say something else. He should know that she loved him, but not now. The time wasn't right at the moment. She may lie in his arms, but if she would tell him about her love for him, he could think that she was just saying that because she felt bad and needed to say it. Yes, she did need to say it, but because it is true, not because she would feel protected that way.
"I would do anything for you, Mac. Anything to make you feel better. You look as if you haven't slept for a while. Why don't you try to sleep a little?"
"I can't. If I close my eyes and fall asleep the nightmare is coming back."
"But you have to sleep! Just try it and if the nightmare comes back, remember that I'm here and that nothing can happen to you. Close your eyes, Sarah." Harm kissed her forehead and felt her relax in his arms. She was asleep within a few seconds as well as he, but after a certain time (he couldn't tell what time it was, since the clock was behind him and he did not have an internal clock as Mac has), he felt her moving and mumbling something. He couldn't understand the words, but he could tell that she had a nightmare from her movements. It was as if she was trying to get free. Before he could even think of waking her, she woke up with a start and looked into his eyes.
"There it was again. I told you the nightmare wouldn't let me alone! Please, Harm, help me!" She begged and tears were forming in her eyes, so that he felt the urge to kiss her and everything would be fine again, but that wasn't possible. They had to do something against this nightmare - very fast or Mac would get sick or really insane.
"I really want to help you, but I don't know how, Sarah. First, you need to sleep. I know that it is hard to do so now, but you have to try. Do it for me, okay? I will be here when you wake up, so close your eyes and try to sleep."
~~~~~~~
Mac's apartment
1127 Zulu (6:27 AM EST)
Harm woke up when he felt Mac moving. This time, it wasn't because of the nightmare, that he could tell after this restless night. Every few minutes, she woke up during the night and he knew that it was the nightmare again, but she managed to fall asleep again.
"Morning, Marine! I won't ask you if you slept well, since I know that you hadn't, but can I at least ask you how you're feeling?" He smiled sweetly at her. How come he never noticed that she is so pretty? Well, he seldom had the chance to wake up with her in his arms, that's why!
"Good morning, Sailor! Better not ask how I slept! You know it as well as I that I did not. Though I feel better than yesterday. I don't know why. Maybe it was because I have slept more than yesterday. I think we should get up now or the Admiral will be mad at us for coming too late." Mac tried to sit up, but she couldn't manage, because Harm was still holding her. "Harm? I want to get up, but I cannot do that if you keep on holding me like that."
He grinned at her and held her even tighter. "I know, but it's only because we won't be going to work today. You are way too tired and we have to go somewhere, so that you can get help for your nightmare. I will call in sick today for the both of us."
"You know that they will get suspicious if you call for the both of us. We should at least call separately."
Harm raised one eyebrow and a grin was tugging at his mouth. "And that won't be suspicious?! Mac, I'm sure they can put two and two together, if we call separately or if I will call for the both of us! Now, go to the bathroom and when you are ready, we can go to my place for me to change into other clothes. Then we can go to Bethesda for a psychologist."
Mac laughed and got up to get into the shower. The night wasn't really pleasant because of the nightmare, but she felt good nevertheless. Probably Harm's presence helped her through the night without going insane.
~~~~~~~
Bethesda Naval Hospital
1418 Zulu (9:18 AM EST)
After Mac came out of the bathroom, Harm had already called Tiner and at Bethesda to make an appointment for her, so she just had to get her keys and they left for his apartment.
Now they were here to meet with Dr. Alexis, one of the best psychologists at Bethesda.
Mac stepped to the secretary and told her that she had an appointment with the doctor, and luckily, she could go right through to him, since she was the first. Mac looked at Harm and smiled a beautiful smile at him, which made his knees go weak. What was it with this woman?!
"Commander Alexis? Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie. I had an appointment with you, because of my nightmares. My partner convinced me to talk to you about them."
"That would be right, since nightmares are mostly a cry for help of the soul. It's not necessarily so, but better safe than sorry. So, I suppose that is your partner?" Commander Alexis looked at Harm.
"Commander Harmon Rabb. She asked me to accompany her. I hope this is all right with you?" Harm shook the Commander's hand.
"Sure it is. Everything that makes the patient feel better is good." The doctor turned to Mac again. "If you want to have his company then he can stay as long as you want him to."
"Thank you, Commander."
"So, I guess we should start now. Now, tell me what your nightmare is about."
~~~~~~~
Bethesda Naval Hospital
1605 Zulu (11:05 AM EST)
Mac told Commander Alexis everything she could remember from her nightmare and about her life in general. Everything that could help to let him find the reason for the nightmare.
"I never heard such a thing before. It seems that it is a very vivid dream and that you have the feeling that it is real. It could mean a lot of things. Have you ever contemplated hypnosis? That can help us to find the reason for the dream. Maybe it is your subconscious that tries to tell you something." Commander Alexis suggested.
"I heard a lot about hypnosis, but I never tried it before. I always thought that it would never work with me, because I don't believe in it, but I can try it. Are you sure that it will help to find the source of the nightmare?"
"Nobody can be sure to find the source of a dream, but we have to try everything, so that there will be at least the possibility to find it. So, do you want me to do it now or do you want to have another appointment?"
"Please do it now. I want it to end as soon as possible, so that I can sleep better." Mac glanced nervously at Harm, who took her hand and squeezed it gently, which brought a smile to her face. The Commander looked up at that moment and saw the silence exchange between them. He could definitely see that there was much more between them than only a working relationship and normal friendship. These two officers were so much in love with each other that it couldn't be more obvious. There could as well be a big neon sign flashing above their heads with a big heart in it! "Okay, Colonel, please sit down here and relax as best as possible. Try to clear your thoughts and look at this pendulum. Don't look elsewhere. Look at it and think about nothing."
Harm sat in front of the desk and watched the whole scene very fascinated. He would have never thought that Mac would do this, but she surprised him a lot since the last night. Who knows what else will come?!
After a few minutes, Mac started to talk in a low voice. "I'm scared. They are trying to kill me. Everyone! I have to get away from here, but I don't want to leave him!"
"Leave whom?" asked Commander Alexis.
"Nicholas. He loves me, but his father wants to kill me! I want to leave with him."
"Why don't you do that?"
"He can't. He said he has to stay with his family or they would try to kill him, too. I don't want him to be dead! I love him way too much for that!"
"But they want to kill you!"
"Yes, they do."
"So, why doesn't he help you?"
"He wanted to, but I told him not to. He shouldn't risk his life for me. I'm only a witch and everybody hates me."
"You are a witch?"
"Yes, they keep saying that, because they think I am one, but I'm not. I know it! I'm just an ordinary girl and I never did anything to make them suspicious. I don't know why they think that. They want to burn me at the stake as they did with all the witches here!"
