Part 2: Back at the Hotel
May 25th 2003
The CIA-office was totally abandoned when Harm and Mac finally got there. They had gone on to look up Mac and Webb's old hotel room. There they had rested for a while after driving the whole night through. Later Hardy, the local CIA-boss, had showed up at the hotel. He had tried to convince them to help with Sadiq, but they had strongly refused since they wanted to find Elena first. If Hardy could actually understand that was hard to tell. He seemed to think it was their duty to finish the mission rather than getting Elena safe home.
Mac and Harm had driven around the town and looked at the hospitals, but there had been no sight of either Gunny, Webb or Elena. They had returned to the hotel room hoping they would be luckier in their search tomorrow. It was hard to tell exactly how long it would take for them to drive from Sadiq's compound to the city, so maybe they were still on their way.
They were lying on top of the bed if not to sleep to at least get some rest.
"She will be fine, Mac," Harm said.
"She has to be," Mac said. Her features were tense. During the drive she had been able to joke and tease with him, but now the dread was growing stronger again.
"I'm sure she's a survivor just like her mom," Harm continued hoping he would be able to comfort her a little. He put his hand on hers and began to slowly stroke it. Mac turned her head towards him.
"Thank you, Harm. Thank you," she whispered.
There was some sound at the door and in a second Harm and Mac rose from the They saw the group of three that they had so anxiously wanted to find enter the room. Mac ran up and relieved Gunny of the burden of her daughter.
"Thank god,"she said and started to rock her baby girl who had been a bit uneased by being separated from Gunny. "How did you get in?"
"The doorman remembered me. He said my wife was up here two-timing me with another man and I think he might be suspecting that that has happened before," he motioned towards Elena.
"That rat," she smiled and looked at Harm. Once again she seemed relaxed and at ease.
Gunny helped Webb settle down in a chair and then went over to sit down on the couch beside Mac.
"I told you, you should have tipped him better," Harm said to Mac and gave Webb a drink.
"Did you get to a hospital? Did they release you just like that?" Mac wanted to put the jokes aside and get control of the situation.
"They started to get suspicious that Elena wasn't Gunny's daughter, as we had told them, so we had to leave. The doctor did examine her first and he says she just needs more and better nutrition, which we've got for her here," Webb said and showed the bag he had been holding in his hand.
"There are no words for how grateful I am, but thank you. Both of you," Mac said gratefully turning around so she faced both of them.
"Any word on Sadiq?" Gunny asked. He was back to business.
"Not yet. We did take care of those stinger missiles though," Harm said.
"There may be a lead," Mac continued but was interrupted by Webb.
"I need to know everything."
"Then I'll start by telling you that I'm leaving as soon as possible," Mac said "You can stay here and finish this if you want to, but I need to take my daughter home." None of the men could really disagree with that.
"How about you, Rabb?" Webb asked.
"I'm leaving with Mac," he stated. There was nothing for him to finish here. He had found what he went after and just wanted them safe at home again sooner rather than later.
"I'm thinking you came here looking for Mac. How did you get the admiral's permission?" Clay asked.
"I resigned my commission," Harm mumbled. This was not how he had planned to tell Mac.
"Are you insane? Why didn't you tell me?" Mac raised her voice a bit.
"There was no time," Harm answered a bit defensively.
"You found the time to tell Webb," Mac accused him. The argument was getting more heated.
"Mac, it's really not a big deal."
"Harm, this job is your life. It's all you've got."
"Mac," Harm started to protest.
"Gunny, I think we better leave these two alone," Webb got up to walk over to the bedroom, but he stumbled and had to be dragged over there by Gunny and Harm. Mac was holding Elena and waited until Harm was finished with Webb and they could go and try to get another room in the hotel.
Finally they were settled in in the new room. The hotel staff had gotten a baby bed out for Elena, who was now sleeping comfortably and safe in her mother's presence. Mac was constantly getting up from the bed and going over to check on her.
Mac was still a bit upset with Harm. Exactly why she couldn't say. All the tension she had had in her body and mind was slowly letting go. She had been forced to deny her worries and feelings for so long and now they were overwhelming her and she would take them out on the closest person. She was too afraid to talk to Harm and destroy yet more of their friendship.
Mac started to get up once more, but this time Harm stopped her by putting his arm around her and pulling her close.
"Mac, she's doing fine. You'll wake her up if you continue to do that," he whispered in her ear and at the same time he pulled her closer so his whole body was pressed against hers. Mac started to sob without a sound.
"It's OK for you to cry, Mac. You held it together for as long as you needed and everyone in this room loves you and won't judge you for crying. I'm so proud of you," he held on as tightly as he could and felt how the sobs became stronger, but there still wasn't a single sound coming out of her mouth.
"Don't blame yourself for what happened. We can get through this somehow. We have to. Maybe we need to talk about this thing with us and about everything that happened before, but let's table that conversation until we're back home," he continued to sooth her. Now she was crying her heart out. No more words were exchanged throughout the night, but when the morning came the crying had stopped and they just lay sleeping very close together. The best of friends, together they would survive.
