TITLE: Revealing Souls

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: H/M

DISCLAIMER: I do not own JAG

Author's Note: Thank you again to everyone who has been reviewing my work, reading it, and enjoying it. It encourages me to keep writing. As always, Reviews very welcome!!!!

Chapter 4: Instincts

United States Naval Base

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

1600 EST

"We were friends, Ma'am, yes," Corporal Santiago replied. The Corporal was a member of Patterson and Barnes' unit, and all three had been close friends. Mac noticed the obvious concern on his face, and it led her to believe that any information that she may receive from him would not be far from the truth. They were sitting outside on one of the many benches, mainly because Mac felt that Harm and Bobbi Latham would probably do their interviews in the appointed office. She was happy to stay away from that situation for the moment. Being jealous was not her forte, at least not to the point of wanting to set Bobbi Latham on fire, which had been the feelings overwhelming her at the moment. She needed a break, and this case would do it.

Mac continued, "For how long?"

"Ever since we've been in the Marines, ma'am. About 2 years."

"What do you think about this case?"

Santiago sighed. "I know Patterson didn't do anything, ma'am. He wouldn't hurt ..." but he stopped. He hadn't intended on sharing this, but felt he was obliged to do so. Santiago did feel he knew way too much, not wanting to be in the middle of something like this. Granted, he wasn't in trouble, and any information he gave, at the very most, would be used in court. There wasn't much to worry about, except his friendship with Barnes and Patterson might be strained. However, he truly believed they had nothing to do with it. Especially Patterson.

Mac pressed. "What?" She saw his eyes drift away searching for the answer he wished to give. Probably deciding which answer was best and which one would do the most good. Such a decision may not bare the information that was most needed; the truth.

Santiago finally looked straight at her. "He wouldn't hurt the woman he loves, ma'am."

Mac's curiosity about this case was heightened in that split second. The officers of the base were trying to indicate that it was suicide. Or, better yet, they had made the only person who could've possibly been responsible if it's decided it was murder would be the man who found Knight. That would be P.F.C. Patterson. This information could both help and hinder the case for Patterson, who at the moment was the main suspect in the event that murder charges were brought up. Help in that certainly Patterson wouldn't hurt the woman he loved. But hinder in that maybe any relationship problems may have triggered Patterson's anger to the point of murder.

United States Naval Base, Harm and Mac's Office

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

1620 EST

Sitting in the office after the many interviews, Harm found himself more insure concerning the cause of death. Harm stood up and walked out of the building. Starting through the center of the base, he noticed Mac sitting quietly at a bench. He was surprised that he didn't run into her before this, assuming she would have come back to the office much sooner. They had certainly gotten many interviews finished, and doing so cut down on the time needed for investigation and brought them closer to leaving for Washington. Harm smirked, realizing how appalling that was to be coming from a distinguished Naval officer, wishing he could be back in Washington to he could be with his girlfriend after hours. However, he attributed it to the fact that his relationship with Mac was still very new, and he couldn't keep his mind off of her. Saluting officers as he walked, he came up to her, seeing her look up at him with a small smile. "Can I sit?" Harm asked, and Mac nodded. "Congresswoman Latham is going back to Washington."

"I'm surprised you're not going with her," Mac replied. Realizing her anger had suddenly boiled over, she quickly looked away from him, not wanting to make eye contact. There was no reason to be jealous, and Mac had to keep remembering this concept. Harm was hers.

Harm looked away, sensing Mac's irritation. To be honest, this was the first time since they had been a couple that Mac had let her emotions turn this way, towards jealousy. Though, it made sense. Becoming closer by the day, by the hour that they were together increased the emotional shield they held for the other. It was only normal to feel challenged, just as Harm didn't question his own shield for Mac. Having the capacity to burn a man's eyes out for looking at Mac the wrong way was present in Harm's soul. Such a thought made Harm smile to realize the craziness of his own protectiveness, but at the same time sensing his devotion and love for the woman in his life. "I'm sorry."

