To Be With You.

Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie and Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb were at it again. The Lieutenant and his wife, Harriet Sims - also a Lieutenant - were talking quietly at her desk.

Mac and Harm's 'confrontation' had been through a couple of the known stages already. First came: 'the coldness'. All their conversations had been very impersonal, rank based; only using Colonel or Commander. From there it went to the ignoring stage. Only speaking to each other when totally necessary. But now….now it was onto the yelling stage. The last stage, and perhaps the most lethal; if only to those around them.

They had kept the bullpen on their toes, no one wanting to say the wrong thing and wear

it. Over the last couple of weeks they had, unknown to them, put tension on the officers

in the area, due to their acts. Mac and Harm's yelling now could be clearly heard in the bullpen, even though the door was shut firmly, and the blinds drawn.

"Is that all they do now? Fight?" Bud asked Harriet, looking a little flustered.

"I don't know what's gotten into them! They used to get on so well, but something

happened when the commander came back," Harriet replied. "I've tried to talk to Mac about it, but it's like she doesn't even want to acknowledge it. She just keeps changing the subject!" There was a puzzled frown on her usually cheery face, and threw her hands up in resignation. "I just don't get those two!"

Her husband gave her a sidelong, nonplussed look and opened his mouth to speak, but whatever he was going to say next was cut off by Mac's scream. The pair looked towards the office, along with the rest of the bullpen. The tension in the air could have been cut with a knife.

"You can't even be reasonable can you? You're so righteous, so pure! When are you going to get your head out of your six long enough to realise that the world doesn't revolve around you?" The voice raised to an unmentionable decibel, and with that Mac yanked open the door, slammed it and stormed to her office; once again yanking the door open and slamming it more forcefully than necessary to emphasise her point. A couple of seconds later Harm opened the door of his office, walked quickly to Mac's and went in without knocking, shutting the door firmly behind him. Both were totally oblivious of the audience watching their every move. Instantly the yelling started again, but with a difference this time, the blinds were open.

The raised voices and the slamming doors brought the Admiral out of his office.

He stood where he entered in shock, halted in his tracks.

"I've had enough of this! It's gone too far," he muttered.

"I believe most people would agree with you, sir." This from the Admiral's yeoman,

Tiner, who overheard his muttering and nodded in agreement.

Inside Mac's office the fighting was still going on; a stage set as if built for an audience. "Since when did this conversation's topic suddenly jump to me?" Harm could be heard yelling, moving so that they were nearly nose to nose.

"It's always been about you!! You infuriate me so much!!" Mac screamed back.

"Well you infuriate me too!! When are you going to understand that I don't think that my

life revolves around myself, rather around you??"

"WHAT?!?! You must really think that ..mphh." Whatever Mac was going to say next was forgotten when Harm roughly grabbed Mac and pressed his body against hers, kissing her aggressively, pouring all his emotions and feelings into one kiss. It was about a second when Mac realised what was happening and started to kiss him back with a ferocity that she had not previously experienced. For them it was like time ceased to exist, though the silence was sure to disturb everyone else around. The unwanting recipients outside the office cringed at the lack of argument; curious and yet knowing as to the deafening silence.

The only one not affected so much by the fight; the Admiral, was just making his way to Mac's office when he cynically observed that the yelling had ceased abruptly. Looking up sharply, he saw his two senior attorneys going at it for all they were worth. He smirked, nonchalantly. 'I think they may have finally realised how much they need each other,' he thought to himself. Slightly amused he stood decisively, arms folded in a no-nonsense manner.

A short while later, when Mac and Harm parted they stared at each other for several seconds, both unbelieving. Then Mac's eyes darkened and the look on her face changed from surprise to anger. Raising her hand, she slapped him hard across the face. The sound snapped sharply and echoed darkly in contrast to the silence all around.

The force made his head snap away from her with the glancing blow. When his face turned back the vivid mark from her hit was visible starkly; a bright red handprint evident its intensity. "You bastard! I am not a blonde bimbo that you can just kiss and make it all better!" This she hissed, pushing past him towards the door.

"Mac! Wait!" Harm cried, catching her arm as she passed him. He turned her to him.

"Let go of me!" She growled angrily, jerking her arm to try to free it from his grasp. The look on her face horrified Harm. It was a look of pure anger, borne of pure hatred. Defeated and perplexed he let her go, before muttering, "I'm sorry Mac."

Mac made an about face turn and yanked open the door, storming out. When she

realised that they had had an audience, she stopped briefly, spitting out angrily, "What are you looking at?" She then quickly made her way outside to her car, got in and peeled away.

'I guess not' AJ thought when he saw Mac slap Harm. Quickly he made his way to

Mac's office where Harm was. Harm was now sitting down, still in Mac's office, trying to determine where he had gone so wrong. He was broken out of his reverie when the Admiral shouted fiercely.

"Commander! My office NOW!!"

"Yes sir," Harm automatically replied, pouting.

The Admiral made his way back to his office, before stopping and facing the still shell-shocked member of his command. "Back to work people," he barked. Abruptly he turned on his heel and stalked back into his office.

When Tiner was informed that the Admiral did not want to be interrupted no matter

what - and the door was shut - the Admiral started his questioning, facing a somewhat shocked Harm. "What's going on, Commander?" He asked in a commanding tone.

"I don't know where to start, sir." Harm said, softly.

"How about at the start of this chaos?"

"It all started when I came back from flying. Our relationship was strained ever since I

returned. I think she actually hated me for leaving JAG." Harm raised his eyes to meet

his Commanding Officer's.

"Do you think it was because you left JAG or because she thought you were leaving

her?" AJ countered.

"I think it was a bit of both, sir." Harm admitted sadly.

"Well, what are you going to about it?"

"Do about it, sir?"

"Yes. 'Do about it'. Are you going to go after her and win her over?"

"I'm not sure whether she'll want me." The words were defeated.

"From what I witnessed today, you'd have to be blind not to see that she loves you, and

that you love her. You two belong together! Now go get her, son!"

"Yes, sir!" Harm stood at attention, waiting to be dismissed.

"Dismissed."

"Aye aye sir!" with that Harm hurried out, intent to do what ever it took to get Sarah

MacKenzie back for good.

AUTHORS NOTES: Hey guys…this is my first 'fic on JAG, so be nice. Please read and review…feedback is always welcome. Thanks, …Inez