Title: Hunted (1/6)

Author: MacKenzie Rabb

E-mail/Feedback: mackenzie_rabb@yahoo.com

Rating: PG-13 (for eventual language and violence)

Spoilers: "The Stalker" and late season 6/early season 7

Written: July 22, 2001 - March 13, 2003

Disclaimer: "JAG" and all the characters within belong to Donald Bellisario, Paramount, and CBS. I'm not stubborn enough to avoid getting Harm and Mac together THIS LONG, am I? :)

Summary: Mac's stalker comes back to haunt her, and everything in her life gets more complicated.

Author's Notes: This is a story I've been working on, on and off, for the past year and a half or so. I thought I had abandoned it, but then I picked it back up and have almost completed it. It's over 60 journal pages long so far, so don't worry, there are plenty of parts to come. I'm just testing the waters with this first part to see if anyone is interested. If you are, please send me feedback, it would be appreciated. Please just remember to respect the list mom's wishes and e-mail it privately. Thanks.

Also, this takes place beginning/middle of season 7, a bit after Mac got back from her stint with the Marines overseas.

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Mac should've been going to bed, but as usual she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep right away, so she curled up on the couch and turned the TV on.

It was the usual ten o'clock fare that greeted her as she flipped the channels - the news and a few inane sitcoms. Finally, she decided on the news she usually watched when she had the time.

When it came back from the break, she wished she'd never turned it on. She was hearing the anchorwoman, but not quite absorbing what she was saying.

"Breaking news. We've just received a report that former D.C. detective, Frank Coster, who was convicted of murdering local attorney Dalton Lowne and stalking JAG lawyer Major Sarah MacKenzie three years ago, has escaped from prison. Officials say that one guard was found unconscious, and that the whereabouts of Coster are currently unknown."

They then showed Coster's picture. "If anyone has seen this man, call the D.C. police immediately. It is not known if he is armed, but he should be considered extremely dangerous. We'll bring you more on this story as it develops."

Mac clicked the TV off and wrapped her arms around herself. Harm would want to know, but he still didn't own a television. Should she call him? Coster had caught her the last time she had tried to take care of herself, and she was positive he'd try to come after her again.

With trembling hands, she reached over, picked up the phone, and quickly dialed Harm's number. She hoped she wasn't waking him, but she wasn't the same woman she was three years ago. She knew she couldn't deal with this alone.

Harm answered on the third ring. "Hello?"

"Hi, Harm," Mac started, not knowing what else to say.

"Mac. What's the matter?"

"I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No, no. What's wrong?" he insisted. He could hear something in her voice, and he didn't like it.

"I, uh, I was just watching the news and Coster's escaped from prison."

"How?" Harm asked. "They had him in Jessup, that's maximum security."

"I know. I don't know how he got out. They didn't really give any details, except they found a guard knocked out."

Harm thought for a moment. He could be at her place in fifteen minutes. The question was, would she let him? They'd been through a lot in the past few months, and things were still a little rocky at times. But he had to ask.

"Mac, do you want me to come stay with you?"

She was silent for a few seconds. She couldn't seem to find another option. "Would you?"

"You know I will. I'll be there in fifteen minutes, okay? I'm throwing a few things in a bag and coming straight over. Don't answer your door or your phone till I get there, okay?"

"Thanks, Harm."

"You don't have to thank me," Harm said, before he hung up.

*

Twelve minutes and forty-nine seconds later, Mac heard a knock on her door. She looked out the peephole and breathed a sigh of relief at the fact it was Harm.

She opened the door and smiled. "You sped, didn't you?"

"Not really. There wasn't much traffic," he said, but he looked sheepish.

Mac just laughed a bit to herself and locked the door.

"So, what's the plan?" he asked.

"Well, of course, I've only got the one bedroom, unfortunately. You probably ought to take the bed, because you're gonna be too long for the couch."

Harm smiled slightly. His height was always causing him some kind of problem.

"Mac, I couldn't do that, then you'll be uncomfortable."

"No, I won't. It's plenty comfortable, plus I'm seven inches shorter than you are."