Mac sighed, already convinced that her outburst was out of line. Harm wasn't the reason for her anger. Bobbi Latham really hadn't done anything wrong, especially when she had no clue of the relationship Mac had with Harm. "No, I'm sorry. I've never felt this ..." Mac paused briefly, wondering if she should admit such a declaration to Harm, though he probably already assumed. In any case, Mac finished her statement, "... jealous before."

Harm leaned back against the bench, and was a little surprised she admitted it. He decided then to press the issue a bit, liking the position he was in. "You were jealous?"

Mac didn't make eye contact, and replied simply, "Only if burning someone alive is against the UCMJ." Laughing to herself, Mac knew that her feelings were probably quite normal considering how close she and Harm had gotten in the past month. Starting off as friends made the transition much easier than expected, and it didn't take long for them to become very intimate, sharing secrets, fears, and insecurities. However, the month had only revealed the few layers above the very deep sections that would take a bit longer to unlock. Still, Mac felt more comfortable with Harm than she had with any other man in her life.

Harm smiled widely. "You were jealous."

"Not anymore than you would've been or have been, for that matter," Mac replied, reaching over to give his hand a squeeze. Mac couldn't count the amount of instances Harm had been jealous of Mac and her significant other at that time. Dalton, Mic, Webb; all were traced with Harm's jealous. Maybe he had reasons to be jealous then, and such an emotion and such a response was a discussion that Mac did have with Harm many times. Now he had every reason to be jealous, because it was his right as the significant other. However, he would never have any reason to be. Mac didn't see herself ever letting him go. A pause, and then, "Did you two ever ...?".

Harm interrupted, "Sleep together?" He sighed deeply and didn't want to make eye contact with her. Wanting to convince her off his devotion to her love wouldn't be helped by his admission of having been with Bobbi Latham. He only nodded, hoping that would be good enough, hoping she wouldn't be too upset.

Mac nodded, looking away from him. It was to be expected. There was no reason to blame Harm, or punish him. Both Harm and herself had their pasts, perhaps events they wished never happened, regrets, former loves they wished would never resurface. However, there was a certain sense of comparison, perhaps a need to make sure that there would be no sudden threat to her relationship with Harm. Playing devil's advocate, Mac asked simply, "Are there any other women I should know about?"

Harm looked back at her, his dark blue eyes emphasizing his seriousness at this moment. Perhaps Mac was attempting to lighten up the situation, but Harm saw it as a chance to ensure her that loving her, not just this past month, but for the past nine years, has been different than any other women in his life. There would be no other, Harm thought. However, his nerve lessened a little, and instead of stating his full feelings, he answered quietly, "You're the only one I care about now."

Mac gave him a wry smile, seeing more beneath his features, the intentions lying dormant there. This conversation had suddenly turned into one that needed to be continued in private, without fear of getting caught or each other. Mac decided then to change the subject, replying quietly, "I think we need to get back to the case, Commander." Not only was what they were discussing probably not good if someone should hear their discussion, but it also gave Mac a reason to break away from the conversation for awhile, one that was going in a direction she wished to avoid right now. Mac wasn't entirely sure why she suddenly felt nervousness around Harm at the moment, but she knew she wanted to drop it quickly and continue with the investigation. Forgetting about Bobbi Latham right now and what her presence had brought to the surface in her relationship with Harm was top priority.

Harm nodded, deciding it was indeed best to leave any issues they might be having at the moment at bay until they returned home to Washington. There wasn't much time to discuss it now, and they had a case to solve. One that challenged to change the way the United States Navy and Marines would be viewed. Mac's change of subject indicated that she wanted to do the exact same thing. "So what did you find out?"

Mac sighed, feeling the weight of the knowledge she held. It would indeed make things much more difficult, yet it opened the case up in many areas. "Patterson was in love with Knight." Glancing to Harm, she saw his face turn to worry. "Yeah, my feelings exactly."

