I just rock my world! I got this part done in a few hours, I am quite happy with it, the last scene with Madam Tatiana is my fav part of the story. You'll see what I mean. :) There is a huge AN at the end that explains somethings. Kudos to some of you, you were right! You rock! The rest of you, PAY ATTENTION! ;)

Thanks for all the kind and not so kind words, some of you guys are slave drivers, I swear. ;) But it's fun, I like making you guys cringe. Muahahaa.

Jackie

Part 17 – POW MacKenzie

0110 Zulu
Location Unknown
Virginia

"NO!" The word reverberated through the walls of her confines, she said it so loud that it hurt her own ears. Palmer was finding this whole thing utterly amusing. Just like he had done before the switch was made, he was watching Mac, intrigued with just how addicted she was to what he lovingly dubbed "HarmTV." Frowning, he noticed it tugged his heart strings to see her break down, but it was a necessity. If he could break her down the same way he broke down Halloren, then, everything would be great. "No damnit! Harm don't you believe her! I wouldn't do that to you. . .You know I wouldn't do that to you!" Mac was screaming at the screens, her face was turning red from all of the anger that bubbled up. If her double's sudden fight with amnesia didn't bring Harm down, this would certainly be the nail in the coffin.

But, Harm wasn't biting, at least, not right away. Instead, he stood in front of Mac2 (AN: this will be a way to differentiate between Mac and Nikki) chuckling so hard that tears were streaming out of his eyes. Mac watched the color screens, seeing Harm characteristically place his hands on his hips. "Funny Mac, morbid, but funny." The idea of her being pregnant with a baby spook was just amusing.

But, Mac2, wasn't laughing. No, her face shone with a seriousness that he'd never seen before. Her face bowed down in some form of mock shame. God, this was perfect, problem is, she was having a hard time keeping a straight, poker face. 'Breathe Nikki, breathe.' She stepped away from him and came to stand by the closed balcony doors sighing as if she was carrying the weight of the world. "It just. . .sort of happened."

No, this wasn't happening to him, to them. Mac couldn't have done this, could she? It was involuntary and he would feel guilty about it later, but Harm couldn't help but remember her affair with Farrow, the night she allowed him to kiss her despite the fact that she was soon to marry another man. Worse of all, he remembered the kiss between her and Webb. Maybe he was the fallback guy while she waited for the spook to claim her. Hadn't Webb told him something to that effect? That he would try to take her back if things got screwed up? Had he screwed up? No, he didn't think so, though he knew it mustn't have been easy to be with him while he was sorting his dreams and memories of being tortured by Temir.

Tortured. Webb was tortured, yet she felt the need to stay and take care of him. No, that was different as well, he'd been tortured to keep her from falling into Sadik's hands. Harm's torture was different, he wasn't protecting her, though he liked to believe that he was unwilling to give up information because he knew she'd be disappointed in him if he did given in. As she turned to him slightly, Harm knew she was telling the truth. He nearly collapsed when it hit him. She was carrying Webb's kid, not his. "When?"

"Did we get together?" Mac2 sighed and shook her head. "When you were on the carrier. . .it sort of happened." They knew Harm would likely check with Webb, maybe even pound the man to a blood pulp. But, they also knew that Harm would believe Mac over Webb and if he didn't, it was still her word against his and the spook wasn't in anyone's good graces to be believed about anything. "He came over to see how I was doing, if things were alright. . .one thing led to another and. . ."

"You're sure it's not mine?" He was hopeful still, willing to forgive an indiscretion because he loved her too much to let go. It wasn't like him to just give up and give in, but he wasn't going to let this slip by and he was damned if he would let her go to Webb without a fight.

Mac2 nodded. "Positive, now a days computers tell you when you got pregnant. They are usually pretty accurate."

