Hey guys, I'm back! I know, it's been ages since I've done anything at all... RL, what can I say? Hope you'll enjoy this little piece I did. Don't know where it's going, but it won't be incredibly long. Enjoy the ride. :-)

Outside Millie's Diner
Somewhere in the Midwest
2012 hours local

"Come on, Harm, you can't possibly be serious!"

Our case is done, dinner was great (although Harm kept telling me that I my fried chicken was overkill, even though I ate a salad with it), and now he's talked me into walking back to our hotel.

Harm grins at me. "What do you mean, I can't be serious? I haven't been this serious in my life before, Marine."

I roll my eyes at him. "Aha, right."

We're in this amazing comfortable place again. We bicker, make fun of each other, almost finish each other's sentences again. I love it.

"No, really, Mac," he says, reaching for my hand, giving a quick squeeze. "This is going to be the third dinner in a row that you had fried chicken."

I look up to him, smiling. "Well, Millie's is the best. Besides, you made sure that I had my veggies."

Now he rolls his eyes. "Imagine what your diet would be if I'm not there."

"Lucky me that that doesn't happen too often."

We smile at each other and lazily stroll back in the direction of our hotel. There are actually some moments when we don't have to say anything. It's brilliant. A gunshot two blocks down breaks the cocoon we've wrapped ourselves into. One look at each other and we start to run the in the direction the sound came from.

Harm reaches the street before I do, and he stops. I come to a hold beside him, looking at the scene in front of us. This part downtown isn't very busy, so the streets are deserted and there is nobody around but us.

The shooter is looking down at his victim. The man has two bullet wounds in his chest. Dead upon impact. That's one way to kill.

Looking around, there are more men around than just the one standing in front of us. What the hell is this?

Suddenly, everybody starts to scream and yell and bullets fly in our direction and Harm drags me back in the direction we came from and pushes me in an alley. We're pressed up against each other, trying to get our breathing under control.

I look up at him. "What the hell was that?"

"The mob."

No way. I raise an eyebrow. "The mob? We're in the middle of the mid west, Harm, not some big city."

"I know, Mac. But the only ones I know who kill in designer suits and in complete teams, is the mob."

Great. We could have that as well. Just wonderful. "Italian?"

"Most likely."

We lock eyes. They've seen us. We've seen them. This only means one thing. We're in so much trouble…

JAG HQ
Falls Church, VA
1335 hours local

Harm and I are standing in the Admiral's office, US Marshall Jack Hendrickson in the corner. We're in knee deep.

Harm looks up from a picture that Hendrickson has given us. "This is Bernardo Maldini?"

Hendrickson nods. "That's the leader of the guys you two saw." He shakes his head, giving us a rueful smile. "You two seriously attract trouble, don't you?"

Harm and I sigh. "Wrong place at the wrong time."

Really wrong place at the really wrong time. The hit we saw, was not just any hit. That hit was a really big thing. And the trouble is that we were there. We saw the whole bloody thing happen.

The Admiral looks from Hendrickson back at us. "What do you suggest they do?"

Hendrickson looks at us. "Maldini's already put a prize on your heads. The whole town knew that there were two military folks to investigate, so it's only a matter of time before they're going to find you."

Shit. We share another look. We both know that this means. A prize on our heads means one thing. If they're going to find us, our lives will be in danger. They already are.

The Admiral cuts in. "What do you suggest?"

"Hiding. It's the only chance at survival that the two of you have."

"A safe house?"

Hendrickson shakes his head and chuckles. "I need Harmon Rabb and Sarah Mackenzie to disappear."

The Witness Protection Program. Never thought that I would ever get into the Witness Protection Program. Harm and I share a long look. It means that we'll never see our family and friends again. You can't contact anyone from your old life because there is always the chance that they might find you.

"When?" I hear myself ask.

"Yesterday."

I almost feel myself choke up with tears. That means that there won't be time for goodbye's. No saying goodbye to little AJ, to Chloe, to Bud and Harriet… To no one. Our new life is going to start ASAP and there is nothing that I can do to stop it.

Harm sees the desperation in my eyes and, military protocol or not, he pulls me into his arms. Kisses the crown of my head. "It'll be okay, Mac."

"It's not fair," I whisper, my voice thick with emotion.

"I know," he says.

The Admiral and Hendrickson don't say anything. Eventually, the Admiral starts to talk. "They're going with you?"

"We'll make them disappear. As of tonight Harmon Rabb and Sarah Mackenzie no longer exist."

I shake my head, and step back from Harm. It's too much. I'm no longer in control of my own life. The military has been my life for the past decade and they expect me to give it up. I know that I can't just stay here, now.

We both snap to. This day is going to be a day of lasts. Last time in the Admiral's office, last time in my own, last time in a United States Marine Corps uniform, last time driving my Corvette to my apartment. Then something hits me.

"We're going to stay together, right?"

Hendrickson shrugs. "I don't see why you won't be able to."

Thank god. I need Harm to pull me through this. I don't know what I'd without him.

The Admiral rises, causing me and Harm to come to attention again. He clears his throat. "It's been an honor serving with the two of you," he says. "I hope that you'll be able to adjust to your new life."

He talks about the importance of our service, about the value of our friendship, the inspiration our example has been. That he hopes that he will see us again. Then he instructs Harm to take good care of me.

Half an hour later, we're standing in front of the JAG building. I look up. We pretended that the Admiral had just given us a new investigation, so the only thing that we could bring were our briefcases. Harm quickly grabbed the picture of him and his father, and I took the one that Harriet snapped of me, Harm and little AJ last Christmas and that was it.

It's the only thing we're really allowed to take.

Hendrickson, who's standing behind us, clears his throat. "I understand that this is difficult, guys," he says. "But the sooner we have the two of you in hiding, the better. Maldini is known for his speed."

I slowly nod. I won't see this place ever again, probably. Maybe we can visit in a few years, after everything has calmed down. Harm tugs at my hand. "Come on, Mac. It's time to go."

Again, I nod. And with one last look, Harm and I turn around and never look back.

TBC