"I think we need to talk this one out. Let's check out the crime scene one more time, than we'll return to our quarters and set the facts out," Harm offered, standing up. Mac nodded, agreeing that they needed to put their minds together to sort through all of the testimony and possible facts of the case. And they needed to do so in private. Harm reached a hand out to her, and she took it, standing up next to him. It was time to get this case solved without officers or Congresswomen pressuring them.

JAG Headquarters

Falls Church, VA

1645 EST

Krennick sighed deeply as she listened to the report from her two best officers. Commander Rabb and Colonel Mackenzie were certainly the best she had ever worked with when it involved investigating a case. She was getting more used to each of their styles, and the style that was all their own when they were partnered for a case. They knew what to look for during a case and what questions to ask. Granted, Roberts and Turner were also quite good, but when Rabb and Mackenzie investigated, and especially when they worked together, the cases were solved quickly. The last few months she had put them on separate cases, mainly because she wanted to stretch her resources as wide as she could as more JAG cases entered her office. She also knew they were good when they worked alone, allowing her to have no problem giving them so many cases.

In cases like this one, however, both of their talents were needed. Though right now she was wondering what was taking them so long. "You still haven't established whether it's a suicide or murder?"

The irritation was certainly evident in Krennick's voice, and Rabb answered with caution, "No, ma'am. The medical examiner insists it's suicide, but we have reason to believe that it might be murder. However, we have yet to find a motive."

"What makes you think it is murder?" Krennick pressed.

Mac replied quickly, "Well, ma'am, we have conflicting evidence between the two Marines who found the body and how the medical examiner and other witnesses suggested they found it."

Krennick grimaced, "Either way, someone's lying, which would suggest murder. All right, report back to me as soon as you have something knew."

"Aye, aye, ma'am," both of her junior officers called.

Krennick sighed once again as she switched off the intercom. What an interesting pair they were to work with. Rabb would always seem like the cocky Naval aviator who thought he was right all the time. As she worked with him lately, however, Krennick noticed a profound change in him. He wasn't nearly as cocky anymore. And his mind seemed noticeably on a certain Lieutenant Colonel ever since she became JAG. Smiling, Krennick decided a long time ago to ignore that subject unless she absolutely had to address it. She wasn't supposed to know anything.

Mac's Barracks Room

United States Naval Base, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

1700 EST

"So what do you think?" Harm asked, walking over to Mac, who was sitting at her desk in her quarters on the base. They had been hashing and rehashing the case over and over again. Each time they came back to the never-ending discussion of who had lied to them and what they were lying about. Still there was the controversy as to whether the two deaths were suicide or murder. Both had the same characteristics of the rope around the neck, rope burns on the neck, suggesting suicide, and each victim had seemed to have landed in a position that suggested they had been hanging. However, Patterson's testimony that the body had been in a different position when he found it first suggested murder, and, most importantly, a possible cover-up.

Mac leaned back in her chair, lightly throwing her pen to the desk. "I think both were murdered, and I don't think Patterson had anything to do with either of them."

Harm nodded, knowing he was leaning towards the same conclusion. However, he wanted to ensure that they were on the right track. Asking themselves questions helped them to cover all of their bases. "Why don't you think Patterson is involved?"

Mac shrugged slightly before answering, "No motive really. I don't know, he just doesn't seem the type to go to such an extreme." She paused for a second, thinking quickly, before continuing, "And let's not forget the Miller death. If there's supposed to be some serial killer, what's the motive for Patterson to kill Miller? How does she fit in?"

Harm took a seat on her bed nearby. Mac's points were very well thought out, extremely thought provoking. However, Harm didn't feel they could let Patterson go so easily, struggling with the possibility that they're not seeing all the facts that they should. "Maybe Miller was an old girlfriend." He knew he was fishing, but these types of conclusions had to be made. The case needed to be seen from every angle.

Mac smiled wryly at Harm, the obvious situation coming to her mind. Harm's remark dripped with irony, and she bounced back, "I don't know, would you kill your old girlfriends?"