He slid into the sofa with a defeated sigh. This just wasn't happening. Why them? Mac2 went to comfort him, to place a hand on his shoulder, but Harm shrugged it away. "Don't touch me, damnit. . . How could you sleep with Webb!" He exclaimed in disgust, the idea of her being intimate with Webb physically repulsed him more so that when she was with Brumby. At lease Mic had some sense of caring for her, though he was stupid to believe that Mac really loved him back. Webb, Harm wasn't sure what the hell the spook wanted from her and why, out of the blue, he suddenly decided he had to have her.

"Why did you do this to me?. . .I thought. . .I thought you loved me." Didn't she? Mac had told him how much she loved him, that he was it for her. How the hell did she wind up with Webb?

Mac2 sat on the top of the coffee table she took his hands, even when he tried to pull away. "It doesn't matter, Harm. . ." He looked up shooting her an incredulous glare, God this was just perfect! "You could be the baby's father. . .You could help me raise it as your own."

Harm just stared at her with a partially opened mouth. His stomach lurched slightly, he felt as if he was going to be sick. Standing, he moved away from her, leaning against the fireplace as he searched for words that weren't conjured up in anger. But, he couldn't help it. If anything, his foot in the mouth problem just got worse the more pissed off he was. He pinned her down with a glare that would level a whole platoon of Marines. "Yea, I've always been the safe bet right?" He took the picture of the two of them, one taken while at the Roberts' home which Mac had placed on the mantel. Grabbing to the frame tightly, his knuckles turned white. "I've always been the fallback guy. . .Haven't I?" When she didn't answer he got close to her, very close and all six feet four of him, looming over Mac2 suddenly had her worried as to what he was capable of. "Haven't I?" He hurled the frame across the room, not even wincing as it hit a wall and broke into a zillion pieces of wood and glass. "You've never really wanted me or loved me. . . All you wanted was a safe bet. . ."

As he stepped away from her, Mac2 finally got her voice again. Okay, so that was rather scary, though she had to figure that he wouldn't hurt her, everything Palmer had told him had made Harm out to be a boyscout. "Yes, I need you. . .and I know you won't turn me away." Yes, that was purely an assumption, seeing as many other good men would just kick out an unfaithful woman. For good measure, she added, in her best damsel in distress voice, "I need you, Harm. . .Please help me." He still wouldn't look at her, so Mac2 tossed in a few more words for good measure, "I love you. . .You know I do. . .What happened with Webb. . .I didn't want it." She sighed, turning away herself faking shame. "He. . .f-f-forced himself . . .on me." Argh, that was a bad idea, bad idea indeed, then again, she could start playing the 'I don't want to sleep with you anymore because of what happened' card. Hmmm, maybe it could work after all.

That caught his attention, Harm whipped around in a fit of anger and confusion. "Why were you trying to make me believe that you wanted to be with him, Mac?" Though he knew that answer, Mac would have preferred to put the blame on herself than to let on that she was weak. She shrugged and for effect, placed her head in her hands and began to sob uncontrollably. That was it, the moment the anger rushed out of his body replaced by caring and compassion. "I love you Mac. . .I won't let you go through this alone. . .You know I won't." He wrapped his arms around her then kissed her gently, lovingly though she wouldn't return that kiss. Parting, he stared at her, frowning slightly at how she was still hot and cold with him. "You still don't remember things do you?"

Mac2 shook her head frowning slightly. "Not everything, no. . .I may never. . ."

He placed a finger on her lips, "I'll help you remember, but you have to try. . .you have to be more willing to remember. . ." Harm pulled her in again, holding her tight against him. . .

It was uncertain to Mac as to why Palmer wanted her to see this. First of all, how the hell did he manage to stick so many cameras in both her and Harm's apartment? Suddenly, the two figures disappeared into her bedroom, the door was closed and that was the last that she saw of him. "No! . . No damnit!" Mac slammed the top of the case shut and leaned herself up against it. It had been days since she last saw Palmer, though she imagined he must have been alive seeing as she still had fresh food every day.