TBC
May 25th 2003
The CIA-office was totally abandoned when Harm and Mac finally got there. They had gone on to look up Mac and Webb's old hotel room. There they had rested for a while after driving the whole night through. Later Hardy, the local CIA-boss, had showed up at the hotel. He had tried to convince them to help with Sadiq, but they had strongly refused since they wanted to find Elena first. If Hardy could actually understand that was hard to tell. He seemed to think it was their duty to finish the mission rather than getting Elena safe home.
Mac and Harm had driven around the town and looked at the hospitals, but there had been no sight of either Gunny, Webb or Elena. They had returned to the hotel room hoping they would be luckier in their search tomorrow. It was hard to tell exactly how long it would take for them to drive from Sadiq's compound to the city, so maybe they were still on their way.
They were lying on top of the bed if not to sleep to at least get some rest.
"She will be fine, Mac," Harm said.
"She has to be," Mac said. Her features were tense. During the drive she had been able to joke and tease with him, but now the dread was growing stronger again.
"I'm sure she's a survivor just like her mom," Harm continued hoping he would be able to comfort her a little. He put his hand on hers and began to slowly stroke it. Mac turned her head towards him.
"Thank you, Harm. Thank you," she whispered.
There was some sound at the door and in a second Harm and Mac rose from the They saw the group of three that they had so anxiously wanted to find enter the room. Mac ran up and relieved Gunny of the burden of her daughter.
"Thank god,"she said and started to rock her baby girl who had been a bit uneased by being separated from Gunny. "How did you get in?"
"The doorman remembered me. He said my wife was up here two-timing me with another man and I think he might be suspecting that that has happened before," he motioned towards Elena.
"That rat," she smiled and looked at Harm. Once again she seemed relaxed and at ease.
Gunny helped Webb settle down in a chair and then went over to sit down on the couch beside Mac.
"I told you, you should have tipped him better," Harm said to Mac and gave Webb a drink.
"Did you get to a hospital? Did they release you just like that?" Mac wanted to put the jokes aside and get control of the situation.
"They started to get suspicious that Elena wasn't Gunny's daughter, as we had told them, so we had to leave. The doctor did examine her first and he says she just needs more and better nutrition, which we've got for her here," Webb said and showed the bag he had been holding in his hand.
"There are no words for how grateful I am, but thank you. Both of you," Mac said gratefully turning around so she faced both of them.
"Any word on Sadiq?" Gunny asked. He was back to business.
"Not yet. We did take care of those stinger missiles though," Harm said.
"There may be a lead," Mac continued but was interrupted by Webb.
"I need to know everything."
"Then I'll start by telling you that I'm leaving as soon as possible," Mac said "You can stay here and finish this if you want to, but I need to take my daughter home." None of the men could really disagree with that.
"How about you, Rabb?" Webb asked.
"I'm leaving with Mac," he stated. There was nothing for him to finish here. He had found what he went after and just wanted them safe at home again sooner rather than later.
"I'm thinking you came here looking for Mac. How did you get the admiral's permission?" Clay asked.
"I resigned my commission," Harm mumbled. This was not how he had planned to tell Mac.
"Are you insane? Why didn't you tell me?" Mac raised her voice a bit.
"There was no time," Harm answered a bit defensively.
"You found the time to tell Webb," Mac accused him. The argument was getting more heated.
"Mac, it's really not a big deal."
"Harm, this job is your life. It's all you've got."
"Mac," Harm started to protest.
"Gunny, I think we better leave these two alone," Webb got up to walk over to the bedroom, but he stumbled and had to be dragged over there by Gunny and Harm. Mac was holding Elena and waited until Harm was finished with Webb and they could go and try to get another room in the hotel.
Finally they were settled in in the new room. The hotel staff had gotten a baby bed out for Elena, who was now sleeping comfortably and safe in her mother's presence. Mac was constantly getting up from the bed and going over to check on her.
Mac was still a bit upset with Harm. Exactly why she couldn't say. All the tension she had had in her body and mind was slowly letting go. She had been forced to deny her worries and feelings for so long and now they were overwhelming her and she would take them out on the closest person. She was too afraid to talk to Harm and destroy yet more of their friendship.
Mac started to get up once more, but this time Harm stopped her by putting his arm around her and pulling her close.
"Mac, she's doing fine. You'll wake her up if you continue to do that," he whispered in her ear and at the same time he pulled her closer so his whole body was pressed against hers. Mac started to sob without a sound.
"It's OK for you to cry, Mac. You held it together for as long as you needed and everyone in this room loves you and won't judge you for crying. I'm so proud of you," he held on as tightly as he could and felt how the sobs became stronger, but there still wasn't a single sound coming out of her mouth.
"Don't blame yourself for what happened. We can get through this somehow. We have to. Maybe we need to talk about this thing with us and about everything that happened before, but let's table that conversation until we're back home," he continued to sooth her. Now she was crying her heart out. No more words were exchanged throughout the night, but when the morning came the crying had stopped and they just lay sleeping very close together. The best of friends, together they would survive.
TBC