Harm smiled back, shrugged slightly, and said very formally, "Only if you ordered it to be done, Colonel." He then winked at her, and Mac couldn't help but feel a little giddy. She hid it well, though.

To further hide her happiness, she peered down at the case files of Miller and Knight once again. Often small facts become caught up in the major issues involved in an important case. This time was no different as Mac's eyes fell upon a name: Major Matthew Hanson. The name appeared in both case files as the commanding officer of Miller and Knight. Each had been under the Major's command, and each had received mediocre grades from him. "Did we know that Miller and Knight had the same CO at one time?"

Harm leaned forward to catch a glimpse. "What's the name?"

"Major Hanson."

Harm pursed his lips, thinking if he had heard of the name before or not. If anyone might know who he is in this pair, it would be Mac. "Do you know him?"

Mac sighed, flashes of past stories that had been shared among Marines echoing in her mind. "Only by reputation. He received a Medal of Honor coming out of the Persian Gulf War. He was only a Private then." She handed him the file. Only glancing at the name wasn't going to solve anything.

"Let's talk to him."

United States Naval Base

Outside

1720 EST

Major Matthew Hanson blew on his whistle again; disappointed with the performance his Marines were giving as the end of the day neared. They were tired, hungry, some wet from the obstacle course. The last thing they wanted to do was more pushups, but Hanson kept blowing on the whistle again and again. Endurance was an important lesson, one that was only learned by actually enduring hardships and trials. This was something he needed to teach them. It would be one of the only ways they would survive if they ever found themselves in combat.

As he whistled again, he noticed out of the corner of his eye two people walking towards him. The sun setting overshadowed his view allowing him only to conclude that one of them was very tall and he was Navy. Sighing, he whistled again, this time taking the whistle angrily out of his mouth. "Come on! Again!" He heard the pain coming from his men, the exhaustion, but he ignored it. They would be finished when he was satisfied.

The two people finally reached him, and he now saw they were JAG. Worse yet, one was Navy, as he had concluded just a second before, and the other was a woman, a Lieutenant Colonel. He had no intention of saluting a woman, but there was no choice. She outranked him. He stood at attention and saluted quickly. "Sir. Ma'am. What can I do for you?"

Harm spoke first. "I'm Commander Rabb, this is Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie. We're from the JAG Corp, and we'd like to ask you a few questions."

The Major tried to hide his discomfort and irritation. The last thing he needed was to have lawyers investigating him. "What would you like to know, sir?"

Mac immediately intervened, noticing the lack of reference to her. "You were the CO of P.F.C Miller and Lance Corporal Knight?"

Hanson thought for a split second. "Yes."

Harm nodded. "Can you tell us why you rated them poorly?"

Hanson shrugged, blowing on his whistle again, urging his Marines to continue. He then turned to Harm and Mac. "Neither of them could handle it."

Mac pressed further, highly annoyed. "What makes you say that?" None of the stories that Mac had heard spoke of Hanson's chauvinistic feelings towards women. It gave insight immediately into his character, and it didn't take long for Mac to suspect him for the murders. Having been a man in combat, he had reason to feel that women may not be cut out for such hardship. When one's life is on the line in combat, as often occurs, trusting the unit is highly important. If Hanson can't trust women in his unit, it would be very meaningful for a motive.

Hanson huffed as he walked a bit closer to his Marines, Harm and Mac following. Such questions were a waste of time, Hanson thought to himself. Work needed to be done. "They didn't meet the requirements." He intended to be simple and cagey.

Mac handed him two pieces of paper. "This is the fitness report for Miller and for Knight. According to those, they meet the necessary requirements. In fact, they aced them. Can you explain that?" she asked, stepping a bit closer to him. He was only a few inches taller than she was, and the inches seemed quite small at the moment.