"You might have a point," he agreed. "As long as you're sure."

"I'm sure," she said, matter-of-factly. She was also sure she wasn't going to be able to sleep tonight, so where she did her tossing and turning didn't really matter.

"Have you seen anything since the initial report on the news?"

"I - No, I turned the TV off after."

"Well, let's check ZNN. They might have something by now."

Harm led Mac over to the couch and they sat down. He flipped through all the channels, finding nothing, finally leaving it on ZNN to catch the news at the bottom of the hour.

As they sat there, Harm didn't know what to say to her. Even though she looked calm on the outside, he knew she must be a wreck on the inside. He really couldn't bear to see her relive all that had happened three years ago. She'd been through too much already.

They had to find Coster, and they had to find him fast, before he was able to get anywhere near Mac. Because if Harm found him first, he was going to wish he'd never escaped from prison.

After a few moments of silence, he finally spoke. "Are you all right?" he asked, concern in his eyes.

"I'm fine, Harm," she said with a weak smile.

"You don't have to be tough for me, Mac. You know that. I know you must be scared. I am. He fooled us the first time, and we know he can be far more dangerous than he looked."

"I am scared, Harm, but how can we be sure he'll come looking for me?" she said, her eyes downcast.

Harm gave her a look that clearly said 'you know better', and she was caught.

"Okay, so I know that's gotta be his plan. But isn't that kind of obvious?"

"Mac, psychos don't think about obvious. And Coster is definitely psychotic, among other things."

She knew what he said was true, denial wouldn't work. He escaped with one purpose - revenge. He was probably still deluded into thinking he was in love with her. And she couldn't do a thing about it till he showed his face, if he ever did.

If it wasn't immediately, it would be someday, and she couldn't live like that. She and Harm couldn't stay holed up in her apartment forever either.

"What are we going to do?" she asked, feeling helpless.

Harm put his hand over hers. "Tonight we're going to be safe. Tomorrow we'll see what the police have, and if they've made any progress. I'll stay with you at night, if that's okay."

"Harm, I couldn't ask you to do that."

"You might as well, because I'm going to anyway," he grinned.

That made her smile. "So, you're my newly appointed bodyguard."

"Absolutely," he answered, but he was serious.

Harm was still looking at her with all that concern in his eyes, and it was only the music of the current newsbreak that broke his stare.

The anchorman reiterated what Mac had heard earlier, adding only, "Police fear that he may come after former Major, now Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie. We'll bring you more on this story as it develops."

"Well, that's comforting," Mac said dryly. "If the police are so 'fearful' of that happening, then why haven't they called me?"

At that moment, the phone rang, and she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"You've gotta calm down, Mac," Harm said as he answered the phone. "Hello? Yes, this is her partner at JAG, Harmon Rabb. Yes, we've seen it on the news. Here she is."

He covered the receiver with his hand. "It's a Lieutenant Cane," he whispered, before handing her the phone.

"Hello?" she said. "Um, yes, he's staying here. At least for tonight."

"That's good, it's not a great idea for you to be alone right now," Cane told her. "As great as that is, we'd like to post a couple of guards outside your building tonight. Just in case that's the first place Coster heads."

"If you think it's necessary, it's fine with me," Mac said.

"They're being dispatched right now. We'd also like to apologize for not notifying you personally sooner, but there's been a lot going on tonight."

"That's all right, Lieutenant."

"Give us a call if you see or hear anything suspicious."

"Will do," she assured him. "Thanks, bye."

Mac clicked off the phone and sighed.

"What is it?" Harm asked.

"They want to post two guards outside my building. You'll remember what little good that did last time."

"They also didn't know who it was last time," Harm reminded her. "I'm still staying, so as long as there's someone in here with you, things should be all right."

Both of them were at a loss for words for a moment, looking anywhere but at each other. It was past eleven and they both had work in the morning, but sleep didn't sound very appealing.

"Look," Harm finally said. "You go on to bed, and I'll stay out here."

Mac started to protest, but he cut her off.