The day that he'd taken her out of the foundry, he'd shot her up with some sort of drug that knocked her out. When she woke up, she felt this hard plaster on her face and this frightening sense of claustrophobia despite the tubes at the nostrils that helped her breathe. 'Easy, Colonel. . .easy.' It was a voice with a strong accent, one that she couldn't place. There were other voices too, a woman arguing with a man and immediately she knew it was Halloren and Palmer.

'I don't give a damn if she has a tattoo there. I am not having such an ugly thing done to my skin!' Halloren was arguing, but was calmed down when Palmer mentioned some sort of fake tattoo, a new form of latex that would look and feel real. The same latex would be used on any scars on Mac's body. The day that Mac had whacked Palmer over the head and then taken a spill down the foundry steps, they'd managed to use that unconscious moment to take pictures of the Marine's body. Palmer had learned every intimate detail, every scar, scrape and he all but memorized her tattoos.

During the current procedure, Mac had tried to move her neck, to stop whatever they were doing, but she felt the restraints and the overwhelming sense of dread. As she listened in to their conversation, he realized what was going on. Nikki was to become her double, the same way Palmer had become Harm's double. Harm. Had he gone through this? Had he felt this sick feeling as Palmer did whatever he wanted with his body?

As she lay on the metal table, waiting for the plaster to settle, she took a deep breath and calmed down, hoping they'd ignore that she was awake. And they did, because they were much too busy. Laying there quietly, she was able to find out how everything was accomplished. Palmer had stolen money from credit card transactions that went through Leavenworth as he worked in a customer service/order department. For years he was putting the money in an out of country account using Harm's name. With the use of that money and several other rogue agents, he set his plan into action. Killing Harm wasn't enough, revenge was the key and after two years of being out of Leavenworth studying Harm, he knew that the best way to get back at him was to use Mac.

When all was said and done and they were sitting side by side, Nikki looked exactly like Mac. She'd threatened them then, saying that Harm would figure it out. But Palmer had laughed at her, they'd been studying everything for days, Mac's movements, expressions. A chip that felt like skin was placed on the roof of Nikki's mouth. It would change her voice as well. It was perfect, seamless and perfect.

Mac wanted to believe that Nikki would never pull it off. But, now, as she witnessed them together day after day, she was losing faith in it all. She had a feeling she'd never see him again. "He's already with another, Sarah."

Turning slightly, she saw Palmer entering the room. He was injured, with a cast on his wrist and some burn marks on his face and arms. The building had come down on him, though he didn't anticipate it. In fact, he'd hoped to have placed another body at the scene, fake the DNA tests that NCIS would certainly run, and that would be that. They would believe he was dead. It didn't work quite as he planned, but, everything else was running smoothly. He'd used cameras placed on the scene to watch over the agents as they made their way into the building. If he wouldn't have been hurt, the plan would have been executed perfectly.

"You've been here for a while. . .They aren't going to find you and it looks like he may not want to find you. He's being seduced by the wiles of another woman." Grinning, he flipped open the case, punched in a few keys and brought up a scene in Mac's bedroom. Harm and Mac2 were in bed, together, making love. "Seems he doesn't feel anything different." He closed the case and sat down on a chair next to Mac. He ran his hand slowly down her arm noticing Mac didn't even twitch when he did so. "He's with someone else. . .it's time for you to let go now."

Mac shoved his hand away. "I know what you are trying to do. . .you hope that I'll eventually allow some sort of Stockholm syndrome to develop. . .It's not going to happen." There was no way IN HELL that she would give into Palmer, even if Harm ended up marrying that bitch, she would not give in. It wouldn't happen, ever.

He remained seated, his fingers toying with the top of the briefcase. Palmer was a patient man, he'd waited forever for Halloren to give in, but this was a little different. True, it wasn't his general idea to try and win her over, he hadn't even thought about how she would figure in outside of his plan. But, he liked Mac, she was strong, capable. Oh, the damage he could do with a Marine by his side. "Stronger people have given in."