"What is your name?"
"Alyssa Mackingsley."
"And where do you live?"
"In Salem. You probably heard of it before. They burned many witches at the stake here."
"Yes, I heard of it before. So, they want to kill you and you can't run away, because they will get you, if you do? Is that right?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Do you see another way to get away?"
"No, there is no other way. I'm out here in the darkness and it's raining. I try to be as quiet as possible, but they will find me. I know it. I can already hear them!" Mac sounded desperate and tears started to roll down her cheeks. Harm wanted to reach out so badly to brush them away, but he knew that he shouldn't do that now.
"How many people are pursuing you?"
"I don't know. It sounds like about twenty or so, but I'm not sure."
"Is Nicholas among them?"
"No, but his father is. He is the leader of them. That's why he doesn't like me. He always said that I'm not good enough for his son, and when he heard the rumor that I'm a witch, he told me that he will kill me as soon as he got me!"
"Is that the reason why you can't run away with Nicholas?"
"Yes. They would kill him in a much worse way than they will kill me! I hear them! They are here! I can see them!"
"Where are they?"
Mac didn't answer, so Commander Alexis asked again, but still no answer. Harm wanted to stand up, but he managed to stay seated. It would only make it worse if he would jump up and run to her. The Commander knew what he was doing, of that he was sure. So, he sat there and watched the scenario.
"Alyssa? Can you hear me? What happened? Are you still there?"
"So hot! It's too hot here! I can't stand the heat! The fire has nearly reached my legs!"
"Why don't you run away?"
"I can't! They bound me to a pole on a stake!"
"You are at the stake?"
"Yes! They are killing me. I can't stand it anymore."
"Is there anybody who can help you?"
"No! They are all cheering and applauding. Wait, there is Nicholas."
"What is he doing?"
"He just stares at me with a sad expression. I can see that he wants to help me, but he can't."
"Are you mad at him?"
"No. I know that he isn't able to help. I can see his love for me in his eyes. He does love me!"
"That's good, but it won't help you to get away."
"No, that's right, but I can die at least a little happier, now that I know it." Mac let out a small sigh.
"Alyssa? Are you there? Alyssa?"
Suddenly Mac opened her eyes and looked at Commander Alexis. "What happened?"
"Do you remember what happened right now and what you told me?"
"Yes, I remember it, but what does it mean?" Mac cast a nervous look in Harm's direction, who in turn smiled encouragingly, even though he didn't felt it. He knew that he had to help her, so he did his best.
"There could be a few meanings. The first one that comes to my mind is, that you could be reborn. Maybe you already lived - probably as Alyssa Mackingsley. That could be a reason for your strange dreams. I don't want to scare you. This is just my interpretation of this session. I know that it sounds really strange, but you have to think about this possibility, too. Even if you don't believe in such things."
Mac thought about what the Commander just said and tried to find a suitable answer, but she couldn't think straight. She felt as if she was pushed into a world where she didn't belong to. "I guess that's the only possibility, isn't it? I mean, the dreams were too real. What can I do now? There must be a way to get rid of those dreams!" When she looked at Harm again, he decided that it was finally safe for him to get up and go to her, so he sat beside her and put one arm around her. As soon as he did that, he noticed that she was trembling.
"I'm not sure how to say it, but you can try a medium." Commander Alexis watched Mac very closely and saw different emotions struggling within her. She was unsure and scared, but mostly, she was helpless.
"A medium? You really mean that? And that can help?" She was suspicious, especially since she never believed in psychic things before she had the experience when Chloe was missing. After that, she always refused to believe in those things too much, but there was no way she could get around this one. She had to go to a medium or she would go insane. "Do you know where I can find one?"
"Yes, I have an address of one. She is quite good and she cares about everyone who comes to her. You will feel good there."
"Thanks for everything, Commander." Mac stood up and was glad that Harm still had one arm around her waist, since her knees felt very weak. It must be a reaction to everything that happened here.
"That is my job, Colonel. I hope you will find all the answers you are searching for. Could you do me a favor? Could you let me know how it went with the medium?"
"Sure, I will do that." Mac smiled at Commander Alexis and turned to Harm who took her hand and let her out of the room.
~~~~~~~
Enroute to Mac's apartment
1857 Zulu (1:57 PM EST)
"So, Mac, when do you want to go to the medium?" Harm glanced at Mac who sat beside him on the passenger seat.
"I don't know. I will call her and ask her when she has time for me. I hope it will be as soon as possible, because I don't think I can stand it any longer! But first of all it's nearly 2 PM and you have a very hungry Marine sitting beside you!" She grinned at him.
"Your wish is my command. Next stop: Beltway Burgers?" Harm smiled thinking about his always-hungry Marine.
"No, not Beltway Burgers. I don't want you to starve to death. We should go somewhere else. What about a pizza? No, wait, I have a better idea. We get a pizza and get back to my apartment like we did in the old times!" Mac was so engrossed in this thought that Harm could easily imagine her as a little child, though she never had a happy childhood, but she looked like a little child right now. He smiled at her, wishing that her nightmares would be over soon, so that she could be happy again. She so deserves to be happy after everything she endured in her life.
"Hey, Mac, you know that there is the Christmas party at Bud and Harriet's?" Harm suddenly changed the topic.
"Sure. I was one of the first to know about it, remember? That was the reason why you were in a huff." She teased him smiling when she remembered the day.
"I was not!" Harm countered.
"Oh, sure, you were not." Mac said ironically with a twinkle in her eye.
"Anyways, I thought that we, well, maybe we could, I mean..."
"Harm! Just say it! I promise I won't bite!" It was not very often that Harm was at a loss for words. God, he was a lawyer and therefore he should know how to say things!
"Sorry, Mac. I wondered if we could go there together. You know what I mean."
"I do?" Mac decided to tease him a bit more to see him squirm some more.
"Yes, Mac, you do! Don't make it too hard for me! Please?"
"Oh, okay, in that case I know what you meant. Uhm, okay, I will accompany you to the Christmas party. But if you don't behave..."
"I will! I won't do anything that you don't like! Promised!" He looked at her with his puppy dog eyes. He knew that Mac couldn't resist this look!
"Don't look at me like that, flyboy! By the way, what about food? You know what can happen when I'm hungry and don't get my food?!"
Harm just cast a glance at her and drove a little faster to get the pizza.
~~~~~~~
Madame Langella
The next day
0001 Zulu (7:01 PM EST)
"Oh Harm, I'm so nervous! What if she can't help me? I want to get rid of those nightmares!" Mac sighed after she stepped into the waiting room of the office of the medium. She took a look around the room and noticed that it looked like an ordinary doctor's office. She imagined it to look like a dark magic room with heavy curtains and colorful lights, but that wasn't the case here.
