Divine Intervention

Disclaimer: I don't own them. I promise to give them back when I am finished.

What I think it is going to take to get Mac and Harm together. What might happen after Christmas Eve.

Thank you soooo much for your patience. This has been the hardest chapter for me to write. I hope it isn't too confusing. I have a hard time with dialogue.

Thank you also for all of the wonderful reviews. They kept me going when I wanted to give up. I hope you enjoy this one.

Chapter 5

Bethesda Medical Center

Mac's Hospital Room

Mac slowly became aware of her surroundings. Someone in the other bed was trying to talk to her. Mac was having a hard time understanding her. Finally the woman's words were making sense.

"Hey, you're awake. How you feeling?" asked the other woman.

"I'm not sure," replied Mac.

"Are you in much pain?"

Surprisingly, Mac wasn't in any pain. "No. Has anyone been here to see me?" she asked.

"No, but you haven't been here very long," replied the young woman. With a mischievous grin, Angel asked, "Were you waiting for someone special?"

Pretending to ignore the woman's tone, Mac explained "Well, someone else was brought in with me and I was hoping to find out how he was doing.

"The nurses said something about a Commander being in better shape than you were."

"Did they mention his name?" asked Mac.

"No, I'm sorry,"

Whispering to herself, "I hope Harm's all right."

"Excuse me, but did you say Harm?" the young woman asked, obviously shocked.

Slightly irritated that her thought had been overheard, Mac responded, "yes."

"You don't mean Harmon Rabb, do you?" asked the woman.

Genuinely curious now, Mac couldn't help but show her surprise. "Yes, I do. Do you know him?"

Giving Mac a smile that showed her dimples, Angel responded, "I sure do. We attended Academy together. I'm Captain Angelique Hawkins, USMC, but everyone calls me Angel."

Mac looked at the young woman for a moment. She was smaller than Mac and her hair was much shorter, but she had a very friendly face and eyes that seemed to light up when she smiled, which she seemed to do a lot. "I'm Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie, but everyone calls me Mac."

A look of genuine shock crossed the woman's face, "You're Mac?"

Almost frightened to answer Mac forced herself, "Yes, I am."

"Wow, Harm has told me so much about you. It is so nice to finally meet you." The woman continued to stare at Mac before saying, "Boy, he wasn't kidding, you really do look a lot like Dianne."

"So I've been told. Did you and Harm date too?" Mac surprised herself with this question.

"Me and Harm, date? No!" replied Angel with a look of disgust. "That would have been too, weird. He was dating Dianne, and she was my roommate. Besides I had my eyes on a friend of his."

"So, you and Harm have stayed in touch all this time?" asked Mac, wondering why she had never heard Harm talk about this woman before.

"Yeah, whenever Harm needs to talk about something, especially his love life," Angel asked hoping Mac would be interested in the topic, "Since I'm a pilot too, and a woman I think he sees me as a…liaison between two different worlds. Plus, I guess I'm a good listener."

"So, does he take your advice?" Mac asked wondering what Harm had told this woman about her.

"No, he really doesn't. Like I said, mostly, he talks and I listen. Sometimes I think he just needs to hear his thoughts out loud before he can understand them."

Trying to change the subject, Mac asked, "So did you get the Midshipman you had your sights on?"

The expression on Angels face changed quickly. "Yeah, well sort of. He and I got engaged, but…it didn't end well."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories." Mac really felt bad about bringing this woman down.

"That's okay." The woman brightened a little. "I have good memories of Sturgis, too."

Mac couldn't contain her surprise. "Sturgis? You and Sturgis…were engaged?"

The woman didn't miss a single beat, "You obviously know Sturgis Turner."

"He works at JAG HQ with Harm and me, didn't Harm tell you that?"

"No, but he wouldn't. He never brings up Turner's name when we talk." The twinkle came back into the young woman's face when she added, "Mostly he talks about you."

This made Mac very nervous. "Just how much has he told you about me?"

"Well, Colonel, please remember that he never thought you and I would meet. The odds were astronomical." Seeing the look on Mac's face Angel continued slowly, making sure to choose exactly the right words. "I know a lot about you, Mac.Probably more than you would like, but please understand that most of what he said was his way of trying to help you. He did tell me that he loved you.

Mac wasso shocked she couldn't even respond. Her thoughts were out of control, 'How could he tell every secret I had to someone I don't even know. Wait a minute, what was that last part?' "He told you that he loved me?'"