"Well, I'm not giving in." She spat back at him, her voice taking that more controlling tone that she was famous for. Mac moved away from him, coming to lean against the wall by the bed. She wanted to sit down, her body was so tired, but she refused to have to look up at Palmer. If anything, she wanted to be face to face with him. She would have fought him by now, God knows she wanted to, but her fear of Halloren hurting Harm was keeping her from doing much of anything. She always had plan B, only it wasn't going as well as she'd hoped. Days had gone by and she still hadn't been able to make much of a dent on the wall in the bathroom. But, she'd continue, even if her hands bled and her back hurt, she'd continue.

Palmer's jaw tightened as he glanced at her. Maybe she would be a bit of a harder nut to crack. Halloren, well she had a reason to crack, she needed to be loved, protected. Mac, well, he wasn't too sure about her. He grabbed Mac's arm, pulling her to him. "If you don't give it to me, I'll take it by force." She was close enough for him to kiss, but he didn't dare cross that path, not yet.

Mac breathed slowly, something about the way he touched her threw her back to her teenaged years. Her marriage with Chris Ragle was never a pleasant one. They had their moments when out of reckless abandon she'd allowed herself to believe it was love. But, there were nights, the ones that she was fully aware and sober, that she'd tried to leave, but he wouldn't let her. She was his 'hot little bitch.' As Chris liked to put it; words that made her feel cheap and unworthy of finding someone better. One night had completely evaded her memory, at least she buried it away so well that it rarely surfaced. It shouldn't be called rape if it was between a married couple, but it still felt like it to her. She'd said 'no.' But Chris was too drunk to care, instead he flung her on the bed and repeated the same words Palmer had used. 'If you don't give it to me, I'll take it by force.' And she'd given in, laid still and allowed him to have his fun only so that he wouldn't hurt her. But, she did hurt, as two months later, she miscarried.

All of that had been buried deep down inside and Mac knew she could bury more if she had to. She wasn't a little girl anymore, she was a capable, strong woman, a Marine officer who would not give in, damn the consequences. "Sarah MacKenzie – Lieutenant Colonel, United States Marine Corps – 501-02-7158."

Her voice was strong, forceful, so much that Palmer did a double take. He let her go, his brow furling in confusion. "You aren't a POW, Sarah. . .I just want to be your friend."

"Sarah MacKenzie – Lieutenant Colonel, United States Marine Corps – 501-02-7158." She repeated, her voice even stronger now. No, she wasn't a POW, but it sure felt like it and was tired of being his little plaything.

Palmer nodded. "Fine, you want me to treat you like a POW I will." Taking out a pistol he aimed and fired at the briefcase, the one that was her lifeline to Harm. He squeezed off four shots sending pieces of briefcase into oblivion. A little bit of sparks and smoke came out of the case and as he turned to Mac, he saw nothing but a passive look on her face. "Let's see how you spend your days now that you can't see him."

And with that, he turned and left. Mac stood there, shocked at all of the news she'd received in just minutes. This was ridiculous, insane. Damnit, how much more did they have to go through? Settling herself on the bed, she curled up into fetal position, hugging the pillow close to her. The images of him kissing the other Mac were seared into her brain. Closing her eyes, she could see him pouring his heart into touches and kisses to the wrong woman. She wasn't angry with him, quite the contrary, she was worried, hurt as to what would happen to them if she ever saw Harm again. He would blame himself, she knew it. He would hate himself for being physically intimate with someone else and that, in itself, would be another blow to their relationship. Mac would forgive him, she loved him too damned much to hold it against him. But, what if he didn't want to be with her after all of this? Worst of all, what if she never saw him again. She couldn't help the tears anymore, thought she wanted to. Forcing herself not to cry only hurt her more as a strange tightness resided in her chest. So, she gave into the tears, sobbing hard until she fell asleep.

