…Till Death Does Us Part - Part 11/22

Disclaimer - See part one for all important information

"Just can it Mac.  I've had a bad day."  Harm limped into the apartment as Mac closed the door.

Mac looked carefully at him and noticed the limp and his appearance.  He was wearing his running clothes, but his pants were tore and there was blood on the sleeve of his shirt.  "Did you fall or something?"  Mac asked with concern.

"Or something."  Harm moaned.

"What happened?"  Mac asked when they both moved into the living room.  Harm sat down in the wicker chair and Mac stood next to him.

Harm took a breath.  "I just got back and decided to take a run.  I was in Rock Creek Park when three guys jumped me.  At first I thought it was just a mugging, but they didn't have any weapons."

"Do you think it's related to Kraussman and my car?"  Mac asked as she sat on the coffee table in front of him.

"Might be."  Harm pulled the sleeve of his shirt and Mac's eyes fell upon a very angry bruise.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up."  Mac stood up and gently lead him into her bedroom.

Harm stood in the room and watched as Mac opened a drawer in her dresser, pulling out some clothing.  "Here, change into these while I get the first aid kit and some towels," Mac instructed.

She left the room before he could protest. Harm slowly peeled his shirt off his sore body.  He looked into Mac's mirror and grimaced at the angry red marks, the forming bruises, and the scrapes that were bleeding.  He took off his running pants and caught sight of several marks on his legs.  He slid on the blue US Navy shorts that Mac laid out for him.  "I wondered where these went," He muttered.

Mac walked back into the bedroom after a few minutes, with the first aid kit, a few towels, some water, and various medical aids.  "I called Clay."

"Why did you do that?"  Harm whined.

Mac rolled his eyes.  "Excuse me.  My car gets blown up and you want me under secret service protection.  You get assaulted in the park, probably by the same people, I think he has a right to know."

Harm stood in front of her and crossed his arms across his chest.  He opened his mouth to say something.  "Sit," Mac commanded directly shutting him up, before he could start.

He eyed her, but followed directions.  He sat on the edge of the bed and Mac sat down next to him.  Mac examined the welts and scratches on his back.  "Jesus Harm.  What did they hit you with?"

"Several things," Harm told her, as she touched one of the marks with a wet washcloth.  "Be careful there"

"This from the bleeding man," Mac remarked.

Mac continued her work on his back and arms, as he informed her of the assault.  Once she had the marks properly covered she had him move to rest against the head of her bed.  Harm leaned against the headboard with several pillows cushioning his back.  Mac worked on some of the bruises on his arms and legs. 

Harm watched as she carefully touched his injured skin.  Her face would contort as she cleaned and banged wound after wound, several times she apologized for adding pain to him as she worked.  But Harm barely felt anything as her finger caressed his skin.  Her fingers burnt his skin in the same way they always have, but it was different this time.  He wanted her to touch him more and more.  She did, but he wanted her hands on other parts of him.

Mac moved on the bed to sit closer to him.  She looked at his sculpted chest and forgot about the marks across it.  She glanced down at the well-formed abs, even though they were showing his age with the slight amount of body fat.  He was still the sexist thing she had ever seen, and the only thing she wanted to see more of.

She composed herself and returned to her task of caring for him in the only way she would allow herself to.  She smoothed the wet washcloth across him.  Her hands fought against the deep desire to pull him towards her; instead they covered the bruises with ointment and bandages. 

"Almost done," Mac told him as she moved to look at his face.  "At least they didn't hit you in the face."

"I'm thinking they were looking to do physical damage to all of me."  Harm put on a brave front.  "This way I could see what they did."

Mac cleaned a cut under his chin.  "It could have been worse."

"True."

Mac lifted her head and found herself directly in front of his lips.  The air sparked with desire and a moment was formed.  Harm's eyes shifted to her and they locked gazes with each other.  

He leaned forward, but Mac skirted away.  "I think you should stay here tonight.  They would be expecting you to go back to your place."

"Yeah."  Harm pulled his head back as Mac stood up from the bed and took everything into the bathroom.

She returned to the bedroom after a few minutes and walked over to the bed.  "You okay?"

"They just beat me up, Mac.  Nothing to worry about."

Mac sat on the edge of the bed.  "Is there anything I can do before I let you get some sleep?"

Harm smirked as several ideas popped into his mind, all which included her naked beneath or above him.  "You know my mom always kissed my bruises to make them feel better?"

"Your mother is not here."

"But you are," Harm softly said in the bedroom voice, which haunted Mac's dreams.

End of Part 11