Chapter 13 - Normal
"We probably shouldn't be doing this." Mac said even as she put a grey ball cap over her head to be able to mask her identity. She wore jeans and the most nondescript light sweater and t-shirt - articles of clothing that would make her blend in when they went to town.
In the last few days, Harm had let his five o'clock shadow grow and while it wasn't full or bushy, the addition of facial hair helped hide his appearance. He threw on a jean jacket and added a black cap to his disguise. While it wasn't ideal to venture into the sleepy little town, the antique stores that lined its mainstreet often brought in tourists on the weekends. The added bonus of a small festival, made him feel safe enough to attempt a little more normalcy.
He could have spent the rest of his life in that cabin as long as Mac was there. The last day had been filled with interesting conversation, details about their pasts and yes, more love making. Harm was sure not a single day would pass without her body joining with his.
As delightful as it sounded, the escape from the cabin was more for her than for him. She hadn't slept much in the past day when information had finally reached the Navy about a prison break.
For 72 hours, there was nothing and Harm lamented the young Corporal who was likely locked up in his stead. The prison counted 'heads in beds' and if the numbers matched, there was little cause to do a more thorough search until the melee he caused had waned.
Mac hadn't been mentioned in any report. She'd wisely put in leave and to all those concerned, was taking a cross-country train ride to alleviate the stress of the Commander's appeal and subsequent fallout. Chegwidden approved the time off without a moment's hesitation.
"We definitely should be doing this. Can't live on love alone." Harm said with a wink.
"I have no complaints." She stared out of the suv's window and that was when the longing for normalcy hit. Small shops lined the streets, each with some old timey signage that denoted the treasures which lay inside. Mac spotted a bookstore, a coffee shop and dreamed of spending time in each.
She hadn't realized that taking his appeal had made her a prisoner of sorts as well. All her free time had been given to him, although Mac would happily do it all over again.
His hand reached out to hold hers when he made another pass up the main drag stopping only when a parking spot opened up that he guided the SUV into. "One hour, right? Then we go."
"One hour." She nodded even though it wasn't nearly enough time to pop into the shops Mac was now interested in.
Harm held her hand as they crossed the street, allowing her to pull him to the book store first. "I'll be quick."
The owner was a young woman, warm and welcoming as Mac expected and when she perused the mystery section, Harm stood back and watched. The ballcap did nothing to hide her beauty or the way her face glowed as she picked up one book and then another.
He realized an hour wasn't nearly enough and despite his better judgement, Harm didn't have the heart to rush her.
….
An hour turned to two and then three and four. The last which was spent at the back of a tiny, empty theatre where he spent the better part of the movie kissing her.
They bought groceries, made a final stop at the coffee shop where they huddled at a small table in the corner. The establishment was quite full and they blended in with the locals, the visitors. A normal they both craved seemed to be in reach if only for this moment in time.
"This is so good."
He watched her eat a decadent carrot cake. Eyes fixating on her mouth, the way she licked the spoon, the icing that stuck to her lower lip that Harm wiped off with his thumb. He sipped a black coffee with little creamer and even less sugar knowing the moment he kissed her lips would be sweeter than any dessert he'd ever taste.
The normalcy fell flat the very moment he sat alone as Mac had disappeared to the bathroom. Harm felt like he was being watched, as if every single patron that flocked to the shop had their eyes on him. He felt seen and when two police officers in uniform scanned the coffee shop a chill ran down his spine.
With the fingers of one hand he could count how many times he'd been this scared. The day his father went missing was the first. Second was the time he'd run off to Laos and saw the girl he had a crush on, die in the jungle. Third was the ramp strike and the knowledge that he'd gotten his RIO killed. Fourth was when the cuffs were slapped on his wrists for a murder he didn't comit.
Fifth was today only his fear wasn't about getting caught or being taken back to prison. He'd already considered the possibility but what would happen to Mac terrified him. The hand that held his cup of coffee shook when one of the officers made eye contact and for the life of him, Harm couldn't look away.
Run. He needed to run. Run and save her.
Harm dropped some cash on the table, enough to cover more than the bill and then rushed out a service door in the back never stopping until he reached the suv. He expected the officers to rush after him, visualizing a whole swat team in tactical gear pointing rifles in his direction.
They would rush him, beat him, slam his body into the asphalt and then haul him off back to his cell and that crappy little cot they called a bed. But as the time passed, the police never followed. Instead he sat on the curb and let his face drop into the palms of his hands. That's how Mac found him.
She'd stepped out of the bathroom after waiting forever in line and walked up to a table that was empty. Money lay on top of her empty plate and the paper bag with her purchases still hung on the back of her chair.
He was gone. Mac felt it in her bones and the fear that came with the thought of him leaving her was too heartbreaking to consider. She grabbed her bag, hurried out the front door and stopped when she found him sitting on the curb on the opposite side of the street.
Once the traffic slowed, she rushed across and sat next to him, her shoulder pressing against his. "What happened in there?"
"Police came in."
"Oh." She pursed her lips. "And you ran?"
Harm nodded. "Maybe I should turn myself in, Mac?"
She glared at him as if he'd lost his mind. "You see one cop and you want to turn yourself in?"
"It'll only be time before they start a manhunt. They'll come for me and if you're with me, they'll come for you too. Are you ready to run? Are you willing to be on the run with me forever?"
"Yes."
"You're out of your mind." Harm stood suddenly and leaned against the hood of their car. She stared up at him with such a look of affection and the heat of her gaze felt uncomfortable. "Don't look at me like that."
"Like what?"
"Like you're in love with me. It'll make it harder to turn myself in."
Mac snorted once she realized he was serious, the levity was replaced with anger. "You're serious. You can't not after…not after everything and-"
"And you'll be an accessory. You're harboring a fugitive as it is. They won't go easy on you, not for a minute. Your life will be over, Mac."
"That's my decision, one that I made the moment I waited for you at a shit motel with this SUV scared to death that you'd never make it out." She stood and came up to him, her finger jabbing his chest painfully. "I could have let you go alone but I chose this. I chose you. And I'm probably out of my mind for doing this but I'm in. I'm in it with you."
Harm tried to fight the feelings she brought out in him but when he tried to look away, her hands came to his face, forcing him to look at her. "I love you, Harm. I love you. All of you."
"I don't want to see you get hurt. Not because of me."
"Well tough because I'm not letting you turn yourself in and I won't stop until you're free." She kissed him and although he tried to stop her from doing so, the second their lips met any resistance fell away. His arms wrapped around her. His hands found the soft warm flesh when they slipped under her jacket and shirt. "Take me home. Love me. I just want you to love me."
They settled into the SUV, Mac's hand holding his as Harm backed out of the parking spot and slowly pulled into the street. Neither of them noticed the wanted posters that were being taped to every other lamp post or the depiction of its fugitive: former Lt. Commander Harmon Rabb Jr.