Part 14: A Journey of Separate Hearts – A nice Surprise in the Morning

February 12th 2003, Wednesday

0100 Zulu (01:00 hrs GMT)

Heathrow Airport

London, UK

The flight to London had been quite short and neither Harm nor Mac had been able to get any rest before the plane landed in Heathrow. They had been just too excited to take a little nap and they still were.

Now they were looking for their driver. But nothing. They'd already waited for half an hour and couldn't see any person who would fit their image of a driver Martha had hired for them.

"C'mon, Mac, you're totally exhausted and so am I. We need to check in our hotel and get some sleep. So let's just take one of these cabs outside and head for our hotel. You have the reservations, right? So we know where to stay," Harm suggested and saw how Mac tried to stifle a yawn.

She looked up at him and only nodded in response.

While lugging a luggage trolley with all their suitcases, Harm reached for Mac and encircled her waist with one of his arms.

She leaned thankfully against his side and walked quietly with him to the entrance.

Immediately, one of the cab drivers was at their side and helped them with their luggage. Harm helped Mac to sit down in the back seat and took the place next to her.

When the driver seated himself behind the steering wheel, he turned his head and asked, "Which place is it?"

Mac opened the envelope with all their reservations and grabbed the hotel information. She answered, "It's the Kensington Hotel on the Portobello Road."

"Yeah, I know it. It's wonderful there and Notting Hill is a wonderful part of London. And in fact, there's the Portobello Road market, which specializes in selling antiques, organic foods, clothes and bric-a-brac among many other things. And if you stay until the weekend, you should visit the weekend clothes market. It's a must for searching out retro item."

"Thank you for the advice and maybe we'll visit it, but right now we are both totally exhausted and need a bed as soon as possible," Harm spoke softly while looking at his marine, who finally had fallen asleep in his arms.

"I understand. Kensington Hotel, all right!"

He turned, started the engine and drove them quietly to the reserved hotel.

February 12th 2003, Wednesday

0145 Zulu (01:45 hrs GMT)

Kensington Hotel

Notting Hill

London, UK

After a while, Harm had lost his sense of time and had fallen asleep as well, the car stopped and Harm opened his eyes, suddenly aware of the car's stillness.

"Here it is, Mister. The Kensington Hotel." The driver opened the door for Harm and while Harm tried to wake the sleeping Mac, the driver and a hotel bellboy carried all their luggage into the check-in desk.

"Mac...Sarah, wake up! We're finally here." He shook her slightly but he didn't get any response. He shook his head in amusement about Mac's ability to sleep anywhere when she was really tired. So he gave up and walked around to the other side of the car, opened the back door on Mac's side and encircled her back and her thighs and carried her in his arms to the hotel. In the lobby, he spotted a comfortable sofa and placed her on it. He hoped she wouldn't wake up until he could get her into her room and bed.

With one last look he left her and walked to the reception desk. The night employee greeted him.

"Welcome, Mr. Rabb. We've been expecting you! Your rooms are ready, and your luggage was taken to your rooms by Charley – the hotel boy. You're room numbers are 224 and 225."

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate that a lot."

"No problem at all, sir. I hope you and Ms. MacKenzie will enjoy your stay in our hotel. Oh, I forgot to say that breakfast is between 8 and 11 o'clock in the breakfast room here on the ground floor." added the hotel employee.

Harm was about to leave when the man behind the reception desk called him again. "Mr. Rabb, wait!"

Harm turned around. "Ms. MacKenzie's room is 225."

"Thank you very much!" Harm replied and headed for the couch where Mac was still sound asleep.

He watched her and nearly got lost in her beauty. But he had to take her to her room so she could get some needed sleep.

He softly caressed her cheek and forehead and whispered softly in her ear, "Mac, c'mon, you have to wake up, or shall I carry you the whole way through the lobby and to the second floor in my arms?"

A sleepily murmured, "No," was her response and she slowly opened her eyes.

"Hey, sleepyhead. C'mon, let's get you to bed!"

