Harm started at his unbuttered bread roll then cleared his throat. "Where do you want me to start from?"

"The beginning, if you would please", she gave a reply with a neutral tone, as she sipped a glass of sparkling water. Better hold off the alcohol first…

"Well, there were a couple of flings in high school, but nothing permanents. Then at the Naval Academy, there was Diane. Diane Schonke. She was really…."

"Looking a Colonel MacKenzie look-alike?"

"How do you know that?" He exclaimed, nearly knocking over his drink.

"I…uh looked inside your drawer…I'm so sorry I didn't ask you; I was just cur…"

"It's alright; I would have probably been just as sneaky too. Yes Diane was such as great friend we could click together over so many issues. But, her parents were so against her from even entering the military that they stepped in between us many times. But Diane kept in touch, through my early flying career, through my transfer of designation to JAG and then the notes stopped and then…" Harm coughed a bit as he recollected the investigation of Diane's death.

"Uh…we can skip this if you want…" Skates always hated stories that stirred up emotions.

"Nah…anyway…between Diane's death came the wife of the Ambassador of Thailand but that was not to be since she was suspected of murder and nearly knocked me out. Then there was the wife of a great naval aviator friend, Annie Pendry. But that didn't work out since she hated me for influencing her son to be adventurous and aiming to join the navy to be a pilot. After a year or a bit more came this Navy psychiatrist Jordan Parker. She was great in terms of understanding emotions, but not ambitions. You remember when you came to pass me the manuals that summer? She was the one who appeared outside my office. Once I told her I was returning to flaying, she thought I was dumping her for an airplane. Which was not the case but she dumped me. Even when I returned to JAG, she gave me the cold shoulder and moved to Spain. Then a year or so later, she was murdered."

Just then, their starters arrived. "Signor, Signora any extra black pepper?" Harm accepted some then both started to eat. "Where was I? Oh yes no more Jordan. Before Jordan's long departure, came this new reporter Renee. Met her through an advert for Navy careers. But we never really clicked. Even the rest of the JAG office noticed. After our terrible storm ride, she dumped me for her former boyfriend. Just as was a Congresswomen Latham but we fell out too. Afterwards, I wasn't really interested but some how my friendship with Mac grew. We didn't exactly date though. Then there was Catherine Gale, a CIA lawyer who asked me to pretend to be her fiancé in front of her dying mom. Eventually it was a short relationship though. Then finally, Mac and I decided that we were for each other and got engaged. Well, guess it didn't work out in the end."

Skates was about to eat a piece of the rabbit rillettes when she paused to absorb of of what he just said in. "So, that's quite a number of girlfriends. Why then me?"

Ok great thrown to the deep end. You started it, Harm. Dropping his cutlery on his plate, her turned and looked directly to Commander Elizabeth Hawkes, RIO now aviator, USN. "Because...I need a girl who really understands me. Understands me at my job, my ambitions, my character..."

"Uh, I'm not sure I can click with legal stuff. It's nice knowing your progressing in JAG and you can be a JAG and an aviator, but I'm just not cut out for legal jargon." Uh, don't let this dissuade him...

"You do Skates, uh Beth. You were quite interested when I was Wing legal officer and even when you were on that unjust trial of yours. You really were so curious and even helped me back on the Patrick Henry." Shit, it's a rejection...

"Well, yeah," she conceded. "But that was so long ago." Just then, a rock song came on. Harm immediately recognised it as Toto's "Till the End".

I know what's on your mind

Let's lay it on the line

All the things were missin'

Look I just came back to town

Drink that green dragon down

It's time for me talk and you to listen

I know my heart, I know it well

Bet your analyst forgot to ask that question

We're at the start and time will tell

"Well, you do understand many of my interests, unlike many other girls. Plus you really are one of those who can relate to my whims and fancies. The song continued to play in the background...

Till the end

Your name will touch my lips like prayin'

Till the end

I'll be the keeper of the words your heart is sayin'

Till the end

You and I will learn a language new and unspoken

Till the end

We'll be the ones who hold the key to a lock that's open

This is harder to argue than any life or death penalty court martial, Harm thought, as Skates finished up her rabbit starter. "I'm not sure...uh if I know everything you like and dislike. Let me see flying definitely, law and uh Porsche..."

"Corvettes," Harm laughed and his hands reaching out to pat her bare shoulder. Usually, she would object to such moves by men on outings but this was different. "Let me see if I remember yours. Electronic gadgets, spy novels and action movies?"

"Adventure; action movies are too fast pasted me," she smiled back. Both of them were two magnets trying to reconnect. Just then, the Maitre d' arrived to collect their plates. "Everything satisfactory Signor, Signora?" They answered affirmative and felt silent as he cleared their dishes. The song in the background changed to Lionel Ritchie's "Hello".

I've been alone with you inside my mind
And in my dreams I've kissed your lips, a thousand times
I sometimes see you pass outside my door
Hello, is it me you're looking for?
I can see it in your eyes
I can see it in your smile
You're all I've ever wanted
My arms are open wide
Cos you know just what to say
And you know just what to do
And I want to tell you so much, I love you

She restarted the conversation. "Maybe it's your turn to ask me big question now."

"What...what was your husband like? He was a working in SEC NAV's office and then as a PAO right?"

