La Jolla, California

Burnett Beach House

December 15, 1982

It had been almost two months since Sarah MacKenzie had come to stay with Trish and Frank Burnett and everything was working out amazingly well. She and Harm talked constantly. She was doing well in school and even made a few friends. Trish had helped her get a job at a coffee shop-slash-bookstore and had spent a lot of time getting to know her better. Frank was great, always there for her should she need him, calling her Princess and making sure she had everything she needed. And, unbeknownst to Sarah, Trish and Frank—with some donations from Matt O'Hara—had set up a college fund for her through their bank, a surprise for when she got around to her senior year.

It was after seven when Sarah got home that night, having gone out with some friends to celebrate the end of school for 1982. She planned on taking some time in the pool before dinner, which, as Frank had a late meeting, wouldn't be until around eight, but the rental car parked in the driveway next to Trish's convertible triggered her memory.

Harm.

She couldn't believe she had forgotten that he was arriving that afternoon. Ever since he'd arranged for her escape from her father she had been looking forward to seeing Harm at Christmas, counting the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until his flight would come in. But with all the end of school excitement and the fact that she had been invited to hang out with a large group of people her age had erased everything from her mind. She was trying really hard to fit in, and was doing an okay job of it, but with her trust issues making friends was not easy for her.

Sarah unlocked the door and dropped her keys on the table before tucking her school bag into the closet where she wouldn't think about it until at least January. "Hello?" she called, wondering where everyone was. Wondering where Harm was.

"Back here, dear," Trish called from the pool. Sarah smiled as she headed through the house. She was truly happy for the first time in her entire life, and she couldn't wait to thank the man who had made it all possible. "How was school?" Trish asked. She was lying on a lounge chair with a large straw hat on her head and a thick catalogue sitting on her lap. Sarah recognized it as one from the gallery, and she assumed that it was for the show Trish had been preparing for since the middle of November.

"Good. We didn't do much today," Sarah said, frowning internally when she didn't see Harm. "Michelle invited me to go to the mall for a celebratory coffee with some people from the basketball team. Sorry I didn't call, I totally spaced."

"It's fine," Trish said, waving her off. "Did you have fun?"

"Yeah," Sarah said.

"And was Eddie there?" Trish asked. Eddie was the one friend Sarah had made since arriving in La Jolla that Trish and Frank didn't like, though they had decided to let Sarah make her own decisions.

Sarah shook her head as she rolled the legs of her jeans up to her knees and sat down with her feet in the pool. She was on the opposite side of the pool from Trish and had her back to the house. "He had to leave right at three. His parents are taking him to Vale for break."

"That sounds nice," Trish said. She saw her son come out of the house but didn't react, knowing what he was planning. "I hope you don't mind that we're not going anywhere this year. With the show at the gallery I've been too busy to plan anything."

"It's fine, really," Sarah said before she felt someone pick her up under her arms and toss her into the pool. She screamed and swallowed a mouthful of chlorinated water before coming to the surface and sweeping her hair off her face. "Harm!" she screamed, half indignant, half thrilled to see him.

"Hiya, Mac," Harm said, flashing her his trademark smile before diving gracefully into the pool and surfacing a few feet in front of her. "Good to see you," he grinned before gathering her in his arms.

All her anger at her sudden dip in the pool—in brand new clothes—melted away when she felt his arms wrap around her body. Sarah clung to him tightly, letting him keep them both above water.

She had always had something of a crush on Harmon Rabb, Jr. There was no denying the fact that he was hot. She'd experienced her first feelings of puppy love at the tender age of eight when he let her sleep against his chest in the hospital and over the years, with each letter and accompanying picture, her feelings grew. When he'd send her a picture of him with his roommates, Luke Pendry and Jack Keeter, she hadn't even noticed the other two males until a few days later when she managed to get her jaw off the floor at the sight of Harm in his Academy uniform. She had pictures of Harm taped in her locker at school and even had one in her school agenda. A lot of the other girls at school who had seen the pictures had fallen in love with Harm as well. But for Sarah it wasn't just that he was hot—even though he made every movie star she could think of look like someone who slept under an overpass. She actually knew Harm, knew how sweet and kind he was, had been on the receiving end of his Flyboy smiles and had been the person he had turned to when he was going through major life issues, and that was why she loved him so much. The fact that he was mouth-wateringly 'so hot it should be illegal' was just an added bonus.

But she knew that he just thought of her as Mac, the little girl he'd kept in touch with for most of his life and who was living with his mother and stepfather because her own family had, in a word, sucked. She kept saying 'he is nineteen' over and over, repeating the words to herself to keep from doing something stupid like kissing Harm and making a fool of herself.

