Part 13 NCIS Washington, D.C.
1555 Local

"But we don't have a 'Who'." Three heads whipped around to see Gibbs standing in the shadows. He looked at Mac, "Will you excuse us, Colonel?" and then gestured to Kate, "Can I see you for a minute?"

Wordlessly, Kate got up and followed Gibbs out of the lab. When he turned around, she figured she'd better get her apologies out of the way first, "I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to... " She stopped when he held up a hand.

"Forget it, it's not that important." He glanced back into the lab. Abby had gone over to her computer, the Colonel was still sitting at the table. "That's quite a theory you cooked up."

Kate bristled ever so slightly, "It seems to fit the facts we have right now... "

"Relax, I'm not planning on dismissing it out of hand. Hell, at least it's something. Just don't let it stop you from seeing all the angles." He glanced back into the lab and jerked a thumb in Mac's direction, "How's she holding up?"

"I'm not sure," Kate confessed, following his gaze. "I wasn't expecting to hear that. I had her pegged as a second-generation military officer but I just figured she was following in her father's footsteps with some help from old family friends. She's pretty young to be a Lt. Colonel. Man, was I off-base." She looked back at Gibbs in time to see a ghost of a smile. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, "You know Mac's history already, don't you?" She straightened up and glared at him, "You've seen her classified file!"

Gibbs raised his hands and backed a few more steps down the corridor. Kate stalked after him, keeping her voice low, "Why didn't you say something before?"

He arched an eyebrow, "Why would I? Until it came up as part of this case, it wasn't any of your business." Kate opened her mouth and then closed it again. It was irritating but he was right. He pointed a finger towards the lab, "Don't let MacKenzie wig out on us, Kate. I don't know if this bastard is actually focusing on her but she was right when she said she could have been your number one suspect. Now you've got someone who can get right inside the killer's head. With a little luck, that could give us a bead on catching this guy."

She folded her arms, "Is there anything else I should know?"

"If it's pertinent, I'm sure Col. MacKenzie will tell you."

Damn, he was smug... and there was something else in his voice when he mentioned Mac. Kate's eyes widened a bit in surprise, "You like her, don't you?" In her brief acquaintance with Gibbs, she had the distinct impression that he didn't think much of most of the officers he met. She couldn't help the little stab of jealousy that ran through her. It wasn't fair. Hell, she worked with the man and there were times when Kate wasn't sure if Gibbs thought that much of her either.

He frowned slightly, "Not that it makes a difference one way or the other, but I respect the Colonel. I don't know her well enough to like or dislike her."

"Why did you read her file?"

Gibbs glared at her impatiently, "It was a murder investigation." He turned abruptly, "Don't get stuck on this one scenario and for godsakes, don't let Abby get caught. I don't need the Director on the phone again." With that, he strode down the hallway.

Kate stared after him in frustration and then shook her head. She'd done it again, gone that extra step and wound up with her foot in her mouth. Sighing, she went back to the lab. Mac looked up as she reached the table, "Well, it looks like everything's still attached. You okay?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Kate sat down with a slight grimace. "It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. He's fine with us pursuing this theory so long as we stay open to other possibilities." She looked over towards the computer area, "What's Abby doing?"

"She said she might as well get started before Gibbs decides to pull the plug." Mac pushed a pad of paper towards Kate, "I was thinking about this escalation and how it might fit if I am this guy's focal point. What if he's been following my career as best he can and has finally managed to meet me in the last month or so? You said he could be killing more frequently because of trauma experienced by someone close to him. God knows I've fit in that category these last few weeks..." She rubbed her forehead and frowned slightly, there was a beauty of a tension headache building, "... Hell, more like this entire past year. Anyway, I went ahead and made a list of the people I've met that coincides with our time frame."

Kate let out a low whistle as she read down the list, "You weren't kidding - you do meet a lot of people." She pointed to a group of names that were separate from the rest, "What about these?"

Mac leaned over to take a look, "Those are the office workers and staffers for Congresswoman Elbert. She working on an inquiry into violence against women. She requested my assistance with the military policy on domestic abuse" She heaved a sigh, "...and the SecNav wants me to make sure the Navy doesn't get more than its fair share of blame." Mac looked at Kate, "I met the Congresswoman the same day I met you. I didn't meet the rest of the staff until a few days later. Right now, they're compiling numbers and statistics but any of them could gain access to all the military JAG databases, not just the Navy and Marines. I'd say they're our best candidates."

"I think you're right," Kate studied the Marine Colonel. The concentration was there but so was the strain. Mindful of what Mac had already been through, the NCIS agent leaned back in her chair, "And we'll pursue it tomorrow. Go home."

