A little early than usual. I tend to send this out over the weekend, but I've been busy and will continue to BE busy so I don't want to delay this.
By the way, this story is two years old. It's just been slightly revamped to take out and add a few dimensions in. Thank you for sticking to it! Here's an action/love scene. No smut, sorry guys, can't be smutty all of the time. ;)
J.
Chapter 7 – I'm Ready.
September 24, 2005
2130 Local
Mercy Hospital
San Diego, California
The tests had been done. The scans were run and still they couldn't find what was wrong with Mac. The doctor had agreed to wheel her into a private room in the ICU. Trish and Frank had gone home only an hour earlier and the only person remaining was Harm. He placed a hand over Mac's, caressing softly, willing her to wake up. What was it about hospital beds that made even the strongest person seem so vulnerable and fragile? Why was it that the most wonderful sound in the world – the beep of a heart monitor which signalized life – could annoy a person so much?
Sighing, he brought the guest chair closer as he leaned in, close to her ear. "I love you, Sarah. You know that. . And I need you to wake up. . .We're getting married, remember?" He watched her for a moment, hoping to find some sense, some movement. When it didn't come, a lone tear slid down the side of his face. "Please."
April 14, 1912
2135 Local
RMS Titanic
Somewhere In The Mid-Atlantic
"Yes?" Harm breathed a sigh of relief. Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that this trip would change his life so much. He brought Mac into his arms, hugging her tightly to him, feeling the warmth of her body amidst the cold night air. When he pulled back, Harm spotted an ugly forming bruise right on her left cheekbone which had been obstructed before by the angle of her body. "Who did this to you?" He cupped her cheek in his hand, gently caressing the area.
"Guess." She knew he would deduce it, even without words. When they were younger, she had told him everything pertaining to Joseph MacKenzie. "I want to hate him. . . But he's my father."
His eyes grew wide with rage at something that he didn't understand during his youth. Back then, he was powerless and General MacKenzie was a force to be reckoned with. Now, he was a grown man and a Naval officer to boot. He knew how to fight and how to protect himself. More so, how to protect those he loved. "He's never going to hurt you again, Sarah. . .I promise it." He brought his hand down from her cheek, then wrapped an arm over her shoulder. "Let's get you back downstairs and warmed up, I'll tend to that bruise."
Somehow, it had been decided that it was best to return to Sarah's room. She'd always carried a first aid kit and with the help of an odd, Oriental formula she had purchased in London, Harm tended to the bruise. Mac sat on a chair as Harm kneeled in front of her. "There we go. . . Not even that bruise can take away your beauty."
"Flattery will get you everywhere." She replied with a saucy grin, chuckling as his eyes went wide with shock.
Harm recovered nicely, his voice dropping just a few tones as his eyes bore onto her own. "And just what did you have in mind?"
Shyly, she glanced towards the bed. "Well, we are in my bedroom. . .We are alone."
"And your parents are probably right next door." At least, her mother was. The General was likely back at the smoking room.
"Are you afraid, Lieutenant?" There was something in the way she said his rank which opened up this whole want of her. Ever since their first time, Mac had become quite the temptress. "I assure you, I don't bite. . .much."
There was only so much a man could take. Without another word, Harm swept her into his arms, walked across the room and placed her in the center of the bed. "I'm not afraid." He said as he lowered his body onto her own.
April 14, 1912
2320 Local
RMS Titanic
Smoking Room
Somewhere In The North Atlantic Ocean
General Joseph MacKenzie loved his cigars nearly as much as he loved his alcohol, a deadly combination when mixed along with Black Jack. "Damnit." He cursed, sliding a good portion of his money towards Harry Widener, a 27 year old man who was an American bibliophile. Who knew that 'book worms' could play a Marine under the table.
"Well, it seems that you've run into a bit of hard luck, eh, General?" He tossed back his scotch, then settled in. "Care for another round?"