"She can help you, you just have to think positive! Believe in it and it will be good. And remember that I'm with you. You are not alone here." He gave her shoulder an encouraging squeeze.
"How can I help you?" The secretary behind the counter asked.
Mac took a step forward and took a deep breath. "My name is Sarah Mackenzie and I had an appointment with Mrs. Langella."
"Yes, Mackenzie. She is already waiting for you. Just go through the door at the right."
Mac turned to Harm who took her hand before they went to the door.
"Ready, Marine?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"No, but I had to ask." He grinned at her and earned a punch at his arm.
"Ow, not so hard! I will need that one in the future!"
Mac only smiled at him and opened the door after knocking on it. "Mrs. Langella?" Behind a large table sat a middle-aged woman with long dark hair and a small slim face. If Mac hadn't known that she was a medium, she would have never thought so. She looked different than she always imagined medium's looking. She looked too...normal. "My name is Mackenzie. I had an appointment today."
"Ah, yes, your nightmares! Come here and sit down. I see you brought you friend along! That's good. It gives you enough strength and it helps a lot. So, you already told my secretary that you have nightmares. Tell me about them, and then tell me about the hypnosis you went through. Anything that can be of help."
Mac told her everything she could remember and reached for Harm's hand a few times when she thought it was too much for her, but he gave her strength in telling everything, just like Mrs. Langella said.
"I see. It certainly sounds as if you were reincarnated. But that's not dangerous. Don't be afraid of it! I will try to talk to a spirit of the time you already lived as Alyssa."
Mrs. Langella closed her eyes and cast a few spells. Only a few minutes later, the room became a bit colder and another presence could be felt. Something else was in there with them.
"He is here. He wants to talk to you." Mrs. Langella said to Mac who was stunned and couldn't move. Harm was equally stunned, but he was able to touch her arm to get her to say something.
"Who wants to talk to me?"
"No, he wants to talk to Alyssa."
"I'm not Alyssa. Maybe I was at one time, but I'm not anymore."
"He knows it, but he wants to tell you something. That's why he gave you those dreams. You had to know what happened, so that he can talk to Alyssa one last time."
"He did that? Who is 'he'?"
"He says his name is Nicholas. He was once in love with Alyssa, but he couldn't help her when she was killed, so he wants to tell her something."
"And what is it?"
"He says that he is sorry for everything that happened for everything that happened those hundreds of years ago, but he couldn't help her. He never married and he spent the rest of his life in Salem, but he led a very unlucky life. He wants to tell Alyssa that he loved her and still does and that she should never forget him."
"She won't forget him and she loves him also." Mac answered after she thought about it. She didn't know why she said that, but it felt right. Maybe it was Alyssa, who was speaking?! She couldn't tell exactly.
As fast as the coldness came, it went and the room was like before. Mrs. Langella looked at Mac and smiled. "I guess that was it. He told me that he could now go peacefully. Alyssa knows how he feels and he is free now."
"That's great! So, that was it? And you're sure that everything is over?" Harm asked the medium, wanting to jump up and leave the room. That was way too scary for him. He knew that Mac found him in the Atlantic with her 'psychic powers' and that she found Chloe that way, but it was still something that he couldn't really believe in. Not after the stunts, that Palmer pulled a few years ago by looking like his Dad.
"Yes, it's over now. Ms. Mackenzie, you can sleep now without any nightmares!"
"Thanks, Mrs. Langella. I'm so glad that you could help me!"
"You're welcome."
Harm and Mac left the office and drove home - neither speaking a word on their way. They still had to think about everything. And it wasn't even sure that the nightmares were gone. Maybe they were still there?!
~~~~~~~
Bud and Harriet's apartment
December 22, 2001
2358 Zulu (6:58 PM EST)
"Hello Commander, Colonel!" Bud greeted Harm and Mac as they entered the apartment as soon as Harriet had opened the door for them.
"Bud, we're not in the office now, so please call me Harm and that's Mac. Harriet is already doing it, so why don't you start, too?" Harm had to smile when Bud looked a bit uncomfortable. He matured a lot since Harm first met him, but there was a small part of Bud who was still a shy child.
"Yes, Bud, relax! We have a Christmas party here and we are not in the office, so you can call them with their names and not their rank." Harriet jumped in. She knew that Bud was embarrassed, so she tried to lighten the mood a little. "Who wantsa drink? Some snacks are over there. Feel free to help yourselves."
"Thanks, Harriet. And Bud? Don't feel bad. One day it will be quite normal to you, to call us Harm and Mac." Mac patted Bud on the back, before she went with Harm to get something to eat. The nightmares were finally over. Thanks to Mrs. Langella who helped her getting rid of them.
~~~~~~~
Bud and Harriet's apartment
0044 Zulu (7:44 PM EST)
Everyone was finally there and the party was in full swing. Even the Admiral was there and he didn't say anything when Bud played his CD with the Christmas songs of the Chipmunks. He liked that CD a lot, but nobody of his office had to know, since it could potentially be embarrassing. It had to stay his secret.
Harm and Mac were standing beside the window, looking outside. It had begun to snow a few minutes ago and the streets were already white.
"I guess we should leave sooner than we want to. The snow is getting heavier and we still have to get home. Or do you want to be snowed in?" Harm pointed out to Mac who was looking fascinated at the small ice crystals on the window.
"That depends." Mac answered with a dreamy expression.
"On what?"
"Where and with whom." She said with a twinkle in her eyes and turned around to go to Harriet.
Harm was shell-shocked. Was it just his imagination or was she flirting with him? Who would have thought that Mac would make those comments with a very strong double meaning?! He should really give her a red light for that one, but on another thought - maybe not. It should definitely be a green light.
He strolled over to Mac and Harriet and decided to get his thoughts under control by talking to Harriet about little AJ, but he couldn't help it that he always imagined how a child of him and Mac would look like.
~~~~~~~
Bud and Harriet's apartment
0304 Zulu (10:04 PM EST)
"You already want to leave? It's just a few minutes past ten and tomorrow is Sunday. Are you sure you don't want to stay any longer?" Harriet tried to talk Harm and Mac out of leaving so soon, since everyone was still there.
"Yes, Harriet, we have to. The snow is getting heavier with every minute and if we don't leave soon we don't have a chance to get home tonight. I'm so sorry that we have to leave now, but I hope you understand?" Mac tried to explain the reason of their leaving to Harriet.
"I do. Just let me get the others, so that they can say goodbye to you, okay?" Harriet hurried into the living room to get the others, while Harm and Mac were still standing in the doorway. Suddenly Harm glanced up and saw mistletoe hanging there.
"Hey, Mac. Look at this!" He pointed to the mistletoe.
