Because you guys were so freaking amazing with reviewing this fic and especially the last two chapters of "When the time comes" I decided to give you a little present. I know I said only three versions, but you were so great that I decided to write another one. Trust me. :D

All kudos for Loren's name for Mac go to byrhthelm.

Hope you enjoy it! :)

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"The world will not accept dictatorship or domination."

-Mikhail Gorbachev

HARM/LOREN VERSION

CONTINUED: "Mom, you'll probably never get this, but I just wanted to say I love you and Frank and thanks for being my parents..."

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She was sitting alone in her office, staring blankly at her computer screen as her fingers played with a pen without her even knowing.

She didn't have anyone to call, anyone to tell them she loved them and say goodbye.

She was alone.

Always alone.

Even in death would she be alone.

It was that thought that shook her out of her stupor and forced her into action.

She'd spent her entire adult life alone and lonely, too many times due to stupid pride. Maybe she wasn't a nice person, but not even she deserved to die without no-one to care.

Entering the bullpen she stopped in front of her door, looking around the scene. If this turned out to be a joke, and considering the Admiral's expression she doubted it, it would have far-reaching personal consequnces for many people. And not just because of the people who had already committed suicide.

Sighing softly as sounds of lovemaking from another room reached her, she headed to one office in particular.

Even through all of her escapades there had been one coworker whom she had never been able to make him hate her. She only hoped she wasn't too late and he had somebody else with him. The somebody else as in the Bitch Colonel.

It was with him that she wanted to spend the rest of her life. A day ago that would've been a corny thought and one Loren would never think of anyone, especially not this man, but now that the rest of her life had been cut down to only minutes everything had been changed.

Empty eyes, looking out of a deathly-pale face, stared up at her when she opened the door without knocking. Loren, tears streaming in heavy torrents down her cheeks, shrugged as she hiccuped "I don't want to die alone."

Harm nodded, stood, arms opening in invitation. Stepping forward, she gratefully sank into his strong, warm embrace, hiding her face in his chest as sobs again shook her body.

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Realizing she literally had no-one to call, Mic having made it clear he didn't want to hear from her after her running from him to Harm and back, neither havig someone to even spend her last minutes with, Mac's high heels clacked across the bullpen as she made her way to her fallback guy. If her first choice wasn't reachable, then Harm would have to suffice. Hopefully he would forgive her all the times she had hurt him, even those just recently, in the face of nuclear cataclysm.

Opening the door she stopped in her tracks when she caught sight of her coworkers. Harm and Loren were sitting on the two chairs in front of the desk that they'd pushed together, Loren's ear pressed to Harm's chest, a hand playing with the buttons on his shirt, as they waited for the end. The man himself was holding her closely around the shoulders as he sang in a low, rough voice, repeating the chorus over an over.

It's the end of the world as we know it,

it's the end of the world as we know it,

it's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine

Turning around she left quietly, knowing that if she hadn't said the things she'd said and done the things she'd done that it would've been she having the privilege of spending the last few minutes of her life in Harm's arms. Quietly she returned to her office to wait out those last 120 seconds.

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Back inside the tiny room the two people continued to hold onto each other, seeking and giving comfort in the face of their imminent demise.

Through the window behind them, the huge stalk of the hated giant mushroom suddenly appeared just a couple of miles away, followed by the sound of a bone-rattling detonation.

They only had the time to tighten their embrace one last time before they knew nothing...

Sweating heavily Harm bolted upright in bed, eyes wide, not seeing anything, and mouth open in a silent scream.

It took him a minute to pull himself together enough to realise he was still in his bed and when he did, he collapsed back onto the bed, shaking as he rubbed his hands over his face.

Holy crap, that was some nightmare. THANK GOD, it was JUST a nightmare.

Lifting the covers, his lips curled in disgust at how soaked through they were with sweat, sticking to his skin uncomfortably. His pillow and sheets beneath him were no better and, disgruntled, Harm rose to change his bed.

As he worked he mulled over what had brought on this particular nightmare. He didn't have a TV and thus hadn't seen any movie that could've influenced his subconscious to come up with this scenario.

And what's up with Lieutenant Singer being in it, especially in a way that could almost be called intimate? I don't feel about the woman that way, I've known her barely a couple of weeks!

Remembering the warmth and caring with which he'd taken her in his arms and comforted her in the nightmare confused him. Just as much as her seeking him out and accepting that comfort.

But she's so ambitious and cold! The type to walk over bodies to get what she wants, how could I ever like such a person? Sure, she's gorgeous to look at, petite, voluptuous with beautiful long, blond hair, but as a person...

His mind supplied another parry, though, when it reminded him of just how lonely she was and that she was forcing herself to be that way so she wouldn't be hurt again. It was amazing that his subconscious had solved the mystery that was Lieutenant Loren Singer without his conscious mind being aware of it.

Could it be? Is there really a nice person under that bitchy facade? And how do I even know this?

Though he'd asked himself if she wasn't really the person she portrayed, he already knew the answer. There was more to the petite Lieutenant than she allowed people to see. He also knew that in that case he wanted to liberate that good woman from the armor and the scars.

Maybe... maybe if the Admiral agrees to partner us together regularily and we spend more time together? Would she really let me in? Can we really be friends?

I'll ask Chegwidden tomorrow and we'll see where it takes us.

I have hopes for the future.

THE END

"Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind."

-John F. Kennedy