"Mrs. Hanson, did you know that your husband had two psychiatric evaluations at Bethesda last year?"

Elizabeth was seated on her living room couch, looking up at both Harm and Mac with a stunned expression. "No."

"Neither did anybody else," Mac said gently. "Mrs. Hanson, we think that your husband was trying to get help, but he didn't continue with the treatment. So he's probably only gotten worse over the last year."

Elizabeth shook her head. "He never said anything to me."

"He probably didn't want you to worry," Harm said. "Seems like the kind of guy who kept everything to himself. Did he ever go anywhere when he wanted to be alone?"

"No," Elizabeth insisted. "Whenever he was home, he would always want to be with Jenna. And when he was on the ship, he was with hundreds of other people."

"Well, there aren't many places to get away on a carrier."

"You think that's why he disappeared?" Elizabeth asked.

"Maybe."

Suddenly, there was a bang and a strange dissonant echo from down the hall.

"Jenna?" Elizabeth called.

Harm and Mac followed her to the little girl's room, and when they reached the door, they found Jenna sprawled out on her bed.

"Daddy?"

"Not yet, Jenna," Elizabeth said.

"But we're still looking," Harm added, taking a step into the room.

His eyes fell on an acoustic guitar laying on the floor, and he realized that Jenna must have accidentally knocked it over. He knelt and picked it up, running his hands along the wood. It was a beautiful instrument, recently tuned and in excellent condition. There was a small inscription along the edge, and Harm squinted to read it.

Wake up to the music every morning.

"Jenna, is this your guitar?" Harm asked.

Jenna nodded. "My daddy sings me songs before I go to sleep."

Elizabeth smiled at the memory. "Whenever he's home, I always find James in here at bedtime. He's trying to teach Jenna how to play." She laughed a little. "James takes his guitar everywhere – I think it's permanently attached to him. They even let him take it on the ship."

As Elizabeth spoke, something inside Harm's head suddenly seemed to connect, and he looked up at Mac. His partner met his eyes with her own questioning gaze, and the unspoken words of realization passed silently between them.

I'll have a blue Christmas, that's certain

And when those blue heartaches start hurting

You'll be doing all right with your Christmas of white

But I'll have a blue, blue Christmas.

It was a small hole-in-the-wall coffee shop, but it opened at 0500 every morning, and with its open microphone, it offered customers a chance to wake up to all types of music. But at this time of day, the tables were nearly empty, and the lone musician on stage gave a heavy sigh as he noticed that his only audience was a Navy commander and a Marine colonel.

"I knew the Navy would find me eventually," he said dejectedly.

"Well, you didn't make it easy, Lieutenant," Harm informed him.

"Nothing's easy anymore, Commander."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, I have a hard time believing that I'm worth much to anyone these days."

"Actually, Lieutenant, the Navy tells me you're a fine sailor, and I have it on good authority that you're a pretty good dad, too."

James scoffed. "Then you're misinformed, Commander. How'd you even find me?"

"Your guitar. It was the only thing we didn't find in your quarters on the ship. You couldn't bear to leave it behind because the music is what wakes you up every morning, isn't it?"

James looked away in shame, unable to meet Harm's eye. "Sometimes it's the only thing that helps," he said quietly. He motioned to one of the other guitars on stage. "Do you play, Commander?"

"A little."

"You know any Christmas tunes?"

Harm nodded, picking up a guitar and strumming a few opening chords. "Yeah, I know one."

I'll be home for Christmas

You can count on me

Please have snow and mistletoe

And presents under the tree

Harm motioned for James to join in, and the other man's eyes brightened slightly as he filled in a soft harmony with his guitar and deeper voice.

Christmas Eve will find me

Where the love light gleams

I'll be home for Christmas

If only in my dreams

When the final chord had faded away, Harm set down the guitar, his eyes meeting the lieutenant's with a strong, piercing gaze.

"Lieutenant, the Navy can offer you help," he said. "But only if you're willing to take it."

"I'm not sure that will work, Commander," James argued. "I went UA...I'm sure Captain Nicholas is having a fit."

"Well, if the captain decides to press charges, we'll make sure you have a good lawyer."

"You, Commander?"

"If you'd like me to. Lieutenant, I don't think it's the music that wakes you up every morning. It's the fact that your daughter is there to share it with you. And isn't she what makes your life worth it? There's no better gift than the chance to wake up on Christmas morning with your wife and daughter. Don't throw it away."

James didn't reply, and he was surprised to find himself unable to speak, as Harm's words struck the sadness that he had bottled up inside for so long. He rubbed a hand over his weary face, and a lone tear fell from his eyes as his entire body slumped in defeat.

Harm put a hand on the man's shoulder. "Go home for Christmas, Lieutenant."

"Is that an order?" James asked in a shaky voice.

"No." Harm shook his head. "Not from me."

"Daddy!"

James' eyes widened as he heard the voice behind him. "Jenna?"

The little girl had just entered the coffee shop, and she broke away from her mother's grasp and flung herself at her father.

James caught her in his arms and tightly squeezed his daughter in a hug. "Oh, Jenna," he whispered. "I'm sorry, baby, I'm so sorry."

Elizabeth wiped her own tears from her face and wrapped her arms around her husband and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Welcome home, sailor."

And as the family embraced, Harm quietly stepped back alongside the Marine waiting for him at the edge of the stage.

"So you brought her father home for Christmas," Mac said, her eyes filled with admiration. She looked over at Harm with a smile. "You did good, Commander."