February 28, 1984 – 7:00 p.m.

Maggie had barely eaten the dinner Murdock and B.A. had prepared. Barbeque ribs were one of her favorites, but she wasn't interested. The incessant back and forth between the team had been fun earlier, and day the Barbarians came to town, but now it was tiresome. She begged off dessert and took a walk in the woods, stopping to sit on a rock by a large pond. Crickets and frogs were just beginning their evening symphony. She tried to focus on that and the beauty of the place, not on the fact that this cabin they routinely trained at was a mere 40-minute drive from Bad Rock. That at any time and with very little trouble, Hannibal could have called on her, without concern that anyone in her small town would out him. Suddenly she heard footsteps and she knew without turning around who they belonged to.

"Maggie?" Hannibal called softly. "Are you here?" Maggie debated answering, although she suspected with his finely-honed instincts, he already knew she was there.

"Yes" she answered, hoping she kept any emotion from her voice. He sat down next to her, close but allowing some distance, as if he knew that's what she wanted.

"You didn't eat much. You seem distracted. Are you OK?" Hannibal seemed genuinely concerned. She wasn't biting. She said nothing. Hannibal pressed.

"You know, we owe you a debt. None of us would be alive right now if you hadn't come to help me."

Maggie's brain tried to stop her, but her mouth took over.

"Well, I guess that's my role now? I mean, I'm no blonde 24-year-old with big boobs but I guess I'm good for something." Hannibal seemed taken aback by the vitriol spilling from her. Maggie wasn't even sure where it was coming from but continued, more evenly. "I saw you at a restaurant over the summer. You had some young thing on your lap. You looked very cozy. She was very built. I figured that was why you never called me. I mean, how can a forty something like me compete with a 40DD, right?"

"Is that what you think? That I didn't contact you because I wanted some bimbo?" Hannibal asked.

"Pretty sure I just made that clear. Which is fine because we knew each other for, what, 10 minutes? Honestly, I'm not sure why I'm angry or at who. Probably at me for allowing myself to think I was not just another girl in another town. Mad at myself for allowing feelings to take root at all. I mean, that was the kiss of death in 'Nam, right, to allow any feelings at all?"

If Maggie expected an answer, it wasn't forthcoming. Finally, she couldn't stand the silence. "Well, good talk Colonel. Next time you need my medical prowess, you know where to find me." She got up to leave, flee really, when Hannibal's hand grabbed her arm. She glared at him, but he nodded for her to sit, which she did, reluctantly.

"You know" he started "I've never really had a lot of respect for women. I mean, there were a few in 'Nam, a doctor and a few nurses, who I came to respect, but for the most part, women were…" He trailed off and looked a little uncomfortable.

"For the purpose God intended them?" Maggie finished for him sarcastically. "Cooking, cleaning, sewing…. making babies."

"You know when you say it, it doesn't sound so good." he said, smiling weakly.

"Believe me, when I say it, it sounds worse to me." she countered, the corners of her mouth tugging a tiny bit, trying not to smile. "Let me see if I have Hannibal Smith's non-fugitive life plan correct. Survive 'Nam, garnering a few medals along the way. Enough medals to move up the ranks quickly, to General if possible. As a high-ranking officer, you would be expected to marry someone respectable, hopefully connected. Someone who could join the wives club, host parties, pop out a few babies, run the base PTA, discuss inane topics with other officer's wives at said parties and PTA meetings. Someone you would have very little actual contact with except for required 'marital relations.' How am I doing?"

Hannibal looked sheepish. "Pretty well actually. Now that you say it, it sounds dreadful." Hannibal smiled one of his brilliant 'On the Jazz' smiles. Maggie tried to keep a smile from responding and looked down to help in the task.

"Before I interrupted you with your never-happened life, you were saying something about not respecting women. Was that going somewhere?" she asked. It was Hannibal's turn to look down. "I see," said Maggie resignedly, "I guess I'm in the 'don't respect' category."

Hannibal's head jerked up as he looked into her eyes. "What?" he asked incredulously. "How could you even think that?" He took a deep breath. "What I was going to say was that in general, I'm not desperately attracted to women." Maggie looked at him in askance. Hannibal realized what she was thinking and said "No, not that. What I mean is, to put it bluntly, I like sex, I need women for sex, I date women for sex. Obviously its good if I'm a bit attracted to them, but I don't honestly know if I've actually been desperately attracted to anyone since I've entered the Army, maybe even before. Really, I've always wondered if there was something a little wrong with me." Maggie gave him skeptical look, although not sure if she was more skeptical about his story, or the thought that he might be 'desperately attracted' to her. He continued his explanation. "Look, I was so impressed how you handled not only B.A.'s injury, but how you stood up to him as a patient." Hannibal smiled again. "He's a lousy patient."