"Yeah, so?"
"You know what should be done under the mistletoe, don't you?" Harm smiled at her.
Mac felt a little awkward at first. The others could be coming every second and Harm was talking about a mistletoe! "I know what you mean, but forget it! You know where we are!"
"Hey, it's a simple mistletoe, and I'm sure the others know it, so..."
He couldn't talk anymore, because Mac was looking directly into his eyes with so much love in her eyes that he had to take a deep breath. They moved closer and closer until they could feel the body heat of each other very closely. Harm took the last step and kissed her softly. She leaned in closer and put her arms around his neck while kissing him. After a few seconds, Harm thought they should stop before it got to intense and there was still the 'danger' of the other guests coming into the room. They parted and stood like this for a moment, until Mac decided to say something.
"I admit it. It was a good idea." She smiled at him with so much desire in her eyes that he thought he would die every moment. What did he do to get so lucky?
"Thanks." He grinned back at her. "Maybe we can continue this somewhere else?"
"Your place? As soon as we are out of here?" She looked hopefully at him.
"Deal!" Harm managed to say before the others came into the room to say their goodbyes.
~~~~~~~
The End
~~~~~~~
Author: Aikaterini
e-mail: militarygirl1905@yahoo.com
Pairing: Harm/Mac - what else?! ;)
Category: Romance/Mystery
Rating: PG-13
Spoiler: Psychic Warrior, Lifeline, Answered Prayers (Preview) and other episodes up to now.
Summary: Mac has some dreams and needs help.
Archiving: Sure, but please tell me about it. All my previous stories can be found at http://jaghq2001.tripod.com/
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of JAG! I'm just borrowing them for this little story! They and the concept of the show belongs to Donald P. Bellisario, CBS, Paramount et all!
Author's Notes: I started this story about two weeks ago, because of a dream I had. It practically begged me to write this story. After I read the spoilers for the preview of 'Answered Prayers', I just had to write a small part about it! ;)
Thanks to Christine, Crystal, Rachel and Sarah for the beta reading! You are great!
WARNING: There are a few elements of magic and spirits and such things, so if you don't like it, don't read it!
~~~~~~~
A dark night. The rain was pounding down on her. She was running through a dark forest and people were shouting behind her. She could only see the torches they were carrying, and she was scared to death. She just knew that she had to run very fast to get away from her pursuers.
Suddenly she felt someone pulling at her arm and pushing her to the ground. An ugly face with many scars was looking down at her and grinning.
"Now, who is this?! Isn't this the girl we were searching for?!"
He smiled evilly at her and turned to talk to someone else behind him, but she couldn't hear a word they were saying and she wasn't able to open her eyes fully to see who it was, because the rain was heavier than before. While she was trying to listen closely to the voices of the two men, she hadn't noticed the others coming closer. The next thing she heard was the first man talking to her.
"So, what should we do with you? We already have a plan, but I'm sure you won't be content with it. Well, just follow us and you will see what I mean." He sneered at her and she felt the fear creeping up her back.
She was led to the small village where many people were already gathered and staring at her as if she was an animal in the zoo. Two men were pushing her to a place that looked very much like a stake and bound her to it. She closed her eyes and began to pray when she felt the heat under her.
"That's what she deserves!" Someone shouted from within the crowd before everything went black...
~~~~~~~
Mac's apartment
0816 Zulu (3:16 AM EST)
Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie woke up with a start. She still felt the heat of the fire and she could still hear the shouting of the crowd. She looked through her room and tried to calm down. Nobody was here, and nobody was following her and there was no fire. It was all a dream. Nothing was real. But it was so vivid, as if she was really there. She checked her internal clock and decided that she could get up. It wasn't her usual time, but she couldn't sleep anyway after this dream.
She got up and headed to the bathroom to shower. Usually she would go for a run, but she had to admit that she was a little scared right now, and to run in the middle of the night wouldn't help, so, she wouldn't go for a run today.
After the shower, she went into the kitchen to get something for breakfast and for a strong coffee. It would be a long day and she had to stay awake, even without much sleep. Sure, Harm would be the first to notice, but she couldn't do anything. He was like a hawk regarding her. If she changed something of her outer appearance, he was always the first to notice and that amazed her a lot, because she would have never thought that he would look at her so closely. Well, a bit more make-up could do wonders and he wouldn't see her restless night in her face.
~~~~~~~
JAG HQ
1325 Zulu (8:25 AM EST)
"Morning Mac! Did you sleep well?" Harm was standing in her doorway and smiling at her. She flinched a little at his remark, but as soon as she saw his smile, she knew that it was just a normal question. No concerned undertone.
"Actually, I slept very well. It was never better. Must be the weather or it is something in the air."
"Uhm, Mac, it's winter. I don't think that it is something in the air. That can only happen in the spring time." He said with a twinkle in his eyes. They both knew what he meant and they had the same thoughts: A porch, a warm night in May... and a passionate kiss.
"Harm?"
"Hm?" Mac must have called his name a few times, but he was so engrossed in his thoughts that he hadn't heard her before. His only thought was about the kiss. It wasn't their first, but it was...
"Harm?! Where were you with your thoughts? I called you four times and you never even looked at me! Is everything all right with you?"
"Sure everything is all right. I was just thinking about something, but I will listen now. So, what did you ask?"
He smiled at her again and she felt her knees getting weak. Thank God that she was sitting or she would have fainted as soon as he stepped into her office.
"I asked if you needed something, since you came into my office."
"Mac! Since when do I need a reason to come into your office? I never needed one before. I was often in here without needing something." 'Except you, of course. I will always need you and it is always nice to step into you office to see you and talk to you.' He thought to himself.
"I know, but that was then and this is now. So, what do you want?"
Harm looked at Mac with a sad expression on his face, and she knew that she made a step in the wrong direction, but she couldn't sit there with him in front of her without thinking of a night in May. Plus she had a lot of work to do, so these thoughts wouldn't do her any good.
"Harm, look, I need to do some more work, and I'm sure that you also need to work. Why can't we talk later? Maybe at lunch?" She saw the smile coming back and felt relief rising up. She hated it when she had hurt him, though she would never do it intentionally.
"Why not? As soon as I am ready, I will come back and we can go to lunch together." Harm flashed his bright smile again at her and left her office.
~~~~~~~
Mac's apartment
2304 Zulu (6:04 PM EST)
Mac stepped into her apartment and sighed deeply. This was such a hectic day and it actually ended worse than she would have thought. She spent much more time in the store to get Harm's Christmas present than she wanted and when she came home, her neighbor was telling her about her new job, although the only thing she wanted was a nice hot bath and to sleep. However, she didn't want to be impolite and listened to the story and smiled now and then when it was appropriate.
