AN: There's a reason that I haven't said exactly what Mac has and when I come up with it, I'll let you know. Somehow it was just easier to talk as little about it as possible, especially when we didn't know what exactly it was until this years season premier. Let's just say that it was life-threatening but has gone away since the surgery in chapter one.

Also, Harriet's not pregnant with twins and she didn't leave JAG.

Chapter 12: Krennick

JAG HQ

JAG OFFICE (temporarily Harm's)

Harm was at his desk working hard when a knock on the door interrupted his focus. Coates must not be at her desk, he thought as the person behind the bold, yet somewhat feminine knock swung the door wide open. Harm held back a groan as Admiral Allison Krennick stepped in through the doorway. It took all of his military training to get him to rise from his chair and stand at attention.

"At ease, Commander," Krennick drawled. "It's good to see you again and to be working over you."

In that one sentence, Harm knew that she hadn't changed over the years. To the casual listener, her voice was of a professional manner when in actuality it was dripping with innuendo and seductiveness. Just the way she walked towards his desk only confirmed his suspicious.

Jennifer Coates returned to her desk with her newly refilled cup of coffee just in time to see a NAVY woman, she couldn't see what rank, shut the door to Harm's office, shutting the rest of the world out. She briefly wondered what she should do but decided that unless one of the two said something, she wouldn't do anything.

Bud hurried up to Jen's desk, slightly out of breath.

"Was that Admiral Krennick?" he gasped.

"I'm not sure, Sir. I didn't see who it was exactly," answered Jen.

"Is Commander Rabb in there?"

"Yes, he is."

Bud groaned. There were whispers and hushed rumors floating around in the lower levels of the NAVY that involved Krennick and possible sexual harassment. He knew that she had once sought after Harm relentlessly and now Bud was worried that she might still be.

"Sir? Is something wrong?" Jen asked, worried at the look on Bud's face.

Bud sighed, unsure of what to do. Luckily, he didn't have to decide anything. The phone on Jen's desk rang and she reached forward to answer it.

"JAG Headquarters. Petty Officer Coates speaking."

"Jen, is Harm in?" Sarah Mackenzie's voice filled the line.

"Yes, he is, ma'am. Let me transfer you through, Colonel." Mac sighed; they still couldn't stop addressing her by her rank even now that she was retired.

Harm still stood before Allison.

"I've heard you've been doing a good job here, Harm, perhaps we could get together so that you can brief me on where to start," she suggested, the tone of her voice suggesting much more than what she was saying.

Harm opened his mouth to speak, to try to dissuade her attempts when the phone rang. He was about to answer it when Krennick reached forward and snatched it up.

"Admiral Krennick," she barked, her eyes not leaving Harm. He hadn't changed much over the past several years, except to become even better looking. He was still the NAVY's golden boy, despite all his adventures, and Allison Krennick was even more determined to have him.

"May I please speak to Commander Rabb?"

Allison frowned at the female voice, wondering who it was and feeling a little jealous.

"May I ask who is calling?"

Mac caught the undertone of jealousy in the Admiral's voice. "Sarah MacKenzie Rabb, his wife," she firmly informed.

Harm watched as the color drained from Krennick's face, then as she regained control of her emotions.

"I'm sorry, he's in a very important meeting right now," Allison said briskly. So he was married. That presented a little more of a challenge. But still conquerable, nonetheless.

"Can you just let him know that I'll be by for lunch?" Mac said sweetly.

"I'll let him know."

"Thank you."

By now, Harm had some idea as to who was on the end of the other line and he could only hope that Mac would see right through it all.

Allison put the phone down, perhaps a bit stronger than she first intended.

"So the great Harmon Rabb is finally married," she said.

"Yes, ma'am." Harm refused to give her any details.

"Be seated, Commander," she ordered. "Why don't we go over some JAG business before the SECNAV comes here this afternoon to formally make me the JAG?"

For the next few hours, Harm briefly went over all the current case files with Krennick. Her behavior had taken on a more professional decorum as he familiarized her with the current JAG information.

By the time 0100 Local rolled around, Harm's stomach was growling loudly, its obvious call for food, but Krennick hadn't slowed down or offered to take a break. It looked like she planned on working right through his possible lunch hour.

"Sorry, ma'am," he apologized after one particularly loud grumble.

She couldn't have him losing his strength or fainting away in front of the SECNAV. "How about we break for lunch?" proposed Allison. "You can show me a good place to eat around here."

"I'm sorry, maybe another time, ma'am," Harm said, not at all sorry or remorseful. "I planned on meeting my wife for lunch."

Sarah Rabb had been waiting outside Harm's office for almost half an hour. Krennick had left strict instructions not to be disturbed otherwise Coates would have sent Mac in as soon as she had arrived.

