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Chapter 17:

Reunions



"All are needed by each one; nothing is fair or good alone."

--Ralph Waldo Emerson.



2325 Zulu

4 February 2004

JAG Headquarters

Falls Church, Virginia

AJ groaned and hung up the phone. "Great, just great," he muttered as he reached for his coat and cover. "One of my officers is in the hospital while his partner is terrorizing the staff."

He sighed as he hurried out of his office and towards his car. "Now I have to go chew her out for protecting him," he grumbled. "Hell, I don't want to chew her out for that; if she's protecting him, he must need it."

AJ climbed in his car, started it and headed towards the freeway. It usually took forty-five minutes to get to Bethesda, but if he hurried, he'd make it in thirty minutes or less.

AJ gunned the engine and sped up until he was going far above the speed limit. "I'm getting too old for this," he grumbled as he pushed hard on the accelerator. "I want to retire," he said out loud. He shook his head, then flipped the radio on.

AJ grimaced and pushed the accelerator again, coaxing more speed out of his car. He knew better than to think he could just turn in his walking papers. He had too much to do before then. Maybe, if he were lucky, he could retire in the spring. By then, perhaps, he could work out something for Rabb and Mackenzie and fix the problems in his office.

He'd hate to lose a lawyer of Rabb's caliber, but there was the option of sending him to learn how to drive a ship. It'd be good for his career, but he wasn't sure if it'd be good for both of them as a couple. AJ shrugged mentally. There was still time to work things out; Harm probably needed time to heal.

He knew his top officers better than they would suspect. He'd seen them bury their problems far too often until too much just leaked out, or they exploded, whichever came first. AJ swore to himself that he'd make sure that Harm got the time, space, and help that he needed. The Captain deserved that much.

Harm was the closest thing he'd ever had to a son. AJ was thankful for the loan of him, and during the time Harm had been missing, he'd found himself going to the Wall. It was there that he could thank Lieutenant Rabb for the son of his heart, and beg for his safe return.

Now that Harm was home, AJ knew that there would be issues from his captivity and inevitable torture to deal with and he had to let him know that he would be there if his officer needed him. He smiled as he saw the exit for the Naval Hospital. While he wasn't looking forward to berating Mac for protecting Harm, at least he could see with his own eyes that the Captain was okay.

2345 Zulu

4 February 2004

National Naval Medical Center

Bethesda, Maryland

Lieutenant Brown stole quietly into the room and checked her sleeping patient's chart. He was due for another dose of a specialized, experimental drug in half an hour, and she had to check the dosage on his chart. She smiled as she saw both her patient and his fierce protector curled up together on the bed. Technically, she should wake the Colonel up and get her to leave, but they just looked so cute asleep in each other's arms that she didn't have the heart to wake either one of them.

She checked the chart and walked quietly out of the room. Lieutenant Brown jumped back as she saw a man with admiral's insignia stride towards her. "Sir," she said as she snapped to attention.

"Lieutenant," he said. "Is this Captain Rabb's room?"

"Yes sir, but the Captain is asleep right now."

"I'll be careful not to disturb him, Lieutenant. I'm assuming that Colonel Mackenzie is in there, too?" AJ said with a smile.

"Yes, sir, but--"

"As you were, Lieutenant," AJ said, as he went into the room. A huge grin spread over his face as he saw his two best officers curled up together, dead to the world. He suppressed a chuckle as he noticed how protectively Mac was holding Harm. Even in sleep, her body language proclaimed how she would protect the man from all comers.

AJ walked over and laid his hand on Mac's shoulder. He hated to wake her, but he needed to know the Captain's condition, and he was too tired to go hunting for the doctor. "Colonel?" He said in a whisper as he gave her a gentle shake.

Mac opened her eyes and rubbed them blearily. "Sir!" She gasped as she tried to untangle herself to come to attention.

"Take your time, Colonel," AJ said.

"Aye, sir," she said. Mac extracted herself from the bed and came to attention beside it.

"At ease, Colonel. Walk with me so that we don't wake Captain Rabb," he ordered.

"But sir--"

"What did I just order you to do, Colonel?" he asked, his voice dangerously soft.

"Aye, sir," she said, then followed him out the door.

AJ waited until they were a few feet from the door before he let loose the lecture that he knew he had to give her." "Marine, you may now tell me just why I got a call right before leaving the office today that you've been terrorizing the staff here?"

"Sir, with all due respect, I would rather do this in the Captain's room; he gets agitated when--"

"I said now, Colonel Mackenzie."

"Yes, sir." He watched as she bit her lip and then took a deep breath before answering. "They were making Captain Rabb cry," she answered finally. "To be frank, sir--Harm is a mess right now."

"Explain, Colonel."

"Physically, well, he's been better. He'll heal, Admiral. But I think that Sadik and his goons really must've hurt him, sir. He's... clingy. And I'm the only one who he willingly lets touch him."

"That doesn't sound like the Harmon Rabb I know," AJ observed gruffly.

"Me, either, sir," she said, then opened her mouth to say more.

"Sarah," Harm's voice called pleadingly from his room. "Mac, please don't leave me!"

"Admiral, please?" she said.

AJ nodded then followed her back to the room and inside it. He watched as she hurried over to the bed and kissed the Captain on the cheek. "I'm here, Harm. I'm not leaving."

"Not dead?" he asked.

"No, flyboy. I'm not dead. Butch and Sundance remember? We're going out together in a blaze of glory." Mac laid her hand on his cheek.