He helped her up and immediately put his arm around her shoulders for support when she wasn't as stable as she hoped to be. She smiled softly and leaned against his body. They walked slowly to the elevator without saying a word.

When they finally reached the second floor, Mac was again asleep and her head leaning comfortably against his shoulder.

'She looks so peaceful. I don't want to wake her even though I risk being kicked in my six by her when she finds out. I won't wake her,' he said to himself and lifted her up again. Her arms went automatically around his neck and her head leaned perfectly in the space between his neck and shoulder. He smiled happily because of her movements. He quickly found their room numbers and managed to open Mac's room door without letting her go. He pushed the door open with one food and kicked it close when he was finally in the room.

He dropped her softly on her bed. Harm knew she couldn't sleep fully dressed so he pulled off her shoes and socks, and gently lifted her upper body taking off her winter coat and pullover. He knew she wore a t-shirt under the pullover so he was safe, but he couldn't take off her jeans. She would be mad at him if he tried that and she would find out the next morning. So he decided to drop that idea and instead he tucked a blanket around her that he found on a chair.

He sat down beside her on the bad and softly touched her sleeping face to put a strand of hair behind her ears. She sighed softly and a smile curled around her lips when he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

He was ready to leave her alone and crash onto his own bed when her hand wrapped around his arm and stopped him.

He looked back to Mac. "What, Mac? Is something wrong?"

"Don't leave! Stay!" she mumbled without opening her eyes.

Harm wasn't sure if he had understood her right and was convinced that it was probably only his imagination that let him hear those words. So he started to leave again, but she didn't let go of the grip on his arm.

He sighed. "You don't make it easy for me here! You'll probably be mad at me tomorrow and will deny that you ever said that…"

It didn't matter. He was too tired to argue with her, even though you could not call it a real argument. More than that, he wanted to be close to Mac. He didn't want to leave her.

So he kicked off his shoes and socks as well, placed his jacket and shirt on a chair and lay down next to her on her bed. Immediately her arm curled around his waist and she used his bare chest as a pillow for her head. He let out the breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding and relaxed. His left arm went protectively around her back and he placed his right hand on her forearm.

He enjoyed her proximity and drifted quickly into a comfortable sleep, inhaling her beautiful scent.

February 12th 2003, Wednesday

0845 Zulu (08:45 hrs GMT)

Kensington Hotel

Mac's room, number 225

Notting Hill

London, UK

'Mmm, the bed is quite comfortable. I'm sure I haven't slept so well in years!' Mac thought to herself and snuggled herself even closer to Harm, tightening her grip around his waist.

'It even smells wonderful…as if Harm were next to me in bed…' she inhaled his masculine scent once more when it finally hit her hard. She felt the warmth of his skin under her fingertips and his even breath tickled her cheek.

Mac opened her eyes in slow motion as if she feared that she would see something horrible. She softly lifted her head and looked directly into Harm's sleeping face.

'It's not a dream. Harm's here…he's really here. Wait, why the hell is he in my bed and I'm in his arms? We didn't…did we?' she looked down at their two bodies and realized with relief that they were both still in their jeans and she in her t-shirt.

She looked back at his face. Harm looked so peaceful and relaxed. She hadn't seen him like this for years, in fact she didn't remember when or if she had ever seen him so at peace as in this moment. It seemed that a huge weight had disappeared from his shoulders.

She probably could watch him like this for eternity but that didn't answer the question of why he was here with her.

"Harm, wake up. C'mon, flyboy, open your eyes and explain why you're not sleeping in your own bed."

His only response was that he pulled her even closer and sighed in enjoyment.

Even though she enjoyed his closeness as well, she needed to stop this.

"Commander Rabb, open your eyes and get your cute six out of my bed!" she ordered in her best marine voice.

The words slowly reached Harm's brain and then he immediately pushed his eyes open and pulled away from her in shock.

"Whoa, Marine, why the hell did you have to wake me like this? But more importantly, what are you doing in my bed?" he asked her confused and still not fully awake.

"I could ask you the same thing, but let me rephrase that: Why did you sleep in 'my' room on 'my' bed where you should be in 'your' room and 'your' bed?"