Maggie gave him a wry grin. "No really? You know after the operation, I was going to set him up with Mary Poppins."

Hannibal laughed, knowing how ridiculous his comment was in retrospect. Then he became dead serious again. "And then you stood up to me, which most people don't do. But the thing that scared the heck out of me was how I felt when you pulled the gun off me in your living room. I wanted to toss you on the table right then and have my way with you, Face and the Sheriff notwithstanding. When I told you the last thing I wanted was to put you in the closet, I really meant the last thing I wanted was to put you in there alone. Because all I wanted was to slowly pull all your clothes off while kissing every single part that I exposed while doing it. We had the military up our butt and all I could think of was yours. THAT scared me."

Maggie mulled this over. "So, you're telling me you didn't call or come see me because you were scared?" It sounded ridiculous to her that Hannibal Smith was scared of anything. She could tell from Hannibal's expression It sounded equally implausible to him, but she could also see a struggle inside him. She waited until he broke the silence.

"I thought of you every day after Bad Rock, ran that kiss over and over in my mind, how you felt in my arms. We're on a mission and instead of coming up with a plan, I'm envisioning making love to you, having you anywhere and everywhere in that house, in the woods, making you scream with pleasure. But not only that. I knew I could connect with you on another level. I wanted to hear your experiences in 'Nam and wanted to tell you mine. Quite frankly, I don't even talk to the guys about 'Nam. I wanted to know everything about you. That is so different from any woman I've known. I knew if I went to see you, it would be all over. I would have to split my focus, and that could have dire consequences for the Team. To be blunt, Miss Double D was one in a long line of bimbos I had, trying to forget you existed. I'm sorry about that. It didn't work, and it obviously hurt you in the process. That's something I never wanted to do."

Maggie absorbed what she just heard. Her mind and heart were both racing. This was what she wanted to hear (well most of it – The part about the bimbos could have been left out). But now what? Now you're vulnerable again, you idiot, she told herself.

Sensing her thoughts, Hannibal touched her face and pulled it to look at him, then he pulled her in to him hard, kissing her deeply. When he spoke, his voice was husky and raw. "I didn't know until just now how much I still wanted you," he said softly. "I want you Maggie Sullivan. I really really want you. All of you." He began to nuzzle her neck, causing her to moan softly. Her brain tried to stay on task, needing to understand his intentions beyond just having her now, wanting to not be hurt by a one-night stand with someone she could love so easily. Her body was not cooperating, however, opening up to his every touch.

As if he could sense the war raging in her, Hannibal whispered "I want all of you. Your body, your mind, your soul. I want us to be together, not just today." This as he started unbuttoning her blouse while kissing and licking any bit of flesh that was exposed.

"What about the Team? Your focus?" she whispered harshly as her breath came faster and her back arched to allow him to have his way.

Her eyes were closed but she could almost feel his famous Hannibal Smith smile. "I'll just have to put my big boy pants on," he said. "Or, you could pull them off. Either way."

Somehow, he had managed to lay his jacket on the soft grass and his strong arms moved her onto it. She had always pictured how it would be for him to make love to her, believing Hannibal Smith would be technically perfect but somehow lacking in connection. Instead, the warmth and intensity was staggering to her, and afterward, she struggled to come to terms with the raw emotion she had just experienced.

Leaning on his arm but still on her, protecting her from the chilly night, Hannibal looked at her, at first with serious and intense emotion. His stunning blue eyes looked deeply into hers, his expression a mixture of caring and mirth. "Wow" he mouthed silently, then he grinned. "I want you," he said, his smile getting wider. She grinned back at him.

"As a doctor, I know that's not going to happen for at least a couple of hours," she said wickedly.

"Well, as I always say, I have a plan." He was definitely "On the Jazz", she thought.

"If it involves anything like what you were doing with my lower parts, I think it's a great plan. But, please, inside the house this time. You might like the hard nipple look, but I'm cold."

They dressed, then Hannibal pulled Maggie into his arms, his gaze intense. "I wasn't lying about wanting you. I mean for a long time. If you'll have me. It won't be easy. But I'm not going to run from this anymore."

Now it was Maggie's turn for a big grin. "You know, I've wanted this since I met you, so all I have to say is…I love it when a plan comes together." Hannibal smiled and put his arm around her and together they walked toward the house. As they got close, Maggie could hear B.A. yelling at Murdock and Face intervening. She was pretty sure with Hannibal came the rest of the team. They never seemed far apart. That was OK. At least life wouldn't be boring. As they came up to the house, Hannibal pulled her closer as if claiming his property. Maggie sighed. Yes, she did love it when a plan came together, and it had. Hopefully forever, but at least for now.