Hanson rolled his eyes and stepped back from her slightly. "Listen, Colonel, you of all people should know what it takes to be a Marine. It's my job to make that distinction, to rate them. I didn't see them as fit, and that should be good enough." Hanson knew he was letting himself get carried away, way too much in front of two hotshot lawyers from Washington. They would probably use anything against him.

Harm quickly asked, "It's interesting that everyone else in your unit rated high. You lead a good set of Marines, Major. Why couldn't the two women cut it?"

At that, Hanson turned to the Commander quickly, facing him with anger flooding his eyes. "Maybe because they're women, Commander." He chanced a glance at the Colonel, whose expression he couldn't place. It was a mixture of sudden understanding and discomfort at his statement. Perhaps at him. He knew he wouldn't be able to tell, returning his glare to the Commander. "Are we done?" Giving the whistle a final blow, he moved past them to this Marines and shouted final commands for the day.

Harm and Mac glanced at one another, now sensing a motive. Maybe the Major was a suspect, and maybe he wasn't. His feelings towards women in the Marines, however, allowed interesting conclusions to be forged. To feel so strongly about the subject of women in the Marines was intriguing, and neither Mac nor Harm knew what to do with the Major's apparent anger or where it came from.

Patterson's room

United States Naval Base

1800 EST

Patterson replied, "No, sir, they were excellent Marines. Both of them. At least ... I know Knight was, sir."

Harm sighed deeply, choosing to pace a bit around the room. Mac only stood there, arms folded across her chest. They had thought about the performances of Miller and Knight as Marines an important aspect of the case, and now it suddenly became a possible motive. Certainly their were other soldiers who may have felt the same way as the Major, but in Mac's experience she had never heard such drastic remarks. If anything, she heard mostly positive feelings towards her success as a Marine. However, to ignore these feelings lying dormant among the positive is acting the ignorant. "Did she complain about her CO?" Mac asked.

Patterson nodded, a little unsure of where they were going. "Of course. We all do."

Harm pressed the issue, knowing exactly where Mac was taking them. "What did she complain about?"

Patterson thought for a second and quickly answered, "How she was busting her butt, giving it all she had, and still her CO treated her horribly." It was then that Patterson himself saw where the Lieutenant Colonel had been taking them. Motive. Perhaps the Major was so irritated to have women in the Marines, and ones who wouldn't give up, that he went to the extreme.

Harm glanced to Mac, who seemed satisfied with the questioning. There would be a lot to discuss. "Thank you, Private." With that, Harm and Mac left.

Mac's room

United States Naval Base

2200

"Still think it could be Patterson?" Mac asked, smirking at Harm as she sat down at her desk.

Harm shrugged, pacing a little to help his mind think clearly. "Well, we can't rule him out completely."

Mac sighed a little, looking away from him into the emptiness of the room. Her mind was telling her that most likely Major Hanson was their man. All they had to do was establish where he was the two nights that Miller and Knight were killed, and hopefully the case would be solved. However, her instincts were telling her there was more. Something they weren't seeing. "Does it seem too easy?"

Harm thought for a second, pursing his lips. "Maybe. What are you thinking?"

Mac took a small glance at the case again. "Suspecting Hanson is too easy," she stated, clarifying her feelings. Harm and Mac's eyes met briefly, and Harm understood her hesitation. However, Hanson needed to be investigated, especially after what they know now.

"We need to look into him, though," Harm reasoned bluntly, stepping back to lean against the door. Mac knew that Hanson was the primary suspect, and even though her senses had amazing accuracy, they couldn't let Hanson go free on a whim. Perhaps if the case dealt with something less dangerous as murder, Harm would be more willing to humor Mac. However, there was no way to know if Hanson had the capacity to kill more people.

Mac set the case file she had been holding on the desk before her. Harm was acting by the book this time, a tactic he usually left to her. Certainly strange to have the roles switched, Mac thought. Mac then countered, hoping to ease the possible argument now threatening to emerge in the conversation, "He may be worth looking into, but I don't think he did it." Her eyes met Harm's again, and she could see his irritation. They were suddenly in disagreement, and though usually Mac enjoys the bantering, this was not a time to begin arguing.

