Chapter Fourteen

"I take it you missed me Flyboy." Mac said smiling.

"I thought you couldn't sneak away." He said still holding on to her.

"Well, I made a deal with the admiral, administrative cases for the rest of the week, but I have to be back on Monday. Now, are you going to continue crushing me, or are you going to take the rowboat out and eat on the water?"

He let go of her, "Sorry, I didn't realize that I wasn't giving you room to breathe. How did you know I needed you, did I sound that needy on the phone?"

"A little Russian got a hold of me and was saying stuff about a dusty room and a brother not eating as much as he should." She smiled at him, "I could breathe just fine. But I am hungry, and with us hugging each other, it would make it just a little impossible to eat. I even brought you the chicken salad from the Gourmet Shop in Washington that you love so much, with cantaloupe pieces, ice tea . . ."

"Did you bring my favorite dessert from there too?"

"Oh you mean that raspberry cream cake?" She held up a square box, "I was really trying to wait to give it to you, but I got really hungry on the drive down." She smiled sheepishly.

"You didn't."

"Sorry Flyboy."

"You better get a head start Marine, because when I catch up, you are going to be begging for mercy."

She took off running, calling behind her she shouted, "You have to catch me first, and by the way Marines don't beg!"

With that, Harm took off flying after her. He caught up with her at the edge of the dock. She stood there smiling at him, "You wouldn't dare!" She screeched as he started making the dock rock.

"You ate my cake!"

"It was good by the way." She advance towards him, getting ready to tickle him.

"That's it Marine!" He gained the upper hand, and started rocking the dock. Mac, was normally pretty agile, lost her footing and fell into the water. Harm looked at to where she fell in and waited for her to resurface. When she didn't come up, he started getting worried. He knew that there were rocks in the lake that she could have easily gotten hurt on. He kicked off his shoes and dove in after her.

Opening his eyes in the murky water of the lake he found her with her foot stuck in one of the crevasses of the rocks. Moving the rock, he scooped her up in his arms and made his way back towards the surface. He couldn't breathe realizing that Mac wasn't breathing. The air out of him rushed as he realized that the air that was sustaining him was essentially Sarah Mackenzie. He drug her to the shore and bent down to start rescue breathing. He blew two quick puffs of air into her. "Come on Mac, don't go into the light, I need you, I love you!"

Harm watched Sarah slowly slip away from him. He cradled her in his arms. "God, not now! I need her!"

Mac felt something happening to her, she didn't fall into the water, she was pushed. While Harm was giving her rescue breathes she had felt another presence enter her body. Grams had come back to talk to her baby Harm.

Harm felt Mac start to breath. "Sarah, thank God."

Mac/Grams pushed herself off of the ground and looked into his eyes. There was only one woman who could give him that look, "Grams?"

"Harm, baby, don't worry."

"Where is Mac?"

"She is still here, still alive. I was granted one last wish before I make my final entrance to heaven. Harm, you can find what you are looking for in the letters."

"Grams, I'm not looking for anything."

"That is where you are wrong baby."

"Grams, I love you."

"Oh, baby, I will always love you, you and Sergei were my life, you know that don't you."

"Yes."

"Your dad sends a message, he loves you, and is proud of the man you have become. You have almost fulfilled every dream he has had for you. I have to go now. Harm, whatever happens in life, you can't be afraid."

He sensed his grandmother leaving Mac's body, and she went limp again in his arms, breathing on her own. "Harm!"

"Hi Honey. I am so sorry, I shouldn't have rocked the dock."

"Hi, I had the weirdest feeling." He looked at her. "It was probably nothing," she continued on. "Can I ride back up to the house real quick, get in something dry, and you get our picnic prepared?"

"The food will be fine in the boathouse. I will ride with you back up to the house. Then, we will come out here for the picnic. Don't worry about the dessert, we will pick up brownies that the neighbor brought over."

"Oh, I didn't eat your cake, I was just teasing you."

"So, let me get this straight, you tease me, almost drown over a dessert that wasn't eaten . . . I'm going to get you for that Marine!"

"You have to catch me first!" She said getting out of his grasp and started sprinting around the lake. He caught up with her and pulled her close to him.

"What did I deserve to have a friend like you?" He asked whispering into her hair.

"We both got really lucky. I'm cold lets go change."

"I can tell?" He said smirking.

She looked down, "Oh, geez." Harm took off his over shirt and pulled it over her. The light pullover completely engulfed her.

"You look better in my clothes anyway. It will keep you mostly warm, lets go so we can start our picnic."

Her stomach growled. "I couldn't agree with you more Flyboy!"

AN-TBC