Harm rose and gathered up some of his things, without getting permission to do so. He was pushing it and he knew it. "I'll move my things back to my office when I return, ma'am. I would have done it earlier had I known you were coming this morning." He came to attention, waiting to be dismissed.

"Dismissed, Commander," she said tonelessly, not moving from her chair.

She watched through the open door as Harm greeted a slender, dark-haired woman with a tender hug and a not-so-short kiss.

"Damn," Allison muttered. The woman obviously had a tight hold on Harm.

Mac saw the look on Harm's face as she left the office but didn't ask about it until they were seated at the restaurant. It was a silent drive to their favorite restaurant but it was a comfortable silence.

"So Krennick's the new JAG," she started.

"Not officially yet."

"Busy morning?" she asked, watching through concerned eyes as he yawned. He put his head in his hands, not looking up at her.

"You have no idea."

"Give me an idea. Enlighten me."

"She's back and worse than ever. She made me spend the whole morning going over all the current court cases and then we were in the middle of the budget lists when she finally let me go to lunch. And if that wasn't bad enough, she drops in her little innuendos and comments whenever she can. I don't know how long I'll take it if she continues like this," complained Harm.

"Is it all really that bad?" Mac asked. She was met with a glare. "Sorry."

"No, I'm sorry for taking this all out on you," apologized Harm. "What am I going to do?"

"I don't know. As much as I want to march in there right now and kick her ass, she hasn't really done anything against the rules yet. I mean, she has, but to anyone else, it's questionable."

They paused as the waiter arrived with their food. Salad and Fettuccini Alfredo for Harm and some chicken dish for Mac. She was cutting back on the thick juicy steaks and Beltway Burgers until she was more fully recovered from her surgery. They spent the next 45 minutes talking about nothing and everything. Conversations were no longer awkward for them and although they did still argue, their disagreements did not contain the same bitterness and hostility as before. As they left the restaurant, they had come to the conclusion that until they could get some substantial evidence on her sexual advances, he couldn't do much but be patient.

They were walking out of the restaurant, laughing about some funny story about something that had happened at JAG recently when Mac's cell phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered. "Oh, hi, Harriet...Why?...But what for?...You're kidding me!...Of course, I'll be there...yes, I know he deserves it...I think it just might be what he needs right now, too...Okay...Bye."

Harm watched curiously as she finished her conversation and hung up, putting the phone back in her purse without saying anything to him.

"How's Harriet?" he asked.

"She's good."

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's good."

"What does 'he' deserve? And who is 'he'?"

"Nothing, Harm. I can't tell you all my secrets," Mac teased. She couldn't help the big grin that spread across her face. This was a pretty big surprise coming to Harm and in her opinion, and in that of the fellow JAG officers, it was most definitely well-deserved.

"Mac," he whined, sounding very much like a little boy.

"You'll just have to wait and see," she said mysteriously.

Minutes later they were parking back in the JAG HQ parking lot. Harm just expected her to drop him off and head back home, so when she turned off the engine and jumped out to follow him, he was a little surprised.

"Coming in with me?" he asked.

"I just thought that I'd say hi to Harriet and a few others."

Harm and Mac entered the building and headed up to his office to drop off his things. He was so deep in thought that he didn't seem to notice the SECNAV, Admiral Krennick, and the rest of the office staff gathered around in the bullpen. Mac smiled at them all, winking conspiratorially before she followed Harm into his office.

"Uh...flyboy, you might want to step back out of your office," she suggested.

"Why?" He still didn't look up from his desk.

"Harmon Rabb, get out there now!" she all but commanded.

It was then that he looked up and out his open door, finding everyone staring at him intently with amused looks on their faces. With a look of guilt, he headed out.

"Commander Rabb, nice of you to join us," Admiral Krennick said.

"I'm sorry, sir, ma'am. Did I miss something?" he asked, moving to stand before the SECNAV and Krennick.

"Almost, Rabb. You got here just in time, Captain," the SECNAV said.

"Sir?" The look on Harm's face was almost comical.

"Colonel MacKenzie, I know that you're retired, but would you do the honors?"

Although not in uniform, Mac came to attention besides Harm and answered, "Yes, sir, I'd love to."

She turned to Harm, the proud grin barely noticeable on her face, and removed his Commander's insignia to replace it with the Captain's eagles.

"Congratulations, Captain," she softly whispered, rising up on tiptoes to place a gentle kiss on his cheek as was customary.

Harm could hardly believe it. After all that had happened recently, with leaving the NAVY and coming back, with all that was in his record, he never thought that he'd be promoted. To say that it was unexpected would have been an understatement.

Krennick watched as the rest of the JAG crew swarmed around Captain Rabb. "A lot like a family, huh, Admiral?" the SECNAV asked.

"Yes, sir," she agreed, almost regretfully.