Fortunately, she had already eaten on her way home, so she didn't have to bother about that, too. She stepped into her bathroom and let hot water into her tub, along with vanilla and cinnamon bathing oil.
When Mac lay in her tub, she closed her eyes and tried to relax, but as soon as she did that, a light sleep overcame her and she was again in the dark forest with the voices behind her. Her eyes flew open. No, not this dream again! She wouldn't dream about that again. She had to stay awake, though it would be very dangerous to fall asleep in the tub. She could drown and nobody could help her, because nobody was here. She sighed and thought of Harm. What is he doing at the moment? She knew that she shouldn't think of him too much, but that was the only thing that kept her from falling asleep.
After half an hour, the water was cold and she felt better than before, but also more tired. It was barely seven o'clock, but she had to go to bed. The night before was awful enough and she needed the sleep.
Mac stepped out of the tub and headed to the bedroom where she quickly dressed into her nightgown and laid down. Before her head hit the pillow, she was already asleep. And with sleep came the nightmare again. It was always the same scene, but she couldn't make any sense out of this. She looked at the phone beside her bed and thought about calling Harm. It wasn't too late to do so, only half past eleven, but maybe he wasn't alone. He never said so, but it could be possible. She just had to try, since she felt worse than before and she really needed to talk to someone. So, she dialed the familiar number and waited for Harm to pick up.
"Hello?" Came a mumbled voice from the other end.
"Did I wake you?" Great question, Marine! What did you think he was doing? He sounded a lot as if he was sleeping.
"Actually, yes, but it's okay. What time is it?"
"It's 23:31 PM. Sorry that I had to wake you, but I don't feel too well..." She started to say, but was interrupted by a very concerned voice.
"What do you mean, you don't feel too well? What happened? Wait, before you answer, I'll be there as fast as I can!" Mac hadn't even the chance to say something, but what did she expected? She should have said it in another way. Now she could only wait for Harm to arrive. There goes another night of no sleep.
~~~~~~~
Mac's apartment
0503 Zulu (12:03 AM EST)
There was a knock at the door, Mac stood up from her place in front of the fireside and went to the door. She knew that it was Harm - not only because nobody else would come here at this time of the night, but also because of his knocking. She couldn't explain it, but he had a kind of knocking that she would recognize everywhere. It was a funny thing, though she would never tell him so.
As soon as she had opened the door, Harm burst inside and looked her up and down.
"Okay, Mac, I'm here. What is it?! Are you hurt or something? Where? Tell me, please!"
Mac smiled at him. "Calm down, Harm! I'm not hurt and I never said so. You thought that and I couldn't even keep you from these thoughts. Let me guess, you raced all the way here and I'm pretty sure I should be glad that you weren't involved in an accident! Am I right?"
Harm grinned sheepishly at her and Mac couldn't help but thinking that he looked like a little boy who had done something that he shouldn't have.
"Maybe I didn't see one or two traffic lights and I was probably a little too fast, but I was worried. You sounded so desperate on the phone that I thought you were hurt. Now that I think about it, you aren't hurt, but you called me in the middle of the night. What happened?"
"God, I feel so stupid now! I'm sorry that I woke you, I just felt bad after this nightmare and I needed to talk to someone about it and..."
"Wait a sec. A nightmare? So, it is bad. A nightmare can be really scary sometimes and if you had one that made you call me, it must have been a bad one. I mean, you are a Marine and you are very seldom scared."
"Seldom? What about 'never'?!" Mac grinned at Harm.
"Okay, never. You are never scared." He smiled at her and thought about what she had said earlier. About what could this nightmare have been? He took her arm and walked with her to the sofa to sit down.
"I know that you would have never thought of me to be scared of something, but I was and still am and I cannot forget the details of this dream. It was horrible and it wasn't the first time. I had this nightmare two times before and it is always the same. I'm running through the woods, and it's dark. There are men behind me who are pursuing me and they are shouting something, but I cannot make out the words. It is too noisy because of the rain, which is coming down and pounding on the leaves of the trees. I manage to turn around, but it's too dark to see my pursuers. The only thing I can see is that they are carrying torches. When they are very close, I feel someone pushing me down and I was scared to death at that time."
Mac was sobbing quietly while she was talking, so Harm reached for her and took her in his arms to calm her a little bit. "They were saying things to me like 'You are the one' and 'You will get what you deserve', but I don't know what they are talking about. Then they are leading me to a village where many people are gathered around a stake and the next thing I know is, that I am at the stake. The crowd is laughing and cheering, and I feel the heat of the fire. That's all. That's always the time when I wake up. I suppose that this was my death, since nobody can dream about his own death. What does this mean?" She lay secure in Harm's arms and sniffled.
Harm took a long breath and thought about his answer. He was clueless, but he had to be careful, since she was already stressed about this nightmare.
"I don't know what this could mean. I've never heard about such a dream, but I'm no psychologist. You know, maybe you should consider going to one. I know that you don't want to hear that, but that's the only way to find out what is wrong."
Mac lay still for a few seconds and sighed before she said: "You're right. I guess I will do that. But only if you will come with me. I don't want to be alone. I know this sounds ridiculous, but it makes me feel much better. Will you come with me?" She looked up at him with a hopeful look in her eyes. How could he decline?
"Of course I will come with you. Just tell me when and where and I will be there."
"What about tomorrow afternoon? I don't have an address right now, since I was never before at a psychologist's, but I will have one tomorrow. Thanks, Harm, for doing this. I don't think anybody else would do this for me." She had to hold herself back to say something else. He should know that she loved him, but not now. The time wasn't right at the moment. She may lie in his arms, but if she would tell him about her love for him, he could think that she was just saying that because she felt bad and needed to say it. Yes, she did need to say it, but because it is true, not because she would feel protected that way.
"I would do anything for you, Mac. Anything to make you feel better. You look as if you haven't slept for a while. Why don't you try to sleep a little?"
"I can't. If I close my eyes and fall asleep the nightmare is coming back."
"But you have to sleep! Just try it and if the nightmare comes back, remember that I'm here and that nothing can happen to you. Close your eyes, Sarah." Harm kissed her forehead and felt her relax in his arms. She was asleep within a few seconds as well as he, but after a certain time (he couldn't tell what time it was, since the clock was behind him and he did not have an internal clock as Mac has), he felt her moving and mumbling something. He couldn't understand the words, but he could tell that she had a nightmare from her movements. It was as if she was trying to get free. Before he could even think of waking her, she woke up with a start and looked into his eyes.
"There it was again. I told you the nightmare wouldn't let me alone! Please, Harm, help me!" She begged and tears were forming in her eyes, so that he felt the urge to kiss her and everything would be fine again, but that wasn't possible. They had to do something against this nightmare - very fast or Mac would get sick or really insane.