0510 Zulu
Clayton Webb's Apartment
Alexandria, Virginia

Clayton Webb stared down at the woman in his bed, she was blond, beautiful, absolutely stunning and he did love her. He always had, but in the middle of their on again off again relationship, he'd forced himself to forget. Choosing to do so because of the way they'd parted after working the Angelshark case. As he sat on the edge of the bed, he considered his relationship with Sarah. Did he love her? Yes, in some way he did, but he wasn't in love with her and, after this night, he couldn't fool himself into believing that anymore. She was with Harm, the man that he knew she should have been with all along. His relationship with Sarah was one of necessity; they were both biding time until fate decided to come to her senses and put them with the correct other half.

There was no specific reason why Catherine Gayle chose this night, of all nights, to finally disclose that her year old child was his. She had left the CIA once realizing that she couldn't handle the top secret job and the risks that came with it. Furthermore, she wouldn't but her baby in danger, not for the agency. A private law firm in Washington was looking for someone with her talents, so she gave in. The pay was better, the benefits were excellent and everything was falling into place. She had regretted not taking Harm up on his offer to start something with her. God knows he would have been great to her and her baby, but she couldn't be with a man that loved another woman, especially with the way she knew he loved Mac.

But, this night, she'd had her brother taking care of her son, Michael. She was in Alexandria on a date, well, trying to go on a date, but the man had stood her up. That's when fate intervened and she wound up spending the evening with Clayton Webb. Somehow, she wound up back at his place where she'd stopped his advances to give him the news. Clay sat there, utterly confused and more than just a little bit hurt. 'Why didn't you tell me?'

Catherine frowned, 'Because the few times we've talked about being serious, you've dismissed it. . . You always told me you weren't ready for children and I didn't want to tie you down. . .When I heard about you and Colonel MacKenzie, I figured you'd found what you were looking for.'

He thought so to, though, there was some nagging feeling that something was off. 'You stopped talking to me. . .I thought you wanted a clean break. . .So I gave it to you.' He took her hands in his, for the first time in his life really bearing his soul. 'I loved you then, I still love you now. . .I want it to work.'

'It won't. . .even if we spend the night together, you know it'll just be that and I can't do that anymore.' She tried to move away, but Clay kept a hand on hers.

It wasn't often that you had a second chance and yet, there it was right in front of him. 'I am not letting you go again. . .I can change. . .Hell, if Rabb changed, anyone can.' He chuckled slightly, finally winning her over.

With a smile, Clay settled himself back into bed. He wanted this, he needed this too and, for once, mother actually approved of his choice of women. A knock at his door had him nearly falling off the side of the bed. "Clay, what is it?"

"It's probably nothing." Leaning in he kissed her slowly, but the knock was harder and much more forceful. With a sigh he straightened himself. "Let me get rid of whoever it is." Grinning, he headed out of the bedroom, wrapping himself up in a robe. He took a peak out of the peephole. Groaning, he opened up the door, "Rabb what the hell do you. .. OOF!"

Before he had a chance to even let him in, Harm stepped forward, slugging Webb with a force that should have knocked him out. When it didn't, Harm jumped on Clay, slugging him once again. "You sick son of a bitch. . .How could you?"

Clay was dazed, completely dazed. It was a miracle he hadn't passed out. "What. . .are you. . .talking about?" He said between breaths. Harm hadn't managed to break his nose but if he took another hit, he was sure it would snap.

"Mac. . ." He glared down at the man, gritting his teeth in the anger that he was feeling. He was trying not to give into it, but, at some point that night, he snapped. It could have had something to do with Mac2 telling him she wouldn't press any type of charges against the spook. Damn Webb if he thought he would get away with it. "She told me what you did to her."

Had he done something to her? If he did he wasn't aware of it. Hell, he didn't even get a chance to see her once she was rescued. "I haven't done anything."