"You need some rest, and I'm here to make sure you're okay, not to sleep," he smiled.

Mac knew how hopelessly stubborn he was, so she didn't argue this time.

"Like I'll sleep," she muttered, standing up.

Harm stood up, too. He pulled her into a hug, something he hadn't done in a very long time.

"It'll be all right, Mac. Someone will find him soon, and this'll all be over."

She laid her head against his chest. "Thank you so much for staying, Harm," she said, and with one last squeeze she let him go and headed for the bedroom.

"Night, Mac," he called after her.

"Night, Harm," she murmured, as she pushed the door till it was only open a crack.

Harm settled down on the couch, propped up in the corner, with no hope of ever fitting if he laid down. He checked his gun and put it on the coffee table, within easy reach if he needed it.

Mac crawled beneath the covers, tossing and turning every couple of minutes, unable to get comfortable. She marveled again at how your life could be thrown into a tailspin in just a matter of minutes. It had happened plenty of times before, somehow she wasn't surprised it had happened again.

She felt safe with Harm on the other side of the door, but how long could he camp out on her couch?

*

At 2 a.m. Mac finally gave up any hope of sleep, and went into the kitchen to make some tea. On her way there, she checked on Harm, who was sprawled awkwardly on the couch, most likely just dozing, but she didn't disturb him anyway.

She was sitting at the kitchen table, idly dousing her teabag in her cup, when she looked up to find Harm in the doorway.

Mac smiled wearily. "Before you even ask, no, I haven't slept."

"Wasn't even going to ask," he smiled back. "Mind if I sit down?"

"Go ahead," she said, gesturing to another chair.

There was a slight chill in the air, so she was glad he was in pajama pants and a Navy sweatshirt. The last time they'd been up in the middle of the night together, she was protecting him at his apartment, and he was wearing nothing but boxer shorts. She didn't think her nerves could've handled that at the moment.

"I saw you were getting a few winks though," she teased.

He grimaced and rubbed his neck. "I wouldn't say that, but I'm doing my best."

"I hate to say I told you so, but I warned you about you and that couch..."

"Well, it's really not as bad as it looks, and the door is in your living room, not your bedroom. So that's where I need to be."

Mac just shrugged. "Suit yourself."

"You're tired of this already, huh?" Harm asked sympathetically.

"Well, yeah," she snapped.

"I'm sorry, stupid question," he apologized.

Mac sighed. "It's certainly not your fault my stalker's loose. *I'm* sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you. You don't even have to be here, and yet... here you are."

He gave her a look that clearly said, "When are you going to realize that I *do* have to be here?", but she didn't catch it.

Harm decided to change the subject, if only slightly.

"I'll call the Admiral before work in the morning and let him know what's going on, if he doesn't know already. Then I'll arrange for us both to leave at the same time, because you don't need to go anywhere alone for awhile."

"I know," she said, sounding defeated. There were just some things your tough, Marine persona couldn't get you out of. This was one of those things.

She started to ask him if telling the Admiral that he was going to be staying with her was wise. Then she figured that would be implying she thought it looked like something it wasn't as well. It was better not to say anything to Harm, and just tell the Admiral like it is.

When she snapped back to reality, Harm was looking at her thoughtfully.

"What?" she asked, taking a sip of her tea.

To her surprise, he answered.

"I was just thinking about how you don't deserve all this crap you've been dealt, Mac. You deserve so much better." He stopped before he said anything any more telling.

Mac was almost taken aback, but what he'd said was sweet. She couldn't figure out where it came from all of the sudden, he wasn't one to open up often. She hoped he couldn't see the heat creeping up her neck and face in the near-dark.

"Thanks, Harm," she said, smiling slightly. He said the oddest things out of the blue sometimes.

She took another drink of her tea, and got up. That chill in the air wasn't so present anymore.

"We probably ought to try to get some sleep. Six is going to come early," Mac said softly, squeezing his shoulder as she passed him. "See you later this morning," she said, leaving the kitchen.

Harm sat there by himself a moment.

Dangerous ground, he thought. And we have other dangers to think about right now.

(End 1)