"Yes, he told me that he loved you more than anyone he has ever loved." Angel waited until that had soaked in a little before continuing, "I never understood why you two never got together."

"Me either," responded Mac. Again wanting to change the subject, and wanting to know more about this woman that seemed to know everything about her, Mac asked, "So what about you and Turner. Why didn't you two ever get it right?"

"Well, we almost did," Angel said sadly, "But duty got in our way. I couldn't understand him. I was so happy when he got his dolphins. I tried to be so supportive and encouraging when he went on his first submarine duty. I expected him to be the same way when I finally got a chance to see some action."

"You weren't going into combat?" asked Mac.

"No, I wasn't really going into combat, but I was going to be closer. It was very important to me to prove myself. You see, my father was a helo pilot in Vietnam. He was killed in action and I felt I needed to continue what he hadn't been able to. Kind of follow his example. You know what I mean. I had to prove something about being a real Marine, even though I was just a woman. " The woman took a deep breath before continuing. "Anyway, I was so excited. My CO had just given me my papers. I was going to Kuwait for Desert Storm. When I saw Sturgis coming off that boat for his first leave in six months, I couldn't wait to tell him the good news."

"Let me guess, he wasn't as excited about it?" asked an understanding Mac. 'How many times has Harm tried to keep me out of action?'

"No. He was angry. No matter how I tried, I couldn't make him understand how important it was to me. He just couldn't didn't get it. He felt like he had to protect me, like he had no faith in me to take care of myself." Sighing, the woman continued, "Anyway, we had a huge argument and he stormed off. I waited for him on the tarmac before I left. I thought for sure he would come see me off, but he never did. We haven't seen each other since."

"Wow, that doesn't sound like Sturgis. He seems so in control," stated Mac.

"I understood why he acted the way he did. He was afraid that I might get hurt, which of course, I did. You see, I accidentally got to see some combat and I was shot down. That's why I'm here, taking care of some old wounds." The young woman became lost in her thoughts. "I think Sturgis felt guilty about the way we ended things, especially after I was shot down. He blamed himself for not being there. I guess he could never forgive himself."

"Have you tried to contact him?"

"Well, I wrote him a letter, but I've never been brave enough to send it to him. I have it with me. I've carried it for years." Angel appeared to have an idea, "Would you give it to him for me? I would really appreciate it. I'd like for him to know that I forgave him, and maybe then he can forgive himself."

"Men are funny about things like that," laughed Mac. "I really don't think it would be appropriate for me to give him the letter though, he and I aren't that close."

"I understand, maybe you could just put it in his mailbox at the office. He wouldn't need to know how it got there. Please Colonel. I just want him to know that things happen for a reason. We just don't always know what that reason is.

Smiling, Mac agreed. "Never let it be said that I didn't understand how hard it is to be in love with a squid."

"Thank you, Ma'am. This really means a lot to me." Angel hesitated, "So, you are in love with Harm, aren't you?"

Mac felt the tears coming. "Yes."

"You better make your move soon. You only get so many chances at happiness. Don't be afraid of what might happen. Everything happens for a reason. It isn't supposed to be easy or make sense all the time," explained Angel.

Deciding that Mac needed a little more information, Angel continued, "Harm told me that he knew you were special from the first time he met you, but he didn't realize how special until you were assigned to an investigation onboard a sub. Some crazy corpsman had knocked him out, and when he came to, the guy was strangling you. Harm was able to stop the guy but you weren't breathing, and Harm didn't know how long you had been that way. In other words he thought he had lost you forever. Harm said that he had never felt such a sense of loss before. Not even when he found out the truth about his dad."

Mac simply stared at Angel, not knowing what to say. Angel decided to continue, "In other words he lost control. He realized that he couldn't stand it if he lost you and that scared the heck out of him."

Frustrated Mac asked, "Then why didn't he tell me?"

"He was afraid of losing you. You already meant more to him than anyone else in his life ever had and he didn't know how to handle it," explained Angel.

"Then why did he let me almost marry Mic?" asked a confused Mac.

"He talked to me after that night in Sydney. He finally made up his mind to give it a try when you got back to the States, but you showed up at the airport wearing Mic's ring."

"I gave him every opportunity to make his move. I wore that ring on my right hand for a long time, waiting on Harm to fight for me," explained Mac.

