A/N: This is what I call a "housekeeping" chapter as I'm setting up for the trip to Russia. Much of the dialogue was taken directly from the episode, "To Russia With Love." I altered a couple of things. For instance, did you get the feeling Trish was relieved that Harm was no longer seeing Annie?

New Information

JAG Headquarters
September 9, 1998
1400 Local

Spring turned into summer and with it came a multitude of cases. Harm and Mac were out of town almost as much as they were home. When they were in Washington, they spent time together outside of work, running together on the weekends or getting together for dinner a couple of nights a week.

Sometimes they would rent a movie and watch it at Mac's place. Harm adamantly refused to buy a TV. Neither of them mentioned Diane again. The conversation Harm began the night he left for Seahawk was still unfinished.

Overall, they felt comfortable around one another. But there were times when Mac sensed Harm was holding back. Since their investigation on the Hornet almost a year earlier, Harm had never forgiven himself for letting the book containing his father's name slip away. He hadn't talked a lot about his since his Article 32 hearing, but Mac knew Harm Sr. was never far from his mind.

She wanted to help him. If only he would let her in…

Harm walked across the bullpen toward his office. He'd just wrapped up a court case where he'd prosecuted a petty officer accused of desertion. The members found him guilty. The sentencing phase would begin at 0900 in the morning.

He stopped short at his office door when he saw Clayton Webb seated behind his desk holding a photo. It wasn't hard to figure out it was the photo of Harm's father taken in Siberia. Harm had shown the picture to the spook a few weeks earlier, hoping he might be able to help identify any of the men.

"You found something?"

Clay looked up at Harm, pointed to a couple of men, and identified them as former KGB agents.

"And this," he said, pausing as if to bring about a dramatic effect. "This is Major Viktor Lushov."

"KGB?"

"Soviet Air Force. He specialized in dissecting our aerial weapons systems during Vietnam and the Cold War. In 1970, Major Lushov was in Hanoi, interrogating downed flyers. At the time, he was particularly interested in Navy pilots who flew Iron Hand missions."

"Those were the missions my dad was flying when he went down. What's he doing in a photo taken ten years later?"

"Why don't you ask him? Lushov's in San Diego, working for Consolidated Aircraft as a systems engineer. He came here in '89, goes by the name of Sam Lewis."

Mac shouldn't have been surprised to see Clayton Webb in Harm's office. He had a way of turning up like a bad penny. She hoped he wasn't trying to recruit them for another one of his missions. Everything the spook did seemed to go south. How many times did Webb expect her and Harm to bail him out?

But when he left a few minutes later, she figured he was here for another reason. It didn't take long for her to learn why when Harm appeared at her door a few minutes later. He entered the room, closing the door behind him.

"What's up with Webb?"

"He had some information for me. Mac, there's someone living in San Diego who could tell me more about my father."

"Who might that be?"

"A former member of Soviet air force. He's in the photo taken of my father in Siberia."

"I don't have to guess you're going to San Diego."

"Yeah, Mac. I need to do this."

"What are you going to tell the admiral?"

"That I plan to fly cross country to Miramar, keep my flight status current, and at the same time, visit my mom."

"You're not going to tell him the truth?"

"It is the truth. Just not the whole truth. Look, if this works out, I'll fly out on Friday for a long weekend. I'm sorry, I know we had plans."

"It's okay, Harm. This is important to you. And it's probably been a while since you last saw your mother."

Harm flashed his flyboy grin. "Well, you could go with me. That is if you don't mind riding in the backseat of a Tomcat."

Mac rolled her eyes. "No, thanks. Do what you need to do. I'll see you when you get back."

LaJolla, California
September 11, 1998
1530 Local

"What's a son need to do to get a drink around here? The sun is over the yardarm."

"Darling, we didn't expect you for another hour at least." Trish Burnett put her arms around her son.

"You're getting younger every time I see you."

"That's just you getting older."

"Hello, Harm." Frank extended his hand in greeting.

They exchanged pleasantries, then Frank went inside to get Harm's drink.

"So how's the gallery?" Harm asked Trish.

"Oh, it's a pain in the butt. You know, I think I'm supporting every starving artist from Tijuana to Ventura. How are Annie and Josh?"

"Well, I'm not seeing Annie anymore, Mom." Harm didn't bother to tell her the breakup occurred months earlier.

"I'm glad to hear that. She wasn't the one for you. How's Mac?"

"She's fine."

"She's really quite the girl, isn't she?"

"Don't start, Mom." The last thing he needed was his mother trying to play matchmaker, and he wasn't ready to answer her questions about his and Mac's relationship.

Frank returned at that moment, saving Harm from having to explain.

"So, Harm, what brings you to the West Coast? A case?"

"No, not a case. I found somebody who knew Dad in Russia."

"Russia? Your father died in Vietnam."

"I don't believe he did, Mom."

"Trish, there have been rumors of American POWs having been sent to the Soviet Union."

Harm removed the photo from his jacket and handed it to Trish. "This photo was taken in Siberia in 1980."

"Is it him?" Frank asked.

"Could be. I don't know. What do you intend to do?"

"Go to Russia, find him."

"Let it go, Harm."

"I can't, Mom."

JAG Headquarters
September 14, 1998
0800 Local

Harm wasn't sure what the admiral would say when he learned the truth about the trip to San Diego, but he didn't expect the dressing down he received. In retrospect, he should have been upfront and honest. A. J. Chegwidden was a former SEAL who served in Vietnam. He wanted to know the truth about MIAs as much as anyone.

At least he hadn't outright turned down Harm's request for leave. Not that it mattered. No matter what Chegwidden decided, Harm was going to Russia. The fate of his father had gone unresolved for almost twenty-nine years. It was past time to learn the truth.

He walked back to his office to find Mac and Clayton Webb in conversation.

"Well?" Mac asked as he walked into the room.

"He said he'd take it under advisement." Harm walked to his wall safe.

"You're gonna go no matter what the admiral says, aren't you?" Mac stood, then left the room.

"You can reach me at this number, day or night." Clay handed Harm a slip of paper. "Just make sure you call from a secured phone. Our embassy's probably got the only one in Moscow. I don't think you'll find your father, Harm, but if you do—"

"You'll wanna be the first to know."

"I hope he's alive."

Harm looked up as Clay left the room. Sometimes the spook was full of surprises.

Dulles International Airport
 September 14, 1998
 2100 Local

"Welcome to Aeroflot Flight 318 with non-stop service—" The sound of someone speaking Russian drowned out the flight attendant's announcement. Harm turned in the direction of the female voice.

"I'm sorry, I don't speak Russian. Well, isn't this a coincidence."

"Isn't it?" Mac's voice sounded a little sarcastic, yet cheerful.

"Whose idea was it?"

"Mine. And the admiral's, unofficially. You're on my seat belt."

Harm shifted in his seat.

"I speak the language, I can handle myself if things get rough, and you need someone to watch your six."

"Mac, I don't know where this is gonna lead."

"All the more reason for me to come. Harm, I'm not letting go alone. We're in this together."

Harm knew Mac well enough to know there would be no changing her mind.

"Thanks, Mac." The plane began backing away from the terminal.

"Oh, look, we're moving."

Next stop: Russia