"You're really not considering him a suspect?" Harm asked, a little disbelief in his voice. The last thing he wanted to do was argue with her, but he didn't feel as if she was following protocol. If anything, the Major was exactly the person they were looking for. Why was she stepping away from it?

Mac stood and walked over to him. "My instincts are telling me ... we're looking in the wrong spot." She knew that such an explanation was simple and perhaps wasn't what Harm was looking for. Often did she have instincts about certain cases, and much of the time she was right. She had been right about Harm's position when he was lost in the Atlantic Ocean. Harm knew of her success, but this time it didn't feel right to him.

"You know we have to investigate Hanson, Mac. Everything needed for a case is right in front of us," Harm reasoned again, this time with a little more pressure, his voice rising slightly.

Mac said sternly, "And what if we're wrong, Harm? Most of the time, the answer to a case isn't so obvious. We're missing something."

Harm walked a little closer to her and he hoped his height would further push his own opinion. However, such things didn't scare Mac easily. "And what if we're not wrong? If Hanson is the one, who is he going to kill next?"

Mac sighed deeply, now openly irritated, allowing her voice to rise as well. "Harm, why would Hanson tell us his feelings about women in the military? Don't you think he would act as normal as possible so we wouldn't think he's the guy?"

Harm moved even closer to her and now they were inches apart. "Maybe it's so much apart of who he is that he can't hide it. He seems to want people to know his opinion. Maybe it's more important for people to know the faults of women in the military even if he gets caught in the process. He was the CO of both women, Mac."

Mac shook her head, replying softly, "Fine, you go get your bad guy, and I'll get mine." She peered into his eyes, indicating her massive displeasure of their split feelings towards the case. What aggravated her the most was the idea that one of them was definitely right. Either they would be wasting their time investigating a disgruntled Major, or they were choosing to ignore the obvious direction the evidence was taking them. It would be a difficult distinction, one that led Harm in one direction and Mac in the other.

Harm stepped forward a little, brushing up against Mac as he opened the door behind him. "Fine." He kept his eyes glued to hers as he left. Mac watched him leave, feeling that neither of them were listening to each other. She expected them to be working on the same page. However, she knew better. Maybe she expected Harm and herself to be thinking the same thing, to be on the same wavelength even more than usual because of their newfound connection, their new status, the change. Maybe she was expecting too much.

As she walked over to the desk, her shoulders suddenly felt achy and strained. It had been an extremely long day and the only way to come back to perspective on this case was to get a decent night's sleep. Mac couldn't help but think of Harm, missing him slightly. In that same instance, the time away from him might be good considering their small disagreement. They had bantered before, certainly, and afterwards they stayed away from each other a little so as to not make things worse considering they saw each other quite often now. Mac knew she felt a little hesitant with their arguments because of their new relationship, afraid that one slip would ruin the level that had taken years to get to. Perhaps that's why this little argument scared her, why she wanted to take some time away, just in case. Their relationship had been amazing, but they had not yet gotten past the fear that any small argument might have hurtful feelings and eventually separate them for good. Opening up to each other fully was still an issue. Much was hidden deep within each of them, and Mac was even more convinced of this now than before.

It was these thoughts that invaded her consciousness as she began to change into shorts and a T-shirt for bed, letting her hair loose because she preferred it down when she slept. It was this distraction that took her mind away from the shadow coming from behind, and it was almost too late as arms wrapped around her quickly, trying to get a rope around her neck. Mac probably would not be able to describe the events that well afterwards, only reacting so instantly and instinctively that it surprised her attacker. Her hands flew to the arms around her neck, and she quickly tried to flip him over her shoulder. She sensed he was a man by his build and strength, but only concluded this in her deepest thoughts. Her immediate worry was concerning the rope coming that much closer to her neck.

... To Be Continued ...

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