"I really want to help you, but I don't know how, Sarah. First, you need to sleep. I know that it is hard to do so now, but you have to try. Do it for me, okay? I will be here when you wake up, so close your eyes and try to sleep."
~~~~~~~
Mac's apartment
1127 Zulu (6:27 AM EST)
Harm woke up when he felt Mac moving. This time, it wasn't because of the nightmare, that he could tell after this restless night. Every few minutes, she woke up during the night and he knew that it was the nightmare again, but she managed to fall asleep again.
"Morning, Marine! I won't ask you if you slept well, since I know that you hadn't, but can I at least ask you how you're feeling?" He smiled sweetly at her. How come he never noticed that she is so pretty? Well, he seldom had the chance to wake up with her in his arms, that's why!
"Good morning, Sailor! Better not ask how I slept! You know it as well as I that I did not. Though I feel better than yesterday. I don't know why. Maybe it was because I have slept more than yesterday. I think we should get up now or the Admiral will be mad at us for coming too late." Mac tried to sit up, but she couldn't manage, because Harm was still holding her. "Harm? I want to get up, but I cannot do that if you keep on holding me like that."
He grinned at her and held her even tighter. "I know, but it's only because we won't be going to work today. You are way too tired and we have to go somewhere, so that you can get help for your nightmare. I will call in sick today for the both of us."
"You know that they will get suspicious if you call for the both of us. We should at least call separately."
Harm raised one eyebrow and a grin was tugging at his mouth. "And that won't be suspicious?! Mac, I'm sure they can put two and two together, if we call separately or if I will call for the both of us! Now, go to the bathroom and when you are ready, we can go to my place for me to change into other clothes. Then we can go to Bethesda for a psychologist."
Mac laughed and got up to get into the shower. The night wasn't really pleasant because of the nightmare, but she felt good nevertheless. Probably Harm's presence helped her through the night without going insane.
~~~~~~~
Bethesda Naval Hospital
1418 Zulu (9:18 AM EST)
After Mac came out of the bathroom, Harm had already called Tiner and at Bethesda to make an appointment for her, so she just had to get her keys and they left for his apartment.
Now they were here to meet with Dr. Alexis, one of the best psychologists at Bethesda.
Mac stepped to the secretary and told her that she had an appointment with the doctor, and luckily, she could go right through to him, since she was the first. Mac looked at Harm and smiled a beautiful smile at him, which made his knees go weak. What was it with this woman?!
"Commander Alexis? Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie. I had an appointment with you, because of my nightmares. My partner convinced me to talk to you about them."
"That would be right, since nightmares are mostly a cry for help of the soul. It's not necessarily so, but better safe than sorry. So, I suppose that is your partner?" Commander Alexis looked at Harm.
"Commander Harmon Rabb. She asked me to accompany her. I hope this is all right with you?" Harm shook the Commander's hand.
"Sure it is. Everything that makes the patient feel better is good." The doctor turned to Mac again. "If you want to have his company then he can stay as long as you want him to."
"Thank you, Commander."
"So, I guess we should start now. Now, tell me what your nightmare is about."
~~~~~~~
Bethesda Naval Hospital
1605 Zulu (11:05 AM EST)
Mac told Commander Alexis everything she could remember from her nightmare and about her life in general. Everything that could help to let him find the reason for the nightmare.
"I never heard such a thing before. It seems that it is a very vivid dream and that you have the feeling that it is real. It could mean a lot of things. Have you ever contemplated hypnosis? That can help us to find the reason for the dream. Maybe it is your subconscious that tries to tell you something." Commander Alexis suggested.
"I heard a lot about hypnosis, but I never tried it before. I always thought that it would never work with me, because I don't believe in it, but I can try it. Are you sure that it will help to find the source of the nightmare?"
"Nobody can be sure to find the source of a dream, but we have to try everything, so that there will be at least the possibility to find it. So, do you want me to do it now or do you want to have another appointment?"
"Please do it now. I want it to end as soon as possible, so that I can sleep better." Mac glanced nervously at Harm, who took her hand and squeezed it gently, which brought a smile to her face. The Commander looked up at that moment and saw the silence exchange between them. He could definitely see that there was much more between them than only a working relationship and normal friendship. These two officers were so much in love with each other that it couldn't be more obvious. There could as well be a big neon sign flashing above their heads with a big heart in it! "Okay, Colonel, please sit down here and relax as best as possible. Try to clear your thoughts and look at this pendulum. Don't look elsewhere. Look at it and think about nothing."
Harm sat in front of the desk and watched the whole scene very fascinated. He would have never thought that Mac would do this, but she surprised him a lot since the last night. Who knows what else will come?!
After a few minutes, Mac started to talk in a low voice. "I'm scared. They are trying to kill me. Everyone! I have to get away from here, but I don't want to leave him!"
"Leave whom?" asked Commander Alexis.
"Nicholas. He loves me, but his father wants to kill me! I want to leave with him."
"Why don't you do that?"
"He can't. He said he has to stay with his family or they would try to kill him, too. I don't want him to be dead! I love him way too much for that!"
"But they want to kill you!"
"Yes, they do."
"So, why doesn't he help you?"
"He wanted to, but I told him not to. He shouldn't risk his life for me. I'm only a witch and everybody hates me."
"You are a witch?"
"Yes, they keep saying that, because they think I am one, but I'm not. I know it! I'm just an ordinary girl and I never did anything to make them suspicious. I don't know why they think that. They want to burn me at the stake as they did with all the witches here!"
"What is your name?"
"Alyssa Mackingsley."
"And where do you live?"
"In Salem. You probably heard of it before. They burned many witches at the stake here."
"Yes, I heard of it before. So, they want to kill you and you can't run away, because they will get you, if you do? Is that right?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Do you see another way to get away?"
"No, there is no other way. I'm out here in the darkness and it's raining. I try to be as quiet as possible, but they will find me. I know it. I can already hear them!" Mac sounded desperate and tears started to roll down her cheeks. Harm wanted to reach out so badly to brush them away, but he knew that he shouldn't do that now.
"How many people are pursuing you?"
"I don't know. It sounds like about twenty or so, but I'm not sure."
"Is Nicholas among them?"
"No, but his father is. He is the leader of them. That's why he doesn't like me. He always said that I'm not good enough for his son, and when he heard the rumor that I'm a witch, he told me that he will kill me as soon as he got me!"
"Is that the reason why you can't run away with Nicholas?"
"Yes. They would kill him in a much worse way than they will kill me! I hear them! They are here! I can see them!"
"Where are they?"