"What?" Mac stared the petite brunette in surprise, "But it's only the middle of the afternoon. You're not serious?"

"Very. Go home and take a break. No offense but you look like hell." She stood up and put her hands on her hips, "This is non-negotiable. Move it, Colonel. I'll give you a call and we can get a fresh start tomorrow."

When Mac started to open her mouth, Kate jabbed a finger at the door, "No. Out. Go home and find something pleasant to occupy your evening. We'll talk tomorrow."

Mac glared at Kate for a few long seconds, decided that arguing was pointless and threw up her hands, "All right, fine." She stood and stalked towards the door. Pausing in the entryway, she looked back, "You will call me, right?" Kate nodded and Mac turned around and marched out the lab.

"Wow."

Kate looked over and saw Abby peering from around her computer, "What?"

The young woman shook her head, "Nothing... I don't think I'd enjoy having the Marine Death Glare leveled at me like that. She didn't look like she was all that happy to leave just yet."

"Yeah, well... she needed a break even if she was too stiff-necked to see it." Kate walked over to the computers, "How are you doing? Any luck?"

Abby raised an eyebrow, "It's not luck." She grinned suddenly, "I love saying that." She rested her hands lightly on the keyboard and gave Kate an impish look, "Wanna look at some personnel files?"

Kate stared at her in surprise, Gibbs' warning ringing in her ears, "You're kidding... you're already in? How...? Oh man, they won't be able to trace this to you, will they?"

"Oh, please. What kind of hacker do you think I am? Besides, the Colonel's not an official spook. She's more like a contract worker and those files aren't as tough to get to." Her fingers were dancing rapidly across the keyboard as she spoke. Kate watched as numbers and letters flew across the monitor. "It helps that I know how the NCIS database is protected. Anyway, I accessed their network through the public relations dept., found a back door into accounting which got me to human resources and... bingo." She hit a few more keys and sat back with a satisfied grin, "Say hello to Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie, USMC, currently posted as Chief of Staff - Headquarters, to the Navy's Judge Advocate General."

"You're amazing," Kate was clearly impressed. "Can you copy this and get out before someone notices you're there?"

"No sweat," Abby's eyes narrowed as she concentrated on the screen. After a few minutes, she leaned back, "Okay, done and out." She glanced up at Kate, "Ready to read?"

Kate folded her arms, giving Abby a firm look, "That is a classified document. The point of this exercise was to prove that someone could hack into the system, find Mac and get out without being detected."

Abby looked exasperated, "Oh please, Kate. It's not like the government's going to crumble if we take a look. I'll bet the Colonel's halfway expecting us to read it anyway. Why else would she have told us the stuff she did?" She turned back to her computer and began typing, "Besides... I've already broken the law, what's one more crime?"

"Ab-by," Kate stared at the young woman. If she was painfully honest with herself, her curiosity about to kill her. Dammit, it was wrong! A year ago Kate knew she wouldn't have even considered asking someone to break into the CIA database. Gibbs and DiNozzo were definitely bad influences. She re-focused her attention when she heard Abby mutter 'unbelievable'. Almost without realizing it, Kate moved up so she could read over Abby's shoulder, "What?"

Mac's Apartment Georgetown 1635 Local

As much as Mac hated to admit it, Kate had been right. By the time she'd gotten to her apartment, she was beyond tired and her head felt like it was on the receiving end of an artillery barrage. It was the stress more than anything, although God knew she ought to be used to it by now. She could swear that it had taken up permanent residence in her life. Mac forced herself to stay upright until she had changed into some comfortable sweats and then collapsed on her bed. She wasn't even hungry. Sleep wouldn't come. After a few fruitless attempts to relax, she shifted over on her side and stared gloomily at the wall. What an afternoon. Either she had uncovered their first break in the case or had impressed them all with the monumental size of her ego. Mac closed her eyes as the throbbing in her head increased a notch. What the hell was wrong with her? She wasn't used to second-guessing herself like this.

On the other hand, she was usually more sure of her facts before she started spouting them off to any and all within hearing. Mac rolled onto her back and brought her hands up to massage her temples. She really needed to get up and find something for this headache but at the moment, it seemed like too much effort. Mac briefly thought about calling Harm but dismissed that idea too. She didn't feel up to an argument right now, which was what they would surely have when he found out she had told Kate her theory about the killings. Besides, she was home earlier than she had expected. Hopefully, in a couple of hours this headache would subside and she would check in to let him know she was home and safe. With a little luck, he would leave it at that. Mac threw an arm across her eyes, blocking the light, and let her mind wander off on whatever tangent it wanted to pursue. Somewhere between memories of Coster and fantasies of Harm, she fell asleep.