"No," she twirled her glass. "There were two of them. The first was the one I talked about back in 1999, we never married in the end. The lengthy Kosovo/Balkans tour, plus other flight ops kept us apart from any wedding preparations. So he gave an ultimatum and I choose the carrier life instead. Wasn't really my type anyway. Later on came the other, Peter. He was quick with his charms and matches some of my interests. I also thought it would be glamorous to marry someone working in the Pentagon. I could then interact with lots of high ranking people. It was a marriage again separated by work and commitments and then and..." She stopped recollecting the news of his death.

"I'm...sorry for bringing it up again Skates," Harm replied. Their mains finally arrived and Harm was enticed by the tantalising smell of her dish and wondered if her should break his ritual of not eating meat at all. He passed his napkin over to her to wipe her eyes. "No, no, it's so silly, me an O-5 in the Navy, tearing up over one little issue. I guess I can get really emotional..."

"I..I mean bring up the great time you had with him. Skates, I'm a fool to ask you to be my girl so suddenly after you lost husband. After all you been through I don't think..."

"Harm..."

"It's any right of me to ask you to be my girl. Especially being a guy who had so many girls and couldn't manage his last wife..."

"Harm..."

"It's so silly of me to even..."

Elizabeth Hawkes moved closer and with her two hands, she yanked Harm's head and planted a deep kiss for about five seconds directly on his lips. "I love you," she breathed. Nearby, one of the waiters muttered, "Amori."

Harm's eyes nearly popped open and before he could say anything she shifted even closer. "I've always been thinking about you Harm. From the day you came aboard the Seahawk for that crappy investigation. Then that horrible moment where I could nearly have drowned had you not raced to catch my parachute. So that Spring of 1999 when I heard you were changing your designation to Naval Aviator, I almost broke regulations to find those three flight manuals and nearly broke traffic regulations to reach JAG HQ then. [1] When you got posted to be my pilot, I was really elated but had to hide my feelings, less the whole Squadron knew. You were such a great help then, especially coaxing me through my panic attacks. When you had to return to JAG I secretly wept, I just couldn't hold it back then. I really had, no have feelings for you Harm. I just can't hold it back any more."

Harm's eyes blinked rapidly and then returned the kiss on her lips. "Thanks Skates. I've also been thinking about you too all these years, especially after our flight over the Superbowl. There was Mac, Colonel MacKenzie then, like a wall but you were constantly on my mind. I know its funny Skates; but your port visit and now lengthen stay is like fate drawing us to be together."

"Let's finish our food; it's getting cold," she remarked, displaying her signature smile again. As they did, the music switched to a 1980s song, "Room in your heart".

The door is open wide, is anybody there?
I know this must be the room in your heart
I really don't know why but it's so easy to breathe
I know this must be the room in your heart

I can feel it, I can feel it
I can feel the love that's surrounding me coming out of you
I can feel it

They finished their mains in military timing and Harm queried her about having dessert. "Nah, I'm rather full." Just then, the maitre d' came over and delivered a medium sized tiramisu on their table. "We didn't order this," Captain Rabb protested.

"Signor Rabb, no, it's compliments of the lady and her gentleman over there," he replied, settling only one spoon down. Both of them turned in surprise to see none other than Meg Austin and dark hair guy waving at them. "Hi you two," Meg said, sauntering over. She was in a red strapped dressed dress which only reached down below her waist. "I see it finally came true; you're on a date," she said, addressing Skates.

"Did you set this up?" Harm turned to his new found girlfriend. Skates gave a look of no-knowledge then both ladies finally revealed their girl-to-girl talk earlier in the day. "I didn't know you two would be here but once I saw you two and the kiss, I couldn't resist ordering that. Hope you don't mind Harm."

"Meg Austin, you were always a cheeky gal!" he burst out, standing up and giving her a peck on the cheek. "I'm sorry you are?"

Meg introduced her husband, Joshua as a defence systems engineer and then they left the new found couple to their tiramisu. Despite her claim of being full, Skates had a good portion of the dessert, and the single spoon made them spoon feed each other. Finally full, both of them gave a parting comment to Meg and Joshua and took a walk back.

"That was a fabulous evening Harm," Elizabeth Hawkes said, kicking off her heels. Shrinking back to her normal height, she literally jumped to kiss him. "Gosh, it's late," he remarked, "You take the bed tonight."

"Uh-uh, I had it last night, you take it."

"Skates, it's for you. I wouldn't dare let my new girlfriend get a rough sleep."

"Harm, you're the one who has to work here; you take it."

"Uh why don't we share it then?" Oh crap, I hope that didn't mean to sleep and have...

Minutes later, both of them were in their night clothes, Skates in her translucent nightgown again. "Uh Harm, I have some rules."

"Hmm?"

"It's fine to be together in bed but uh I don't want you know uh...?"

"Got it. We'll sleep back to back."

He didn't really plan on any sexual moves, especially on this glorious night.

"Thank you Harmon Rabb, I love you," as the lights turned off she gave him another full lip-to-lip kiss.

To be Continued.

[1] This may or may not link to my other two stories, "Farewell" and "Skates and Jordan: Clash of the two gals". It's up to you dear reader, to think if they match.