Mac didn't answer, so Commander Alexis asked again, but still no answer. Harm wanted to stand up, but he managed to stay seated. It would only make it worse if he would jump up and run to her. The Commander knew what he was doing, of that he was sure. So, he sat there and watched the scenario.
"Alyssa? Can you hear me? What happened? Are you still there?"
"So hot! It's too hot here! I can't stand the heat! The fire has nearly reached my legs!"
"Why don't you run away?"
"I can't! They bound me to a pole on a stake!"
"You are at the stake?"
"Yes! They are killing me. I can't stand it anymore."
"Is there anybody who can help you?"
"No! They are all cheering and applauding. Wait, there is Nicholas."
"What is he doing?"
"He just stares at me with a sad expression. I can see that he wants to help me, but he can't."
"Are you mad at him?"
"No. I know that he isn't able to help. I can see his love for me in his eyes. He does love me!"
"That's good, but it won't help you to get away."
"No, that's right, but I can die at least a little happier, now that I know it." Mac let out a small sigh.
"Alyssa? Are you there? Alyssa?"
Suddenly Mac opened her eyes and looked at Commander Alexis. "What happened?"
"Do you remember what happened right now and what you told me?"
"Yes, I remember it, but what does it mean?" Mac cast a nervous look in Harm's direction, who in turn smiled encouragingly, even though he didn't felt it. He knew that he had to help her, so he did his best.
"There could be a few meanings. The first one that comes to my mind is, that you could be reborn. Maybe you already lived - probably as Alyssa Mackingsley. That could be a reason for your strange dreams. I don't want to scare you. This is just my interpretation of this session. I know that it sounds really strange, but you have to think about this possibility, too. Even if you don't believe in such things."
Mac thought about what the Commander just said and tried to find a suitable answer, but she couldn't think straight. She felt as if she was pushed into a world where she didn't belong to. "I guess that's the only possibility, isn't it? I mean, the dreams were too real. What can I do now? There must be a way to get rid of those dreams!" When she looked at Harm again, he decided that it was finally safe for him to get up and go to her, so he sat beside her and put one arm around her. As soon as he did that, he noticed that she was trembling.
"I'm not sure how to say it, but you can try a medium." Commander Alexis watched Mac very closely and saw different emotions struggling within her. She was unsure and scared, but mostly, she was helpless.
"A medium? You really mean that? And that can help?" She was suspicious, especially since she never believed in psychic things before she had the experience when Chloe was missing. After that, she always refused to believe in those things too much, but there was no way she could get around this one. She had to go to a medium or she would go insane. "Do you know where I can find one?"
"Yes, I have an address of one. She is quite good and she cares about everyone who comes to her. You will feel good there."
"Thanks for everything, Commander." Mac stood up and was glad that Harm still had one arm around her waist, since her knees felt very weak. It must be a reaction to everything that happened here.
"That is my job, Colonel. I hope you will find all the answers you are searching for. Could you do me a favor? Could you let me know how it went with the medium?"
"Sure, I will do that." Mac smiled at Commander Alexis and turned to Harm who took her hand and let her out of the room.
~~~~~~~
Enroute to Mac's apartment
1857 Zulu (1:57 PM EST)
"So, Mac, when do you want to go to the medium?" Harm glanced at Mac who sat beside him on the passenger seat.
"I don't know. I will call her and ask her when she has time for me. I hope it will be as soon as possible, because I don't think I can stand it any longer! But first of all it's nearly 2 PM and you have a very hungry Marine sitting beside you!" She grinned at him.
"Your wish is my command. Next stop: Beltway Burgers?" Harm smiled thinking about his always-hungry Marine.
"No, not Beltway Burgers. I don't want you to starve to death. We should go somewhere else. What about a pizza? No, wait, I have a better idea. We get a pizza and get back to my apartment like we did in the old times!" Mac was so engrossed in this thought that Harm could easily imagine her as a little child, though she never had a happy childhood, but she looked like a little child right now. He smiled at her, wishing that her nightmares would be over soon, so that she could be happy again. She so deserves to be happy after everything she endured in her life.
"Hey, Mac, you know that there is the Christmas party at Bud and Harriet's?" Harm suddenly changed the topic.
"Sure. I was one of the first to know about it, remember? That was the reason why you were in a huff." She teased him smiling when she remembered the day.
"I was not!" Harm countered.
"Oh, sure, you were not." Mac said ironically with a twinkle in her eye.
"Anyways, I thought that we, well, maybe we could, I mean..."
"Harm! Just say it! I promise I won't bite!" It was not very often that Harm was at a loss for words. God, he was a lawyer and therefore he should know how to say things!
"Sorry, Mac. I wondered if we could go there together. You know what I mean."
"I do?" Mac decided to tease him a bit more to see him squirm some more.
"Yes, Mac, you do! Don't make it too hard for me! Please?"
"Oh, okay, in that case I know what you meant. Uhm, okay, I will accompany you to the Christmas party. But if you don't behave..."
"I will! I won't do anything that you don't like! Promised!" He looked at her with his puppy dog eyes. He knew that Mac couldn't resist this look!
"Don't look at me like that, flyboy! By the way, what about food? You know what can happen when I'm hungry and don't get my food?!"
Harm just cast a glance at her and drove a little faster to get the pizza.
~~~~~~~
Madame Langella
The next day
0001 Zulu (7:01 PM EST)
"Oh Harm, I'm so nervous! What if she can't help me? I want to get rid of those nightmares!" Mac sighed after she stepped into the waiting room of the office of the medium. She took a look around the room and noticed that it looked like an ordinary doctor's office. She imagined it to look like a dark magic room with heavy curtains and colorful lights, but that wasn't the case here.
"She can help you, you just have to think positive! Believe in it and it will be good. And remember that I'm with you. You are not alone here." He gave her shoulder an encouraging squeeze.
"How can I help you?" The secretary behind the counter asked.
Mac took a step forward and took a deep breath. "My name is Sarah Mackenzie and I had an appointment with Mrs. Langella."
"Yes, Mackenzie. She is already waiting for you. Just go through the door at the right."
Mac turned to Harm who took her hand before they went to the door.
"Ready, Marine?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"No, but I had to ask." He grinned at her and earned a punch at his arm.
"Ow, not so hard! I will need that one in the future!"
Mac only smiled at him and opened the door after knocking on it. "Mrs. Langella?" Behind a large table sat a middle-aged woman with long dark hair and a small slim face. If Mac hadn't known that she was a medium, she would have never thought so. She looked different than she always imagined medium's looking. She looked too...normal. "My name is Mackenzie. I had an appointment today."
"Ah, yes, your nightmares! Come here and sit down. I see you brought you friend along! That's good. It gives you enough strength and it helps a lot. So, you already told my secretary that you have nightmares. Tell me about them, and then tell me about the hypnosis you went through. Anything that can be of help."