Joseph stood, then snatched up the remainder of his cash. After passing out for a minute or two in the stateroom, he managed to get back onto his feet and out of the Hell that his wife and daughter had thrust him to. He needed Sarah to marry Brumby, family fortune only went so far. "No, thank you Widener. . .That's enough for tonight." He leaned into his chair, ordered another bourbon and prepared to drink another night away.
Widener studied MacKenzie, amused with the need to consume so much alcohol. Then again, with the rumors and impending marriage of his daughter, he would probably be drinking as well. "You must be proud of your daughter, General."
"Of what?" He said with a snort, waving his arm away from Murdock.
Of course, not everyone was well caught up in the rumor mill. He couldn't possibly know that Harm was not supposed to be Sarah's fiancé. "Of her marriage, of course, sir . .She and that sailor do make a stunning couple."
And with that sentence, Joseph felt the alcohol practically drain from his blood. "Sailor?"
"Yes. . .a Lieutenant Rabb, I believe. . .They were seated with you the first night at the Saloon." Widener smiled brightly, images of love dancing in his head. "They didn't know I caught them kissing at the stern earlier tonight. . .sir?" He watched with concern as the genera stood up quickly.
Joseph threw money on the table for his drink and stalked out of the smoking room. "I'm going to kill you, Rabb."
Meanwhile, in Mac's room, she and Harm were rediscovering the wonders of lovers. Harm was trailing kisses from Sarah's lips to her neck, stopping when an offending piece of material, the covers which were over them both, stopped him. "I can't believe this is happening."
"Mmm, I can't either." She leaned into his kisses, allowing herself to feel the new dimension of their relationship. They'd come to know each other as lovers again and it had been just as powerful as their first time.
"Why now though?"
"It was inevitable."
"Inevitable makes it sound. . .bad." He said with a frown.
Sarah glanced towards the ceiling with a thoughtful expression. A slow grin appeared on her lips as she said, "Alright, how about. .. Intrinsic?"
"Intrinsic?"
"Yes, I found the word in a book I was reading and then located it in a dictionary. . .Intrinsic - belonging to someone as an inherent and essential part of their nature . .Intrinsic."
Harm chuckled slightly. There was always this magical quality to her that made him feel invincible. His bright smile illuminated the room as he slowly ran a hand down her belly. "I'm an essential part of your nature?"
"Without you, without the memories of what we had, I don't think I could have survived." Wrapping her arms around him, Sarah pulled him down and over her, wanting to feel the weight of his body against her own. She kissed him deeply, arching her body against his.
A slight shift on the ship stopped Harm, who raised himself up on his elbows. He'd been on quite a few ships since his graduation from the Academy and normally that slight jerk meant something. "That was strange." He rolled his body off of the bed and came to sit up at the corner.
"What was?"
Harm held a hand up to silence her, then tried to 'read' the sounds and signs of the ship. True, it wasn't a military vessel, but generally all ships had similar characteristics and something about Titanic worried him. "That movement. . .there was something completely odd about it." He listened for a moment. "The engines are going in reverse now." Quickly, he jumped out of bed, slipping on his slacks. "I'm going to find out what happened." He reached across the bed for his shirt, which Sarah holding just out of his reach. "Maaac."
"You have a naked woman in your bed and you're going to run off and check the ship?"
Harm snatched the shirt from her and slipped it on, not buttoning it. "Correction, you're naked in your bed." He reached over the bed, coming down to kiss her before he stepped out, but Sarah had another idea. Her legs wrapped around his back, holding him to her. Breaking their kiss, he glanced up at her. "They do have their own crew, right?"
"Right." She pressed her lips onto his, giggling as he fell onto her, suddenly forgetting about the ship and its engines. Sarah's hand came to his chest, moving upwards and over his shoulders in an attempt to disrobe him. "I love you." She nibbled his chin, placing feather light kisses.