"Uh huh. I 'member." A smile stole over his face and he cuddled into her touch. "Love you, ninja girl."

"Sleep now, sailor," she said with a smile.

"'Kay," he said.

AJ shifted from foot to foot, feeling like he was intruding on their private moment. "Colonel Mackenzie," he said, his voice still soft.

Mac snapped to attention as best as she could without removing her hand from Harm. "Yes, sir," she said.

"I got a call from Jack Olsen on the way over here, and he told me that there is still a threat from the remnants of Sadik's organization. To make matters worse, they've been linked to Al Qaeda. You will not terrorize the staff anymore, understand?"

"Aye, aye sir," she answered.

"I'm going to get a couple of Marine guards for outside his door, and I want you to stay here with him 24/7 until he gets released; we can do without you for a few days at HQ. I'll reassign your cases, but I want you back as soon as the Captain is mobile enough to go home." AJ knew that he'd be hearing a lot more from the Captain if he took his security blanket away, and Mac seemed to be it.

"Yes, sir," she said with a grin. "Permission to speak freely, sir?"

"Granted."

"As soon as Harm is released, I'm asking for some personal leave, sir," she said. "I have over sixty days on the books, because I haven't taken a vacation in years."

"Care to enlighten me as to why, Colonel?" AJ asked.

"JAG can do without me for a while, sir. Harm can't. Either I get leave or I'll resign, Admiral. I'm taking Harm to Beallsville to his grandmother's farm."

"And what about medical care for him, Colonel?" AJ asked.

"Beallsville isn't too far from Pittsburgh," she answered. "I checked, and the VA hospital there doesn't have any problems with taking care of him. Mrs. Rabb said that she'd love to have us, and I think it's important to let Harm have a nice quiet place to recover."

"Glad to see you've thought this through," AJ said gruffly. He smiled inside, glad that things were finally on track with his two favorite officers. "I'll expect weekly reports on his progress; as soon as he's able, I'll need to discuss career options with both of you."

"Career options?" Mac said.

AJ could see the panic on her face. "With his promotion comes a command billet, Mac," he said gently. "I'm coming up with some options that have the chance of keeping the two of you together."

"Thank you sir," she said.

"Now, how is he really?" AJ asked. He needed to know that his almost-son would be okay.

"He's only really been awake once or twice, Admiral," Mac answered, turning to look as her sleeping partner.

"Wasn't he--"

"No, sir. He's been having nightmares, but that wasn't really awake. I think it's the combination of drugs he's on right now, sir."

"How often have these been happening?" AJ asked.

Mac ran a tired hand through her hair. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "He's roused a few times, but it hasn't taken much to get him to go back to sleep."

"Do you think--I mean, could we wake him up? I just need to know that Harm is actually okay," AJ said nervously.

"Let me do it, sir," she said quietly. "I don't think he'd respond well to having anyone else wake him up." Mac leaned over Harm then glanced back at AJ. "You didn't see this," she warned.

AJ's mouth twitched into a smile. "Understood."

Mac leaned down, pressed her lips to Harm's, and kissed him thoroughly. "Wake up, flyboy," she whispered as she broke off the kiss. She stroked his cheek, then kissed him again. "The admiral is here, Harm. Wake up."

Harm opened his eyes groggily. "Wha? C'mere, Sundance. Let's go back to sleep." He sat up slightly, put one arm around her, and buried his face in her hair.

"C'mon, Harm," she murmured. "The Admiral wants to see you."

Harm stiffened. "Don't want to see him," he said.

"C'mon, Harm," Mac said. "He just wants to say hello."

Harm sighed. "Okay... 's long as you stay."

Mac reached out, took his hand, and gave it a squeeze. "Always." She helped him sit up and lean back against the hospital bed.

AJ cleared his throat and tried to hide his blushes. "Harm," he said with a nod.

"Admiral," Harm said as he inched closer to Mac.

AJ noticed and tried not to smile. It was a new use of Mac for Harm--she was now a shield. "Are you okay, son?" he asked.

"I will be." Harm said as he snaked an arm around Mac's stomach and looked at the Admiral.

AJ read the look as a dare to say something about the obvious change in his officers' relationship. He kept his smile to himself; it wouldn't be a problem at the office until they decided to get married. He thought he knew the two of them well enough to know that they'd be getting married soon now that they'd finally gotten their heads out of their sixes. "That's good, Harm," he said. "Mac says that she's taking you to Beallsville."

"Yes, sir." Harm said. AJ watched as he moved still closer to Mac. "My grandmother is getting older, sir, and she has been telling me that I need to come and visit for a while."

"Very good, Harm. I would, however, like to see you in JAG before you take off for Pennsylvania," AJ said with a smile. "I have a few things that need to be taken care of, and then you'll be on medical leave until you're cleared for duty."

"Yes, sir," Harm murmured.

"Colonel, I'm charging you to look after this sailor, is that clear?" AJ said.

"Aye, aye, sir," Mac answered.

"Take care of yourself, Harm." With that AJ turned and walked out of the room. He was satisfied that Mac would look after Harm. Eventually there would be healing but he'd seen the same look in comrades' eyes that he'd seen in Harm's. It was the look of a man who had seen too much in a short period of time; a man who had suffered too much.

With time, love, and faith it would go away and return to them a slightly different Harmon Rabb. The officer he'd come to think of as almost his son would be different from the one he'd known before; no one could pass through a crucible unscathed. AJ knew that the past year had been one hell after another for Harm and he was determined to do whatever it took to help the man to come all the way home.