Harm prodded her shoulder, pushing her towards an arched doorway at the end of a hall. She looked back at him in confusion, "What are you doing?" He didn't answer and pushed at her again. Annoyed, she turned back and abruptly they were standing on a deserted beach. There was a storm brewing on the horizon and the wind was gusting, growing more intense with each passing moment. The sea was almost an iron gray and covered with whitecaps. The boom of the surf became louder as the waves increased in size and speed. Mac turned and leaned into the wind, letting her hair stream out behind her and smiled in delight. She loved storms. The power and majesty never failed to fill her with wonder.

Laughing, she turned back towards Harm and froze. He was gone and Sadik Fahd stood there, his smug smile of superiority firmly in place despite the bullet hole in his forehead. He advanced slowly towards her, gun in hand. Mac retreated, feeling the panic well up inside. This was impossible! Sadik was dead! She staggered when the surf crashed into her legs and then he was on her, one hand wrapped around her throat. Overbalanced, she went down in the water while she struggled to get him to release his hold. Suddenly, his hand shifted from her throat to her jaw and she was bound to a chair in a dark basement. Coster smiled as he forced her mouth open and tried to pour the vodka down her throat. Gasping, she fought against bonds holding her and then her hands came free. With a low growl of triumph, Mac launched herself at the detective. Her legs gave out as she pushed off and she wound up falling into Coster. He twisted as she collided with him, using her own momentum to heave her into the wall. She hit hard, her head exploding with pain as she slid to the floor.

Gradually, she became aware that someone had her by the shoulders and was calling her name. She tensed, readying herself for another fight when recognition dawned. It was Harm! She forced her eyes open and then squeezed them shut with a groan. The light was sending little daggers of agony into her already pounding skull.

"Just a minute, Mac." Harm's voice was low and soothing. His voice sounded further away as he turned his head and spoke, "Kill the lights, will you Mattie? And would you get me a glass of water and some ibuprofen? There should be a bottle in the kitchen cabinet to the left of the sink." She could tell when he turned towards her again, "Want to try opening your eyes again, Marine? It's dark in here now."

Cautiously, she slid them open and gave a weak smile, "Hey."

She could see his smile, even in the dark, "Hey, yourself." His hand came up and covered her forehead, it felt wonderfully cool. She could hear the frown in his voice, "You're a bit hot." The light filtering in from the other room was blocked and she tilted her head a little to see Mattie standing uncertainly in the doorway. She felt the bed move as Harm shifted, "Thanks, Mattie. Hang on to that for just a sec." He turned back, "Mac, I'm going to move you so you'll be more comfortable." She nodded carefully and felt his arms slide under her shoulders and legs. He half lifted and half slid her further up the bed and then quickly arranged the pillows so she could be a little more upright. He finished by drawing the comforter across her legs.

The bed sagged as he sat back down, "Mac? I want you to take these."

She accepted the glass and the pills, noticing that his hand hovered nearby. She swallowed the ibuprofen and then drained the glass, giving Harm what she hoped was a slightly better smile than before, "Thanks." Mac looked past Harm to see Mattie still standing there, "Thank you, both."

"Don't mention it," Harm grinned while Mattie looked somewhat embarrassed. "Have you eaten anything lately?" He stood up at her quiet negative, "Okay, let me see what I can rustle up."

He walked out, leaving Mattie and Mac together. Mac turned her head just enough to see the teenager looking down at her feet. She cleared her throat and spoke softly, the headache was still pounding, "You don't have to stay with me if you don't want to."

"It's okay, I don't mind," Mattie continued to look at her feet, digging a toe into the carpet. She was silent for a few moments and then took a deep breath, "I wanted to say I was sorry for being a jerk. I... well, I mean... I know it was wrong and I know you're probably pretty mad at me... so I'll understand if you don't want to forgive me and... well... anyway, I'm sorry."

"Mattie, it's all right," Mac patted the side of the bed, "Sit down, would you?" She closed her eyes and waited for the teenager to settle, wishing the ibuprofen would hurry up and kick in. At least she wasn't to the point where she felt nauseous whether she kept still or not. When she felt the bed give, Mac opened her eyes again with a small sigh. This was not the time she would have picked to have this conversation, "I think I understand why you acted the way you did. You were trying to protect Harm, weren't you?"

Mattie nodded guiltily, "He kinda got mad at me tonight when he was trying to find you. I was being stupid."

Mac squinted at her in confusion, "He was trying to find me? I told him where I was."

"You were supposed to call when you got in and you didn't and it got later, so he called wherever it was you'd been and found out you'd left hours ago. Then he kept getting your answering machine and voice mail. That's when he really started to freak and I... um... well, I said something mean." Mattie ground to a halt and sat poking at the comforter.