Mac told her everything she could remember and reached for Harm's hand a few times when she thought it was too much for her, but he gave her strength in telling everything, just like Mrs. Langella said.
"I see. It certainly sounds as if you were reincarnated. But that's not dangerous. Don't be afraid of it! I will try to talk to a spirit of the time you already lived as Alyssa."
Mrs. Langella closed her eyes and cast a few spells. Only a few minutes later, the room became a bit colder and another presence could be felt. Something else was in there with them.
"He is here. He wants to talk to you." Mrs. Langella said to Mac who was stunned and couldn't move. Harm was equally stunned, but he was able to touch her arm to get her to say something.
"Who wants to talk to me?"
"No, he wants to talk to Alyssa."
"I'm not Alyssa. Maybe I was at one time, but I'm not anymore."
"He knows it, but he wants to tell you something. That's why he gave you those dreams. You had to know what happened, so that he can talk to Alyssa one last time."
"He did that? Who is 'he'?"
"He says his name is Nicholas. He was once in love with Alyssa, but he couldn't help her when she was killed, so he wants to tell her something."
"And what is it?"
"He says that he is sorry for everything that happened for everything that happened those hundreds of years ago, but he couldn't help her. He never married and he spent the rest of his life in Salem, but he led a very unlucky life. He wants to tell Alyssa that he loved her and still does and that she should never forget him."
"She won't forget him and she loves him also." Mac answered after she thought about it. She didn't know why she said that, but it felt right. Maybe it was Alyssa, who was speaking?! She couldn't tell exactly.
As fast as the coldness came, it went and the room was like before. Mrs. Langella looked at Mac and smiled. "I guess that was it. He told me that he could now go peacefully. Alyssa knows how he feels and he is free now."
"That's great! So, that was it? And you're sure that everything is over?" Harm asked the medium, wanting to jump up and leave the room. That was way too scary for him. He knew that Mac found him in the Atlantic with her 'psychic powers' and that she found Chloe that way, but it was still something that he couldn't really believe in. Not after the stunts, that Palmer pulled a few years ago by looking like his Dad.
"Yes, it's over now. Ms. Mackenzie, you can sleep now without any nightmares!"
"Thanks, Mrs. Langella. I'm so glad that you could help me!"
"You're welcome."
Harm and Mac left the office and drove home - neither speaking a word on their way. They still had to think about everything. And it wasn't even sure that the nightmares were gone. Maybe they were still there?!
~~~~~~~
Bud and Harriet's apartment
December 22, 2001
2358 Zulu (6:58 PM EST)
"Hello Commander, Colonel!" Bud greeted Harm and Mac as they entered the apartment as soon as Harriet had opened the door for them.
"Bud, we're not in the office now, so please call me Harm and that's Mac. Harriet is already doing it, so why don't you start, too?" Harm had to smile when Bud looked a bit uncomfortable. He matured a lot since Harm first met him, but there was a small part of Bud who was still a shy child.
"Yes, Bud, relax! We have a Christmas party here and we are not in the office, so you can call them with their names and not their rank." Harriet jumped in. She knew that Bud was embarrassed, so she tried to lighten the mood a little. "Who wantsa drink? Some snacks are over there. Feel free to help yourselves."
"Thanks, Harriet. And Bud? Don't feel bad. One day it will be quite normal to you, to call us Harm and Mac." Mac patted Bud on the back, before she went with Harm to get something to eat. The nightmares were finally over. Thanks to Mrs. Langella who helped her getting rid of them.
~~~~~~~
Bud and Harriet's apartment
0044 Zulu (7:44 PM EST)
Everyone was finally there and the party was in full swing. Even the Admiral was there and he didn't say anything when Bud played his CD with the Christmas songs of the Chipmunks. He liked that CD a lot, but nobody of his office had to know, since it could potentially be embarrassing. It had to stay his secret.
Harm and Mac were standing beside the window, looking outside. It had begun to snow a few minutes ago and the streets were already white.
"I guess we should leave sooner than we want to. The snow is getting heavier and we still have to get home. Or do you want to be snowed in?" Harm pointed out to Mac who was looking fascinated at the small ice crystals on the window.
"That depends." Mac answered with a dreamy expression.
"On what?"
"Where and with whom." She said with a twinkle in her eyes and turned around to go to Harriet.
Harm was shell-shocked. Was it just his imagination or was she flirting with him? Who would have thought that Mac would make those comments with a very strong double meaning?! He should really give her a red light for that one, but on another thought - maybe not. It should definitely be a green light.
He strolled over to Mac and Harriet and decided to get his thoughts under control by talking to Harriet about little AJ, but he couldn't help it that he always imagined how a child of him and Mac would look like.
~~~~~~~
Bud and Harriet's apartment
0304 Zulu (10:04 PM EST)
"You already want to leave? It's just a few minutes past ten and tomorrow is Sunday. Are you sure you don't want to stay any longer?" Harriet tried to talk Harm and Mac out of leaving so soon, since everyone was still there.
"Yes, Harriet, we have to. The snow is getting heavier with every minute and if we don't leave soon we don't have a chance to get home tonight. I'm so sorry that we have to leave now, but I hope you understand?" Mac tried to explain the reason of their leaving to Harriet.
"I do. Just let me get the others, so that they can say goodbye to you, okay?" Harriet hurried into the living room to get the others, while Harm and Mac were still standing in the doorway. Suddenly Harm glanced up and saw mistletoe hanging there.
"Hey, Mac. Look at this!" He pointed to the mistletoe.
"Yeah, so?"
"You know what should be done under the mistletoe, don't you?" Harm smiled at her.
Mac felt a little awkward at first. The others could be coming every second and Harm was talking about a mistletoe! "I know what you mean, but forget it! You know where we are!"
"Hey, it's a simple mistletoe, and I'm sure the others know it, so..."
He couldn't talk anymore, because Mac was looking directly into his eyes with so much love in her eyes that he had to take a deep breath. They moved closer and closer until they could feel the body heat of each other very closely. Harm took the last step and kissed her softly. She leaned in closer and put her arms around his neck while kissing him. After a few seconds, Harm thought they should stop before it got to intense and there was still the 'danger' of the other guests coming into the room. They parted and stood like this for a moment, until Mac decided to say something.
"I admit it. It was a good idea." She smiled at him with so much desire in her eyes that he thought he would die every moment. What did he do to get so lucky?
"Thanks." He grinned back at her. "Maybe we can continue this somewhere else?"
"Your place? As soon as we are out of here?" She looked hopefully at him.
"Deal!" Harm managed to say before the others came into the room to say their goodbyes.
~~~~~~~
The End
~~~~~~~