Disclaimer: As in Ch.1

22nd January 2039

Rabb Residence

1000 EST

The mission was set for the next day, and Harm still hadn't figured out what to tell Mac. He sat on the back porch, staring at nothing, when she came up quietly behind him.

"Harm?" There was no response, so she tried again. "Harm?" Mac gently touched his shoulder, startling him.

"Oh, hey."

"Are you ok?" She looked worried at his serious expression.

"Yeah, I'm ok. I was just thinking about something."

"Here. It's time for your medicine." She handed him his pills and a glass of water, both of which he quickly took. "Don't stay too long outside, Harm. It's not exactly warm out here."

She began to walk back to the house, but Harm grabbed her arm. "Sarah..."

He couldn't seem to form the words he had to say. She smiled gently and stood next to him. "Are you ok, honey?" she asked, while softly brushing his grey hair back from his face.

Gathering up all his courage, he stood. "Sarah, let's go inside. I have something to tell you."

Mac followed him into the living room where they sat, facing each other. "Harm, are you sure you're all right? You've been acting a little odd the last couple days."

"How much do you think about our boys?"

"Since Albert just stopped by last night, I assume you're talking about Trey and Matt."

"Yes."

Suddenly, Mac found the carpet very interesting to look at.

"Sarah, honey, look at me, please." Harm implored and she reluctantly complied.

"Yes, I still think about them from time to time. It's hard not to, Harm. I know that all these years, we never let ourselves believed that Trey is dead, but..." She sighed. "It's been almost 12 years, now. I don't know if I really believe it anymore. As for Matt, I don't know. I honestly don't know. I'd barely accept the fact that Trey was gone, when yet another yellow envelope arrived. I just can't accept that little Eliza will never know her father."

Mac had spoken softly, but Harm had heard every word. He knew all her fears--they were the same as his. He never had wanted to really consider his grandchildren growing up fatherless, like he had. He knew Webb's discovery might make that a moot point, but he couldn't stop being afraid.

"Why are you suddenly mentioning them, Harm?"

"Sarah, I..." How was he going to tell her? The words kept sticking in his throat.

"Harm, what is it? You're scaring me here."

Drawing all his courage together, he blurted out, "Mac, I'm going onboard the Kennedy tomorrow morning. Patrick has ordered a new mission."

She smiled slightly, sure that he was joking. "Harm, you do realize that you are over 70 yrs old, right? You are in no shape for a field mission." She chuckled a little, before taking a good look at his face. "Harm, you're serious, aren't you?"

"I am, Mac. I've insisted on going to the Kennedy. Patrick didn't like the idea, but I pulled rank on him. Clay will also be onboard."

"Clay as in 'Clayton Webb'?"

"The one and only."

"I don't like where this is going, Harm. Are you going to tell me what is happening, or are we just going to play 20 questions?" Mac's voice became sharp

"They found a camp near Hang Zhou, China. It's a POW camp."

"So?" She didn't even think about what a POW camp could mean.

"Sarah, both boys were in that camp, and they still are." There! He had finally told her, but he was taken slightly aback by her initial reaction.

"Oh, really?" Mac said, the words not really clicking. Suddenly, she realized what she said. "What?! What did you just say?"

"I said both boys are there. Navy Intel confirmed that both Trey and Matt are in that camp. There will be a rescue mission tomorrow."

"And you're just telling me now?" She was now talking as the hot-blooded Marine General he knew her as.

"Honey, calm down; listen to me..."

"No! You listen to me! Harmon Rabb, I can't believe you! They are going to rescue the boys tomorrow, and you just tell me today. Even worse, you were going to go onboard the Kennedy without even letting me know what was going on."

"Sarah, I didn't want you to get hurt anymore than you already are. There is no guarantee that the mission will succeed. I didn't want you to get your hopes up."

"Damn it, Harm! I am a Marine, a General, damnit! I know how to handle the news, and I know the possibilities of mission failure."

"Mac..." His voice was becoming louder to match her's.

"Don't 'Mac' me, Harm. You should have told me! In case you forgot, they are my sons, too. I am a Marine General, so stop treating me like a weakling!"

"Mac! Calm down!" Harm shook her shoulders, trying to get through to her. "Honey, calm down. I know that as a Marine General you can handle this situation, but for this mission, you are not a General. Nor am I an Admiral. We are just parents who are afraid that this mission will fail, and we will see our sons in caskets." His tone softened as she collapsed into his arms, sobbing quietly. "Shh...honey, it's okay."

"I'm sorry I yelled at you, Harm. I just...I'm just so afraid..."

"I know, Sarah. I know. I'm terrified."

Taking a deep breath and brushing away her tears, she drew herself up and looked him in the eye. "I'm coming tomorrow."

"Sarah..."

"Don't, Harm. I want to be on board the Kennedy when they find them. Even if..." She couldn't finish the thought as she succumbed to tears again.

"They will find them. They will." Harm whispered, holding her close. They had to find them. They had to.

TBC…

Don't forget to drop me a word or two (grin)