Dedicated to all the fathers we love and those we have lost

Especially Andy, Sidney's Dad.

Author's Notes: They're not mine…but the storyline is.
Thanks for the great reviews – much appreciated.

Burnett Residence
Wednesday 0200

One episode of sleepwalking, resolved quite quickly through the methods employed earlier in the afternoon, and Mac finally fell into a deep sleep, it didn't last long. As she rolled over in the queen sized bed she realised she was alone.

Mac sat up and rubbed her eyes and searched the room, smiling when she saw Harm sitting in the armchair watching her.

"Why are you over there?" she yawned.

"I didn't want to wake you," Harm said quietly, still watching her intently.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Mac asked concerned.

"When did you do it?" he asked.

"Do what?" Mac countered confused.

"Hurt your arm," he said gesturing towards her arm.

"Oh, this," Mac said, raising her arm. "It's nothing really."

"You're wearing a brace on your arm and you say it's nothing," Harm said, his voice rising.

"I have small fractures in two bones in my wrist. Nothing major," Mac said trying to sound as indifferent as she could.

"You have a broken wrist and you didn't tell me?" Harm's eyes opened wider.

"Well Harm, in the scheme of things in didn't seem important," Mac said swinging her legs over the edge to the bed.

Harm sighed. "How long do you have to have the brace on for?"

"Four weeks," Mac answered looking at her feet; she really didn't want to continue this conversation.

"How long left?" He asked his voice still full of concern.

Mac paused. "Four weeks."

"It only just happened?" Harm asked, making his way to her side of the bed. He sat beside her and picked up the arm in question.

"Yeah," Mac said quietly.

"How?" He stared at the arm and then into her chocolate brown eyes.

"It happened by accident on Monday," Mac explained, taking hold of his hand.

"Flying home?" he asked, desperate to know how she injured herself, frustrated she was giving so little information.

"Umm, no," she replied.

"Where?" he asked. "Mac, where did you break your wrist?"

"Your place," she barely whispered.

"You broke your wrist on Monday at my place?! Mac? How did you break your wrist at my place on Monday?" He was on his feet standing in front of her.

Trish's earlier words came back to her. Tell him the truth he's entitled to that much. Mac paused to contemplate the exact words she would use. Her pause spoke volumes.Mac reached for both his hands and held them as tight as could.

"I didn't break it," she finally said in a whisper. "You did!"

"What?! I broke it? How? No, I couldn't have." Harm went to break away and Mac tried to stop him.

"Harm, it was an accident. You were sleepwalking. You didn't know what you were doing," she explained.

Harm shook his head. "No, Mac, I wouldn't have! I couldn't have!" He spoke loudly and pulled away from her, moving clear of the bed.

"Harm, it's okay, really it is. It was an accident," Mac was all but pleading. Harm's face showed the extent of the horror this knowledge had inflicted on him.

A soft rap on the bedroom door surprised them both and Trish came in. "I heard raised voices, I was just checking that everything's alright."

"Everything's fine Trish," Mac said with a reassuring smile.

"No, no it's not," said Harm turning to stare out the window into the darkness.

"Um, Harm just found out about my wrist," Mac said.

"And did you tell him the truth, dear?" Trish asked, looking between the pair.

"Yes, I did," Mac said quietly.

"You knew, mom?" Harm spun around stunned.

"Yes, son," Trish replied quietly.

"Mac, you told her and not me?" Harm asked, turning to face Mac.

"No…yes," she managed.

"Which one was it?" He took on step towards her.

"Sturgis Turner rang me," Trish answered. "And told me Sarah had broken her wrist and to watch out for her. He wouldn't tell me what happened and so I pushed Sarah on the issue when you arrived."

"Sturgis knows?" Harm asked incredulously. "Is that why he was carrying your bags?" Mac nodded.

"How did he find out? Is that why he came over?"

"No, he came by to offer his condolences and Bud told him," Mac answered.

"Bud knows?" Harm's head was spinning; it seemed everybody who meant anything to him knew he had physically hurt the one person he would give his life for.

"Bud was there when it happened," Mac said quietly. "He's the one who got you to let go. He's the one who took me to Bethesda."

"I broke your wrist," Harm said, as he began to accept it as the truth. Mac just nodded.

Harm moved back to the armchair and slumped into it. Mac moved to him. "I know you didn't mean it. I know you would never deliberately hurt me."

"But I did hurt you; I broke your goddamned wrist. God, I'm so sorry, Mac!" He leant forward and dropped his head into his hands.

Mac sat on the arm of his chair and draped her arm across his shoulders – she knew there was very little she could say to ease his pain. So with words in short supply, she bent down and kissed the top of his head. Trish quietly slipped out of the room.

Mac had kissed him three times before he sat up and looked at her.

"I don't get it, Mac. I break your wrist but you willingly share a room with me and now you sit here and kiss me. I obviously don't know what I'm doing; you'd be better staying as far away from me as possible," Harm said, his face a mix of heartbreak and confusion.

Mac reached out and stroked his face. "I am not scared of you Harm, I never have been. I have spent the last two months being a thousand miles away from you and I am not going anywhere. And, I voluntarily chose to share this room with you because I don't want you to be alone."

"But…" Harm began to protest.

"But nothing. I have a broken wrist – end of story," Mac said, drawing his face up and making him look at her.

"But I caused it!" he said, his voice still charge with emotion.

"Yes you did and …?" Mac said, raising her eyebrow.

"And I don't know how to deal it," Harm said quietly.

"I do. I will absolve you from all guilt on one condition," Mac said, standing up in front of him.

"Only one?" Harm asked, a slight smile on his face.

"You want to hear it?" Mac asked.

"Yeah."

"You come back to bed now," she said, holding out her hand and with an offer like that he couldn't refuse.

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