"Liar!" Harm slammed his head against the ground, rage taking over his rational thought.

Catherine chose this moment to head out of the bedroom finding Clay laying on the ground with Harm over him. "What the hell is going on?"

"Catherine?" Glancing up, Harm took his gaze off of Webb, allowing the agent to push Harm away and come to his feet. He glanced between the two of them and instantly realized, "The baby was his wasn't it?" Something about that pissed him off even more. How many women had Clay impregnated and left? She nodded and Harm nearly lost it all over again. "This sick son of a bitch forced himself on Mac."

Clay raised a brow in confusion. "You know, Rabb. . .I know you aren't stable at the moment, but you are insane if you think I'd hurt Sarah." Carefully, he walked around the Naval officer and held his door open. "I suggest you get the hell out."

Harm walked away, stopping to glare at Clay. "She doesn't want to press charges and I'll respect that. But if you come near her again, I'll kill you." And by the look in his eyes, he meant it, every word of it.

Catherine was watching Clay, what the hell had just happened? She'd known Rabb was a bit impulsive, but this was completely unlike him. "Did something happened between you and Colonel MacKenzie?"

Clay shook his head. "We've been over for more than a year. . .I don't know what is wrong with him." She didn't seem to sure, so he moved forward, taking her hands in his. "I swear it. . ."

September 24, 2005
2345 Zulu
Arlington County Fair
Virginia

Harm glanced down at Mac2 and the look of awe on her face. "You can't tell me this is the first time you've been to a carnival." She didn't respond, much like she just stopped responding for several other things she didn't know. Mac2 just couldn't deal with coming up with another story and having to hide behind her 'trauma'. "You forgot that as well?" He frowned down at her and shook his head slightly. This was becoming increasingly difficult. The doctor had mentioned that it was some sort of selective amnesia, but her memories were more than just 'selective'. They were just plain jane scattered; scattered all over the place. "You don't remember when we took lil AJ once? Bud and Harriet wanted some alone time?"

"It's coming back to me." She said, then ventured out a bit more. "Did we ride the Ferris wheel that time?" Trying to read Harm, was becoming increasingly difficult. He wasn't an open book and his eyes could conceal just about everything. So much for her 'past profession,' it didn't help one bit that she could get inside the minds of most people. Harm was like a brick wall. Knowing she was had, Mac2 guided him towards a small tent over which a crooked, weathered, wooden sign hung. "Hey, take a look at this."

He glanced up at the sign, his eyebrow raising in amusement. "Madam Tatiana, Psychic Extraordinaire, Tarot & Palm Readings - Twenty Dollars." He read the sign then laughed. "You don't seriously want me to go in there, do you?" When she didn't give him an answer, he just stared at her. "Mac, this is crazy. Didn't learning to be a gypsy from Rusza teach you anything?" Harm grinned slightly, recalling the outfits that they had been wearing. He looked silly, but Mac. . .he was having trouble not looking at her then. She was stunning.

Rusza? Who the hell was Rusza? And why would she be consorting with gypsies? The Colonel certainly was an odd one. "It's for fun. . . Now, go." She literally shoved him inside and smiled as he laughed his way in. With a sigh, she brushed her bangs out of her eyes and shook her head. "Clark, you're killing me." Glancing around the area Mac2 headed behind the tent and pulled out a cell phone. "Hey, it's me. . .Yea, I'm alone, for now."

Walking in was exactly what Harm expected. There was the blue, yellow and red canvas that made up the tent all around him, as well as this semi-thick smoke that obscured his vision. 'All this joint needs are the beaded curtains.' He thought to himself and sure enough, that was the next thing he ran through before coming up upon a round table where a very pretty, young woman sat. She looked up at him and smiled. "Please, take a seat, Commander."