Their intimacy was ruined the moment Joseph MacKenzie broke through the door, saber in hand and a glassy look in his eyes. "You bastard! Get away from her!" His anger had built monumentally since he'd left the Smoking Room. He'd first decided to find the MacKenzie's stateroom, but changed his plan when their steward, with the aid of ten dollars, pointed him into Sarah's room.
Harm didn't move immediately, choosing to cover Mac with his own body in the chance that Joseph would hurt her. "I said get away from her!" He lunged at Harm, the sword cutting through a piece of his shirt and barely missing Sarah.
Harm hopped out of the bed, backing himself into Mac's vanity. He looked around for anything that he could use as a shield or even a weapon. Feeling around grabbed a perfume bottle which he hurled through the air, hitting Joseph on the right side of his face. "C'mon Sarah." He moved speedily past Joseph, grabbing Mac who was now wrapped up in bed sheets. They managed to get out of her room and into the sitting room, but Joseph was right on their heels.
"You're not taking her with you!" Out of Sarah's room, an angry General ran out, sword raised over his head and poised to strike. Harm shoved Mac out of the way, sending her into one of the sofas. He ran quickly towards the fireplace, grabbing the other sword that had been on display.
"Harm!" Sarah's warning was right on time as he spun around and held the sword horizontally in the air as Joseph's made to slice him right through the middle. Harm used his foot to push the General away, but instead, his ankle was caught and twisted, landing him on the floor, the sword skidding out of his reach. "Daddy! Please!" As Harm turned around Joseph punched him in the jaw.
"I hate squids." He aimed the sword at Harm's throat. "You're good for nothing."
Harm glanced at his fiancé, noting the terror in her eyes. "You wouldn't do this, General. . .You wouldn't kill me in front of her. . .She'll hate you. . .She'll hate you for the rest of her life."
"Daddy, please!" Sarah stepped towards her father, hoping to reason with his drunken rage. "I love him."
But her tears wouldn't be heard or cared about. General Joseph MacKenzie had an agreement, an arrangement that needed to be made if he wanted to maintain himself in a life that suited him. "You stupid girl." When Mac was close enough, he struck, the back of his hand connecting with the side of her face, the same side he had slapped earlier. The force sent her to the ground.
"No!" Harm made to get up and got a cut on his midsection as a reward. Before he could stop the General, an arm sneaked around his throat, choking the life out of him.
A sword would be too messy, he'd use his own body to squeeze the life out of Harm. "You should have stayed away, Rabb. . .You should have never gotten close to Sarah!"
Harm was turning blue, his hands digging desperately at Joseph's. As Mac came to, this is how she found them. "No daddy! Please! I love him!" But neither her voice nor her tears were doing anything to help her lover out. She opted to grab the large and heavy cigar humidifier which her father had in the center table. Raising it up, she brought it down over her father's head, the blow knocking him out. She tossed the box to the side, kneeling next to Harm who, she noted, wasn't breathing. "God no!"
Sarah opened up his breathing passages, then pinched his nose. She took one breath and blew into his mouth. Then she took another and it was then that he spurted back to life. Her hand whacked him on the back a few times for good measure. As Harm came to, she held him to her, cradling his head against her bosom. "We have to get out of here." She said softly, knowing he would agree. There were places on the ship where they could surely hide until they made port, even if that meant living for the next few days in the cargo hold.
After a few minutes Harm sat up slowly, his throat aching as he tried to get a grip on his swirling mind. "Get dressed." He commanded her softly. He turned his head to the side, glancing at an unconscious Joseph MacKenzie. With a frown he stood, headed into one of the rooms and took the sheets off the bed and tore long strips out of it. The strips would make as an unconventional handcuffs, something that would slow him down if he should wake up. Harm bound Joe's hands behind his back, then wrapped his ankles together. "I'm sorry we never got along, sir."
Mac stepped out wearing a simple dress and holding a small bag with several of her belongings. "I'm ready. Are you?"