Surprised Angel said, "Are you serious? You know Harm. He's a boy scout, and an officer and a gentleman. It wouldn't have mattered if you wore that ring in your nose. You were wearing another man's ring, you were off limits. In his mind, you had made your choice and he loved you enough to let you go."

"But not enough to tell me," stated a disappointed Mac.

"He thought you were happy and he didn't want to mess that up. You have no idea how much guilt he felt after you and Mic broke up."

"He wasn't entirely to blame for that."

"No he wasn't. But secretly he was happy. He thought he had his chance, but again, Harm the Boy Scout couldn't break it off with Renee right after her father died. He thought you would give him time to help her through it and then you two could be together when he got back, but you had gone off to a carrier. He even came to you to try and talk things out but you didn't give him a chance," argued Angel.

Quietly Mac said, "I guess it was my turn to take some time to think."

"Sometimes you and Harm think too much. Harm thought his actions in Paraguay would show you how much he loved you. You thought he had to say the words." Angel let Mac think about this before continuing, "He would have fought Webb for your love, but you said 'never'. He resigned himself to the fact that all you would ever let him be was a friend. It hurt him and made him angry. Both at you and at himself, but he eventually realized that he still needed you in his life. If all he could be was your friend than he would be a good one. That is why he wants to help you have a baby, so that he will always have a reason to be with you."

Mac was crying now. Wondering how she could have doubted Harm all those times. Realizing that she was the one keeping them apart now, she asked, "So what can I do to make things right?"

You need to have trust in each other's motives and have faith in your hearts to make the right decisions. Things happen for a reason. There is a greater plan that we aren't supposed to understand. We all have to believe that sometimes good things happen, too."

Mac didn't know what was going on. She was feeling dizzy and she couldn't focus on Angel's face anymore. "What's going on?"

"It's time for me to go Sarah." The young Captain's voice was very faint but very clear. "You must make your decision. Do you love and trust Harm enough to go to him? You can hear him calling to you. Can't youSarah?"

"No, I can't hear him. He's not even here," pleaded Mac.

"Don't listen with you ears. Listen with your heart, that's where your gift comes from. He needs you so much. Don't give up on him and don't let him give up on you. Go back to him Sarah. You can hear him calling to you now, can't you?"

Mac could hear Harm's voice now, it was calling to her. "Mac, I need you to come back to me. Please. I love you." Suddenly her chest tightened and her body tingled all over. She almost felt as if she was floating, but her right side was hurting very badly.

Harm's Room

Sturgis had been holding Harm by the shoulders, trying to calm him down. He had been fighting Sturgis, saying that Mac was gone. Sturgis had tried to hit the nurse call button but it was on the other side of the bed. Pleadingly Harm called out, "Mac, I need you to come back to me. Please. I love you." Harm suddenly became rigid, as if he had been struck by lightning and collapsed in the bed.

Afraid that his friend was having a heart attack, Sturgis raced to the door to get help, but Harm's voice stopped him.

His voice was calmer now and he simply said, "Its okay, she came back to me," before he lost consciousness.

Sturgis had no idea what had gone on with his friend, but he wasn't going to take any chances. He grabbed the call button and pressed it until the nurse came.

The nurse checked Harm out thoroughly, but aside from his IV being loose and a slightlyelevated blood pressure, he was fine.

Sturgis decided he needed a break and walked out into the hall. The emergency room nurse he had spoken to earlier was coming down the hall toward him.

"Commander Turner?"

"Yes." Sturgis held his breath, unsure if he was ready for what she was going to tell him.

"Colonel Mackenzie is out of surgery, sir. She is a real fighter. We thought we lost her once, but she fought her way back." The nurse gave Turner time to absorb this information before continuing, "We had to shock her twice, but she came back. She must have a lot to live for, sir."

Turner looked at his friend's door, and thought about what he had just watched Harm go through. Maybe they were closer than either one of them knew. "Love. She is in love."

Following his gaze to the Commander's room the nurse smiled in understanding, "They will be moving her into the ICU on the third floor, sir. Would you like for me to let you know when you can see her?"

"Thank you, nurse. I would appreciate that very much." Sturgis went back into his friends room to tell him that everything was alright now, but he had a 'feeling' that Harm already knew.

I hope you liked it. I think I can wrap it up in one more chapter. I will try to get it done before the Friday night ep.