Disclaimer: I own nothing…I'm just playing with them.

This is not a Christmas one, just one I had sitting finished and thought I'd share…it should be about 5 chapters...

This one's for me because I need it….

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The cold night air crept in around the door and window frames, not to mention via the cracks in the wall. There was snow on the roof and more would fall before the night was through. Mac tried to adjust herself in the small bed without waking Harm; it was only slightly bigger than a bunk on a submarine and with both of them sharing it, the word 'cosy' came to mind.

She turned away from him and looked into the fireplace where the last of the embers were still aglow. Fire always had a mesmerising effect on her and she lay quietly watching the soft red glow on the black background. She felt Harm's arm slip around her waist and hold her securely, she smiled. His rhythmic breathing indicated he was still asleep and Mac found comfort in knowing he was so close.

This was the last place she though she would be tonight. Well, if she was to be honest, it was the place she hoped to be, however, the circumstances would have been different. Mac closed her eyes and thought of the events which had brought them to this arrangement on a snowy winter's night.

Harm, Mac, Bud and Harriet had been invited to lunch by AJ Chegwidden at a small restaurant in Middleburg. They had had a wonderful time catching up with AJ, finding out about his travels since his retirement, his future plans, reminiscing about their days together at JAG. Sadly, it had ended all too quickly and they all vowed to try to make such lunches a regular part of their social calendar.

On their way out to the parking lot, Mac had slipped on the icy pavement and sprained her ankle. It was nothing too serious but Harm had offered to drive her home in her Corvette. His car was in the shop and he had arrived with Bud and Harriet. Mac agreed but had given him a friendly warning that if he so much as put a scratch on her car he would be paying for it in a very painful way.

Harm had laughed it off. He was a highly capable and confident driver and didn't think the conditions on these country roads were beyond his skills. Things changed about thirty minutes into the trip when he took a corner a little too fast and in the wet conditions found the car aquaplaning across the road and down an embankment before landing in a ditch.

"Mac, are you all right?" he asked breathlessly as the car finally stopped.

She didn't answer.

"Mac?" he fumbled in the darkness of the car's interior to find a light. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay. You?" she asked, her heart still beating wildly.

"I'm okay," he sighed, glad she was unhurt.

"Thank God, because I'm going to kill you. Harm, I warned you about damaging my car," she said, her voice rising.

"Well, technically Mac you threatened me about putting a scratch on it. I don't think it's scratched probably dented, maybe written off, but probably not scratched," he laughed nervously but Mac didn't see the humour.

She reached out and a resounding thud could be heard as her arm made contact with his body.

"Ow, Mac, that hurt!" he exclaimed.

"Good!!!"

Mac made Harm get out of the car and investigate their chances of getting the Corvette out of its predicament. She knew before he said anything they wouldn't be getting it out of its new home anytime soon.

"Well, Flyboy, what do we do now?" she asked as he slid back into the car.

It was late afternoon and quite dark already. Her sore ankle meant they weren't able to walk too far and the angle of the car made staying in it less than appealing.

"Give me twenty minutes. I'm sure I saw a house in the last mile or so, I'll go check it out." He pulled his coat tighter around him and pulled the hood over his head.

"Take care," Mac called after him, she actually felt sorry for him going out into the cold all alone.

The twenty minute mark came and went without Harm's return, as did the thirty minute mark. When forty minutes had passed Mac's concern began to grow. She was zipping up her coat, ready to venture out into the darkness when a knocking on her window startled her. It was Harm.

"About time, what took you so long?" she asked, opening the door.

"It was further away than I thought," he explained, shivering in the cold.

"Anybody home?" Mac asked.

"No, it's a hunting cottage, or shack, is probably a more accurate description," Harm said, digging his hands further into his jacket pockets.

"Can we stay there tonight?" Mac asked hopefully.

"Well, it won't be too comfortable but it has the basics," Harm replied.

"Is it better than this?" Mac asked indicating the car.

"Marginally." He shivered again.

"Well, let's go!" She climbed out of the car and grimaced the minute she put weight on her injured ankle.

"Can you walk?" Harm said, instantly reaching to grab her.

"Yeah," she sighed.

Mac had overestimated her abilities and it was evident she was going nowhere fast without Harm's assistance. He used his strength to pull her out of ditch and over the embankment before letting her lean on him all the way to their new found accommodation.

After settling into the shack, Mac tried her cell phone but was unable to get a signal. Harm tried his but had no luck either. As Mac made herself comfortable on a sofa that had seen better days, Harm foraged around the cupboards looking for provisions. Eventually he reported that he had found several tins of food but as the labels had come off it would have to be pot luck. Mac was thankful she had eaten so well at lunch.

After a brief search Harm found a woodpile under a makeshift cover against the back of the shack and brought enough in for the night. He stacked it by the hearth and began to build the perfect fire.

"Were you a Boy Scout?" Mac asked, watching him intently.

"No, why?" he asked without looking at her.

"You seem to know what you are doing," she replied.

"I always know what I'm doing, Mac." He grinned at her.

"So you knew what you were doing when you drove my car off the road?" she questioned, an eyebrow arched high.

"About that, I'm sorry Mac…" his voice trailed.

"It's okay; I know it was an accident." A soft smile crossed her lips and he sighed with relief.

The evening was spent in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Both enjoyed spending some quality time together. Despite all their plans and intentions, they had not been able to spend much time together lately as work commitments seemed to intrude regularly.

"It's getting late," Harm yawned.

"It's 2321, so I guess it is," Mac said, her timing unaffected.

"How do you want to do this?" Harm asked looking at the small bed by the wall.

"I don't mind sharing, do you?" she asked, she knew there was the sofa but the bed seemed a better proposition.

"No!" Mac couldn't help but grin at the speed he had responded.

Harm helped Mac to the bed before, for comfort's sake, removing his jeans and sweater. He got into bed first, reasoning that he didn't want Mac to get squeezed between himself and a hard wooden wall. He lay there watching Mac remove her trousers and sweater, he took a deep breath, this sleeping arrangement would be more difficult than he thought.

Mac initially decided on sleeping facing him, when she had finally found a place that was comfortable, he pulled the blankets up around her and rested his arm across her shoulder. It was the warmest she had felt in hours.

It hadn't taken long for them both to fall asleep but now, two hours later; here she was wide awake watching the fading embers.