Harm didn't even register what she had called him, how she seemed to know he was a Commander. He was far too captivated in the color of her eyes that seemed to change between indigo and emerald. 'Some sort of contact lens trick' He deduced and smiled at the woman. She was pretty, indeed, with frizzy red hair, held back by some sort of tiara of which ribbons hung from and slid over the top of her locks. Her clothing was deep, deep red velvet with gold accents. "Uh, thank you." He slid into his chair and took a good look around the place. The smoke had started to settle behind them, allowing for light to illuminate the woman even better. All it needed was a crystal ball in the center of the table. "So, you must be Madam Tatiana?"

"Yes." She said in a slight Russian accent, her eyes dancing. "And no, I am not related to the Romanov family." Madam Tatiana laughed along with him and then reached over to a deck of tarot cards in front of her. Something made her stop and glance up at him. "No, you came here for a palm reading. . .the cards will do us no good." She placed her hand on the table, beckoning him to place his hand in hers.

"Ah, well my. . .girlfriend put me up to this." Hesitantly, he extended his hand across the table, surprised at how gently the woman took his hand. "So? What does my life line read?" The moment his hand touched hers, Madam Tatiana became ramrod straight. The lights in the tent flickered ominously and the smoke permeated between them. 'Helluva parlor trick.' Harm thought as he licked his lips nervously. He'd had a friend, one of the guys from the Henry that had once been mugged at one hokey Tarot card booth while on liberty. That wasn't something he wanted to go through if he could help it. "Madam Tatiana?" He glanced at her and then around, the smoke was so thick if there was someone else in there, he couldn't tell.

There was a violent zing between them, as an electric current passed through his hand to hers. Immediately she dropped his hand, almost as if she were burnt and glared up at him. "That woman is not your girlfriend."

Harm instantly started to laugh, he didn't believe much in metaphysical things seeing as, most of the time, they seemed to fail him completely. What Madam Tatiana had told him now, was just, completely ludicrous. "Did Mac put you up to this? . . .Course she did, that's why she was so eager to get me in here." Taking out his wallet, he pulled out a twenty and placed it right in the center of the table. "Here. . .Thank you for the memorable experience." With a roll of his eyes, he stood up and tried to leave the table.

Madam Tatiana stood up quickly and with a speed that could be described as otherworldly, she blocked the entrance and placed a hand on Harm's chest. "Commander. . . There is a woman, brown eyes, brown hair, American, but with Iranian blood. . . She wears a ring. A simple band with roses that was a family heirloom. . .Your family heirloom. . .The irony was that you met that woman in a rose garden. . .She's in dang. ."

"How much did my girlfriend pay you to mess with me?" He interrupted, glaring down at the hand on his chest. He made to pull away, but couldn't. Harm brought both of his hands up and wrapped them around the woman's thin wrist. He tried to pull the woman away, but something stopped him, it was as if an invisible force was holding him against his will. "What the hell are you doing? What kind of parlor trick is this?" When he couldn't move, he tried to call out for Mac, but he'd suddenly lost his voice, feeling as if he were being choked. With a whisper he managed to croak out. "What next? You going to mug me?"

"Listen to me very carefully." She didn't release him, merely continued what she was going to tell him before Harm decided to just walk away. Her eyes glowed a deep emerald color as they did when she was angry. As she looked in his eyes, holding him there, she could see into him, he was suffering greatly. "She is in danger, Commander."

Harm shook his head. He didn't hear what she was telling him and only comprehended the fear in his mind. "Let me go. . ."

Madam Tatiana backed him into the tent and with a swift flick of her hand had him sitting down on the chair he was formerly occupying. Harm tried to move, but it was as if an invisible bond held him down. Restrained, he couldn't stop Madam Tatiana from taking his hand. She gazed into his palm then into his eyes. "You have more lives than a cat, Commander. . .So does your Marine. . .But she is going to run out of quite a few if you do not get to her. . . The girl, Sarah, the real Sarah, she is in danger."

"I don't believe this, let me go!" He managed to scream out.