"I missed you," Sarah whispered into his neck.

"I missed you, too," Harm replied gently.

La Jolla, California

Burnett Beach House

December 15, 1982

"Sorry about throwing you in the pool. I just couldn't resist," Harm said loudly. He was sitting on Sarah's bed while she got changed into dry clothes in the bathroom.

"Just don't make it a habit," Sarah said, coming out in a pair of shorts and a tank top, towelling her hair. She sat down on the bed with him. "So… when did you get in?"

"I got here about four," Harm said, picking up a stuffed dog and inspecting it before putting it back down on her pillow. "Who is Eddie?" he asked, finding that he was jealous of a boy who he, other than his name and the fact that he was vacationing in Vale, didn't know anything about. When he had finally gotten a good look at Sarah MacKenzie, after helping her out of the pool and wrapping her tiny, shivering body up in a huge fluffy towel, Harm had been hit by the realization that the girl that had fallen asleep against his chest at the hospital was gone, and a beautiful woman was left in her place. He had to keep repeating 'she is fifteen' over and over in his head to keep from pressing his lips against hers the way he wanted to.

"Just this guy from school. Trish and Frank hate him," Sarah said with a small smile. She turned her upper body and grabbed a comb, turning back to face Harm before running it through her hair.

"You've been holding out on me," Harm said, joking to keep her from noticing how much he was hurting. "Never have you told me that you met someone."

"Harm, of course I've met people. So have you. It happens when you live in a populated area and don't live the life of a recluse," Mac smiled.

"I meant met someone met someone. You never told me you found a boyfriend," Harm said.

"We're not dating. Eddie is just a guy from school. We're friends. We hang out with other people. He's not my boyfriend," Mac said. She could have sworn Harm sighed in relief, but she didn't bother questioning it. "So, tell me all about the Academy," she said, eager to get off the subject of her life for a while.

Harm smiled his Flyboy smile. "It's great," he said before launching into a story about life at Annapolis Naval Academy.

La Jolla, California

Burnett Beach House

December 16, 1982

Harm had crashed early, his body accustomed to East Coast time, but he adjusted easily and, after going for a long run and taking a hot shower, he made breakfast for everyone in the house. He didn't think Sarah would get up—he knew he hadn't when he was fifteen and school was on break—but he cooked extra anyway. He made pancakes in holiday shapes—fir trees, holly leaves, wreaths, Mr and Mrs Santa Claus, presents, and, his favourite, an attempt at a turkey—and cooked some bacon and sausages. With the coffee perking away and breakfast almost finished, Harm smiled at his mother who yawned widely as she came down the stairs tying her bathrobe at her waist. He could see that she was wearing a pair of flannel pyjamas despite the heat and a pair of cartoonish bunny slippers adorned her feet. Frank came down soon after in sweatpants and a tee shirt, little Tasmanian Devils on his feet. Mac bounced down a minute later in cowboy pyjamas and with dinosaurs on her feet.

"I think my feet are under dressed," Harm said as he got out four plates.

"You're fine, dear," Trish said as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "Thank you for making breakfast. What was this one supposed to be?" she asked, holding up the failed turkey.

"A turkey," Harm said sheepishly.

Trish laughed loudly. "Stick to airplanes, darling. Pancake art will never be your claim to fame," she advised her son before sitting down at the table with her 'turkey'.

Mac shovelled a mouthful of pancakes laden with syrup into her eager mouth and moaned. When she had swallowed she smiled at Harm. "These taste amazing. You'll have to teach me how to cook while you're here. I can barely boil water without setting the house on fire."

"It's true," Frank teased. Mac swatted at him playfully and he pulled her into a one-armed hug. "You know I'm just teasing you, Princess."

"I know," Sarah smiled before going back to her breakfast.

The four of them made conversation until Frank realized he was late and ran for the shower. Trish finished her coffee and, after Frank left, she went to take her own shower so she wouldn't be late for work as well. Sarah pushed Harm away from the sink saying that he had cooked; the least she could do was do the cleaning. Harm stayed in the kitchen with her until she was done and then they went to the living room and collapsed onto the couch.

"So, what are your plans for break?" Harm asked.

Sarah shrugged. "Don't really have any. What about you? I bet you've got a lot of old friends to look up."

"Not really. Most of the gang didn't bother coming home. Besides, it's the first time I've seen you since you were eight. I was hoping to spend some time with you in person instead of in letters and over the phone," Harm admitted.

"I'd like that," Sarah smiled. That was what she was hoping he would say. "I'm going for a swim," she said, getting up and heading for the stairs, presumably to go get changed into her bathing suit—swimming in clothes the day before was more than enough for her.