"Hours?" Mac questioned weakly. Good grief, how long had she been home? Her internal clock helpfully provided the correct answer and Mac started to sit up only to wince and sink back against the pillows. It was 2047?

"Colonel?" Mattie sounded worried, "Do you want me to get Harm?"

Mac felt the bed move as Mattie started to shift and put out a hand, "No. No, it's okay. I was just a little surprised about the time."

"You?" It was evident from Mattie's tone that Harm had spilled the beans about her timing ability.

"Yeah, me. My time sense gets a little wonky when someone fires a bazooka through my head." Mac cracked open an eye when she thought she heard a faint snicker.

"Is that what they call being too open-minded?" Mattie was grinning now.

"Oh sure, laugh at me," Mac groused, smiling to let Mattie know she was kidding. "I need that like I need a hole in the head."

Mattie covered her mouth with her hands to stifle her giggles. "Oh, that was awful." They lapsed into a relaxed silence and then Mattie poked at the covers again. "I really am sorry about being such a jerk."

"It's okay, you weren't that bad," Mac reassured her. She gingerly massaged her forehead, "What changed your mind?"

"Harm. I really ticked him off tonight. He told me I was being unfair and ungrateful and if I was going to be judgmental then I should get both sides of the story." Mattie paused a little, shooting a quick glance at Mac and returned to drawing intricate designs on the comforter, "That's when he really went off. He started telling me some of the stuff he'd said to you... "

"Makes you wonder why I hadn't killed him years ago, doesn't it?" Mac said with a wry grin. She closed her eyes for a moment, was the headache lessening? "Did he tell you some of the horrible things I've said to him?"

Mattie didn't say anything and Mac sighed, chivalry obviously wasn't dead in certain Naval aviators. "Look Mattie, the last year has been god-awful for Harm and I. We've both said and done things we're not proud of but this is our relationship and you're going to have to stand back and let us figure it out."

"I know." Mattie answered in a small voice.

"Then we're good?"

"Yeah, we're good." Mattie sounded more like herself. She hesitated for a few seconds and then asked, "Can I ask you about something?"

"Sure." Mac agreed a trifle warily.

"Why Harm was so upset when he couldn't reach you?"

Mac sank a little further into the pillows while she tried to decide how much to say. Lying was never a good choice but the absolute truth was out of the question, too. She rubbed the side of her face and opted for a very condensed version, "Probably because I've scared the daylights out of him before. I'm afraid I've been in some unexpected and nasty situations over the last couple of years." She refrained from pointing out that Harm's record was nearly as bad. Mattie didn't need to be worrying about her guardian every minute of the day.

Harm walked in at that moment carrying a tray. From the look he gave her, she knew he'd been hovering outside the door to give Mattie a chance to make her apologies. Mattie hopped up from the bed and he took her place, "Feel up to eating a little? I made you some soft-boiled eggs and toast."

"Colonel Mac? Would it be all right if I went and watched the TV for a while?" Mattie was edging towards the door.

"Sure, go ahead," Mac smiled at the young woman's not-so-subtle move to give them some privacy. She looked back at Harm as Mattie headed into the living room, "She's a good kid."

"Yeah," Harm gazed out the door and then looked at her with a grin, "I don't think Mattie will be requiring quite so much help with her homework from now on." He turned back and helped her get situated, "How are you feeling?"

"Better, thank you." She ate some of the eggs and toast and then looked up at Harm, "I'm sorry about worrying you. I was home earlier than I expected and I only planned to lie down for a little while." She gazed down at her plate, "I don't know what happened. You know I don't usually do this sort of thing."

Harm nodded, "That's probably part of what had me so worried - this isn't something you do." He grinned in a self-depreciating way, "Naturally, I jumped to worst-case scenarios almost immediately." He rubbed her leg, "I think these last few weeks just caught up with you and your body said 'enough'. You ought to take a sick day tomorrow and give yourself a rest."

"I can't. I'm supposed to work with Mike tomorrow morning."

"Mac, c'mon. I'm sure the Congresswoman would understand. Everyone gets sick once in a while." Harm figured this was a losing battle but he would give it his best shot.

"It's not that." Mac pushed the remainder of the eggs around her plate. He wasn't going to like this. "I gave Kate my view on these killings and she's thinks it's plausible - at least it gives us some sort of direction to prove or disprove," she added almost defensively and then hurried on so he wouldn't interrupt. "Going with that theory puts our best suspects in Mike's office. Since I'll be there anyway, I can do some quiet investigating on the side." Finishing, she leaned back and braced herself for the explosion.