DEBRIEFINGS

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Harm woke up first that morning.  He sat up in bed and just looked at Mac.  It was hard to believe that 24 hours earlier he had almost lost her.  When she got off the plane at Andrews AFB, his heart finally started beating again.  He thought back to Mac's debriefing.

THE DEBRIEFING- LAST NIGHT

"Mac!" Harm said running out to meet her as she stepped onto the tarmac. "I am never letting you go again. I love you forever."

"I'm gonna hold you to that. Harm I love you always." Mac said.

"Mac, we need to go talk to the Assistant Director." Webb hated to interrupt.

"I'm going with her." Harm said.

"I know it's already been cleared." Webb replied.

The walked arm in arm to the conference room at Andrews.  The Assistant Director was there as well as the Admiral.  Mac and Harm walked in and sat.

"She needs to tell us what happened." The Assistant Director said.

"What happened? You screwed up." Harm said.

"Commander Rabb, you are here as a courtesy. Don't make me regret my decision." The Assistant Director snapped.

"Sir, if I may." The Admiral intervened.

"Admiral Chegwidden, no you may not.  This is not a JAG investigation. This is my jurisdiction. You're here as a courtesy as well." The Assistant Director said.

"Courtesy or not." The Admiral fumed. "The fact remains that you put one of my people in a life threatening situation.  I don't care whose jurisdiction this is.  I want to know, no I demand to know where the breakdown occurred."

"Well if you would both stop interrupting, maybe she can tell us." The Assistant Director said.

"She is sitting right here.  How about someone directing this conversation at me!" Mac glared at all of them.  Harm put his hand on Mac's leg.  While she appreciated and needed the gesture, right now she was Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie and did not need to be coddled.

Stunned the Assistant Director turned his attention to her. "Very well Sarah, tell me what happened."

"It's Colonel MacKenzie." She did not like this man.  Harm, the Admiral and even Webb all tried to hide their amusement. The Assistant Director had no idea who he was dealing with.  "Simply put, rogue members of Al-Qaeda did something the CIA was unable to do." Mac said. "They got me out of Zurich alive. The two men who took me had orders to kill me.  Had they not disagreed with the orders I would be dead right now.  They were able to locate me and come to my room without a problem.  It was as though there was a sign on my door.  Why wasn't anyone watching my room? Why was there no protection provided?  I had just been part of an operation to ruin Al-Qaeda plans; no one thought it was necessary to keep a guard on me?"

"Colonel." The Assistant Director began.
"I am not finished." Mac snapped. "These men said very little.  I don't even know their names. They got me to Ramstein and they killed themselves.  I assume because it was easier then going back to face the wrath of not carrying out their orders.  The CO at the base advised me that he received a call that I would be there.  The men had stopped and made a call 10 hours after we left.  They must have been calling the base. Neither of these men were part of the group at the museum or the one that escorted me from the bank.  You now know as much as I do.  I need to go home."

"Webb, why wasn't there anyone watching Mac after the operation?" The Admiral asked.

"There was, I assigned someone to her room before I went to interrogate the men." Webb said.

"Then what happened?" Harm demanded.

"I don't know." Webb said quietly.  For Webb not to know something was highly unusual.

"I removed them." The Assistant Director said. "The men had been either killed or captured, I didn't see the need."

"You didn't see the need?" Harm shouted rising out of his chair and going toward the Assistant Director.  The Admiral moved quickly and stopped Harm before he could reach his target.  Mac rose and was standing next to Harm. They did not see what happened next, but they heard the crash of a chair.  The three turned to see what had happened.

"Do you realize what could have happened? This was my operation. You don't reassign my men." Webb shouted.  He had just knocked the Assistant Director off his chair and was standing over him.  "I gave my word.  I promised that nothing would happen to Mac."

"Don't you mean Colonel MacKenzie?" The Assistant Director said standing up.  "This sounds a little personal Webb."

What happened next amazed everyone; Webb struck him in the face.  "It is personal, it's family." Webb said and he stormed out of the room.

The Assistant Director gathered himself, "I'll have his job." He shouted. "He attacked me."

"No I don't think you will. I didn't see anything." The Admiral said shaking his head.

"You really should be more careful.  Swinging doors can be a hazard." Harm said.

"Let go home." Mac said, taking Harm's hand.  The three left the Assistant Director standing there.

BACK TO THE PRESENT MAC'S APARTMENT

"Mac, wake up." Harm said nudging her.

"I'm awake." Mac said smiling.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Harm asked.

"I'm ok, I'm with you." She said as she cuddled up next to him. "Harm why didn't you read the letter I sent?"

"If I took it, it would mean I gave up." Harm said. "I knew you were coming back to me."

"Will you read it now?" Mac asked getting out of bed and going to retrieve the letter.

"Mac, I really don't want to think about any of this." Harm replied.

Walking back into the room Mac handed Harm the letter and got back into bed. "Read it."

"Ok, but first we forgot something." Harm said with a smile. He had a chain around his neck; hanging on the chain was the engagement ring.

"On a chain?" Mac said laughing.
"Well I figured one of us should be wearing it, and my fingers are too big." Harm said as he slipped the ring back on Mac's finger.

Mac kissed Harm and then got up. "I need a shower, read the letter." She said and went to the bathroom.

A few minutes later Harm walked into the bathroom. "Do you really think I could go on without you?" He said pushing open the curtain.

"I hope we never have to find out." Mac said with a smile. "I just want to make sure that you celebrate who I was, no matter when that time comes."

"Mac, my life is you.  I love you." Harm said.

"I love you too Harm.  Now I'm freezing.  In or out and close the curtain you're getting the floor wet." Mac said with a laugh.  Harm decided on in or out and the shower curtain was closed.

TWO HOURS LATER

"Mac, Harriet wants us to go over there today. You feeling up to it?" Harm asked.

"Yes, it sounds fine." Mac replied.

"I'll call and tell her." Harm said.

"No, I will." Mac said reaching for the phone.

The spent the afternoon with Harriet, Budd and Little AJ, they returned home later that night.  Harm spent the night again.  He wasn't ready to leave Mac alone.  Mac wasn't ready to be left alone either.

ACROSS TOWN

She walked around humming Christmas tunes.  Christmas eve was a few days away.  She knew how important this day was to him.  They would spend Christmas day together.  She had decorated her tree and put his present underneath it.  She hoped he would like what she had gotten for him.  It was going to be a wonderful holiday.