Disclaimer in chapter 1.

*Shrinks behind chair * Don't hate me because it took so long to update, but I got good news I just finished a fic so I can devote more time to this one! -yippee!

Thanks to et-spiritus-sancti, laura carr, harmsgirl, marineJAG, and jagchick105 for the reviews!

Episode 1

Chapter 6

Palmer lets Down his Guard

After feeding little AJ and Susan, Meredith and Mac put Susan to bed in the spare bedroom while little AJ finished his homework in the kitchen and watched cartoons. Harm was washing the dishes from dinner and the admiral was on the phone with Tiner.

"Alright well have the Robert's call me if they get in contact with you. Thank you." Admiral Chegwidden hung up taking a sip from his coffee.

"This is really unlike Bud and Harriet sir."

"I know, which is getting me worried." Mac and Meredith join Harm and the admiral in the kitchen.

"Still no word?" Meredith asks in concern, Chegwidden shook his head no.

"Let me get you some more coffee sir." Harm offered taking the admiral's mug. Admiral Chegwidden, Meredith and Mac stepped out of the kitchen to check on little AJ. Palmer removed the drug from his pocket, assured that it was untraceable he drops a few drops into the admiral's coffee and smiles in satisfaction.

"Here you go Admiral." Harm offered the admiral his coffee back.

"Thank you Harm." The admiral takes a sip of his coffee and places it on the coffee table. For twenty minutes while the admiral enjoys his coffee, they watch cartoons with little AJ. A gun explodes on the cartoon, when to phone rings.

"Admiral Chegwidden…yes I'm to CO of both Lieutenant Roberts…when?…I understand…yes I'm on my way." Everyone looks at the admiral in concern.

"That was just the hospital, there was an accident, the Roberts are in critical condition."

"Oh my gosh!" Meredith exclaims.

"What do you suggest we do sir…sir?" Harm asks as the admiral collapses clutching his chest.

"AJ!" Meredith cries rushing to his side.

---

Meredith paced the waiting room, they had just finished talking to both lieutenant's doctors and were waiting for news on the admiral. Harriet had lost a lot of blood, but was in stable condition, while Bud was still in critical. No one was ready to lose hope, they knew Bud was a fighter and that he would get through this. Mac had stayed behind with Susan and little AJ until Tiner arrived, then Mac went to the hospital. Harm was flipping through a magazine and Mac was watching Meredith.

"Why don't we go get some coffee? If there is any news I'm sure Harm will come and get us." Mac offered, Meredith halted her pacing she looked over at Mac contemplating her offer.

"Alright." She accepted barely above a whisper. Mac and Meredith left, Palmer watched them leave. He was hoping he'd still be able to convince Mac to go on their trip, if she refused, then his plan would fail. Mac returned a few minutes later.

"Where is Meredith?" He asked in concern.

"The doctor stopped us in the hall, Meredith is sitting with the admiral right now. I just called Sturgis he's watching AJ and Susan now Tiner and Coates are bringing us dinner."

"Sturgis?"

"Yes, he also asked if we were still going on our trip to Virginia Beach."

"Are we?"

"I was going to talk it over with you."

"There's nothing we can really do around here, and I think now more then ever we need at least one night away." Just then Tiner and Coates arrived with Chinese take out, they attempted small talk, but didn't get anywhere.

"Why don't you stay here with the Roberts, Admiral, and Meredith, I'll go back and stay with Sturgis." Harm offered to Mac. She nodded Tiner and Coates stood and left. "I'll come back and relieve you." With that he left.

---

Admiral's House

Damnit was resting by the door, when Palmer walked in, he let out a low growl.

"Damnit it's just Harm." Palmer looked up to see Sturgis standing in the hallway.

"Must be getting old." Harm offered in explanation, Sturgis was giving him a funny look.

"Must be." Sturgis spoke still giving him a funny look. "What are you doing here so late?"

"Just dropping in."

"Well while you're here we might as well work on the MacDonald's case together." Palmer gave a confused look.

"MacDonald's case?"

"The same case we've been working on for the past two weeks."

"Ah yeah, I guess the stress of today is catching up with me, I really need that vacation with Mac." Sturgis nodded in understandment and picked up a file of the coffee table. There was something not right about Harm, then it clicked, Harm had once mentioned something about a man, he couldn't remember his name, impersonating Harm to get involved in a case he wondered…

"You know what this case reminds me of?" Palmer looked up, hopping he could get this right.

"What?"

"That one time back at the academy, Captain Firth gave you C- on your report on Ancient Rome military tactics. You were the only cadet in the class to challenge his grading criteria, except you didn't threaten to shot his dog." Palmer laughed.

"Yeah I remember that." Sturgis looked up from the file with a stern look on his face, he nonchanlanty reached into one of the coffee table's drawers to remove Admiral Chegwidden's gun.

"I don't see how you could, I just made that up." Palmer stood up. "Who are you?" Sturgis demanded aiming the gun at him. Palmer reached for the gun, and they began a full-blown struggle, Sturgis deliver an upper right blow to Harm's chin, and he let out a howl of pain. They continued to struggle before Palmer pushed Sturgis into the coffee table. Sturgis laid on the ground, out cold, soaking in a puddle of his blood.

"Uncle Sturgis?" Little AJ called from the spare bedroom. Palmer backed up and raced for the door, this wasn't going as planned. He would half to forget Virginia Beach he was going for Mac now.

---

Harm was finally able to untie the ropes, he rubbed his wrist they were extremely sore, at least his headache had passed. For the first time he got a good chance to explore whatever he was held in. Despite his early assumption he was not in a cellar, but in a room. He ran his hands along the wall searching for a door. He felt a slight draft coming from the opposite wall, an escape, any sign of a breeze was obviously a way out. Harm raced over, careful of his step for he couldn't see a thing. In between two planks of wood was a slight crack that allowed a breeze to seep through. Harm began to dig, he had to get out, he had to get to his friends, and he had to get out to Mac.

And I think that's a perfect place to stop, I'm sorry if it's a little confusing, but to continue I'll need more reviews, so you know what to do click the review button and REVIEW!