"What's going on Meg?" Harm asked.

"Do you remember the first case we worked on together?" She asked.

"Vaguely. I remember being on a sub and you being claustrophobic."

"The USS Tigershark." She supplied getting up from where they had been sat on the couch.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm trying to figure out how to say this without sound nuts." She said as she started to pace.

"Say what Meg? What's going on?"

"Is it me or is this room getting smaller?" She pulled at her collar.

"It's you." He joked. She looked at him. "Sorry. Carry on."

"Well..." She suddenly found it difficult to breath. "How did you and Colonel Mackenzie meet?" She asked trying to take her mind off it.

"She was my partner after you. Her uncle stole the Declaration of Independence, she pointed a gun at me and it was the start of a beautiful friendship."

"Her uncle is Colonel O'Hara?"

"Yes. Meg, take deep breaths." He stopped her pacing.

"I need to get out the room."

"Okay, we'll go outside in the fresh air."

"Not the elevator." She managed.

"We'll take the stairs. Come on." He ushered her out the door and down the stairs.

Meg took deep breaths and tried to get her breathing under control when she got outside.

"Is everything okay sir?" One of the Petty Officers recognised him.

"It's fine. She just needs a little air, but thank you for your concern."

"Yes sir."

"I don't know what's wrong with me. I've had four claustrophobia attacks in the last seven years then five in the last three weeks."

"Meg what's going on? What happened three weeks ago?"

"We were on the Tiger Shark to stop a guy who was trying to blow up a cruise ship with a shadow torpedo." She said sitting down on the bench.

"I remember now."

"The guy's name was Dirk Grover."

"What does he have to do with anything?" Harm asked.

"He got out of jail three weeks ago. They let him out on a technicality. Something about blocking his civil liberties. I don't know the full details."

"What does him being released have to do with your claustrophobia?"

"Three weeks ago, the day after he was released I started getting these e- mails, talking about things I'd bought or places I'd been. I ignored it at first, just thought it was someone I worked with messing around. Then it started getting personal, like someone was tracking my movements. So I took it to my CO. He thought I was crazy at first, but then I convinced him, he told me to take it to the police. All I got from them was a 'we'll look into, but cyber crime is hard to punish'."

"It sounds more like stalking. But why do you think it has anything to do with Grover?"

"I can't tell you where I work because it's classified but we have some good computers. We managed to trace the e-mails back through hundreds of routers to an address which Grover had rented, but by the time we got there he was long gone. Then I started getting notes, no prints, my CO decided it was better if I went on personal leave until this was sorted, so not to compromise what we were doing." She explained.

"So what do you need me to do?"

"I was going to ask for your help getting Grover, but you've got a family now, I can't ask you to get involved."

"Meg, I'm your friend of course I'll help. What have you been doing since you were on leave?"

"I withdrew all the money from my bank account, I've been criss-crossing the country staying places where they really didn't care for ID until I could get here. I didn't want to call in case someone was tracking my voice. I'm sounding paranoid aren't I?"

"No, I'd say you have a legitimate fear. Have you got anywhere to stay here?"

"No, I'll go and find the best example of the Bates motel I can in the area."

"You can come and stay at my place. There's plenty of room." He offered.

"I don't want to impose. You have a new baby and I'm not sure the Colonel will appreciate a house guest."

"Mac will be fine once I explain what's going on. Besides she's used to me doing it. I mean I left Jen with her over the holidays while she was my prisoner."

"The Petty Officer who is your daughter's godmother was your prisoner?" Meg questioned.

"She was impersonating Santa Claus; jails were closed for the holidays. Then she was appointed Bud's legal man later on and saved life after he trod on a landmine. Then she transferred to JAG HQ then when Mac got appointed a judge Jen went with the job. She's very smart and is great at remembering precedents. She even managed to get an investigation reopened and a woman freed from jail."

"Sounds like a remarkable young woman."

"She is. So are you going to let me help you?" He asked.

"Here's what I have so far." She pulled a file out of her bag and handed it to him.

"Let's go back inside and go and talk to the Admiral."

"Okay."

TBC