Mac2 had just finished her call to Palmer, he didn't give her new instructions only promised that it would be over soon. 'Not soon enough.' She thought, then came out of her reverie as she heard Harm screaming. Walking in through the tent, she found Madam Tatiana standing in front of Harm, holding his hand and he didn't look like he was enjoying it one bit. "What the hell is going on here?" She yelled, moving towards Madam Tatiana. True, she didn't give a damn what happened to Harm, hell, the gypsy woman could have killed him, but Clark needed him alive and she had to follow his rules. "Harm?"

Harm glanced between the two women and laughed. He didn't want her thinking he was weak, or worse, that a woman had, literally man handled him. "Just. . .having a little fun. . ." He tried moving, finding that he was free from those invisible confines. Standing, he glared at the woman, shooting her daggers as he made to step out of the tent. "Thank you Madam Tatiana."

There was a sorrowful look in her eyes, one that seemed so genuine. It was every day that she felt things as powerful as she did. In fact, many of Madam Tatiana's readings were, indeed, a parlor trick. This, however, wasn't and she truly was concerned. Madam Tatiana glanced deep into his eyes, wordlessly giving him a warning. Though she didn't speak, he heard her words very clear. "She is not Sarah, Commander, deep inside you know that. . .Only you can find her." And with that, the voice disappeared as did the woman.

Harm nearly fell as he made it out of he tent, the only reason why he didn't hit the ground was because Mac2 had steadied him. "You alright there?"

"No." He shook his head slightly. Glancing down at her left hand he brought it up, noticing that the ring was not there. "What happened to the ring I gave you?" Why hadn't he noticed that before?

Mac2 groaned inwardly. She knew there was something that she forgot to do, Clark had ordered her to take any jewelry that Mac had and put it on, even if it fit or not. "He took it from me. . ." She glanced up at him and frowned. "I'm sorry, Harm." Trying to liven things up, she pointed over to one of the concession stands. "How about you win me a bear?"

He still felt weird, almost as if something had been sucked out of him. With a shrug, he shook it off and allowed her to take him to the stand. 'Get a grip, Hammer.' He thought, but, for the rest of the evening, things just didn't feel quite right.

(AN: Okie, some explanation. The idea with this story completely started with the conversation that Nikki and Harm had about her having Webb's kid. It came out of the blue and I was going to write a story about Mac that gets preggers with Webb's kid and Harm who is the good guy and helps her out. Then I thought – ewww! Hell no, no way! Ewwwww! - So, then I am like "well, what if Palmer either brainwashes Mac or gets someone to be an imposter. . .Aha!" And this story was born. I twas originally to be called 'Ultimate Revenge' though that changed because it sounded like some 80s video game. The part with Madam Tatiana came from yet another story where Mac has amnesia and he passes by the booth and the woman tells him what he has to do. I didn't like it, so it wounded up in here and it is my favorite part of the whole story. I love metaphysical things, I've been to a few tarot readers, shell readers, it's pretty nifty. I also have a little collection of tarot card, some have really nice artsy stuff on them. :) – So yes, some of you figured it out waaaaaaaay before that Nikki was going to be Mac's double. Kudos to you. I mean, what else would be the purpose for Palmer to have a GF? And, you can't say I didn't hint. I've said for a long time it was going to be like "The Imposter" with a twist. ;) Isn't this twisty? ;) – Oh Madam Tatiana, yes the name is from the whole Romanov family thing. I was reading a vampire book where she isn't dead, a vampire had rescued her and she was a blood sucker. Very cool book.)

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Abigaile - Am I an idiot, yea I can be sometimes. LOL! And no, no baby, it's not Mac. ;)

nk - Reformed! Where the hell is the fun in that! Procedure was just fine, I actually heard the tooth ripping from the jawbone, I thought it was cool. Yea, I am nuts. ;) Now I have a hole :P The Tee shirts are under construction. ;)

carby - was it twisty enough? And what was your idea on where I was going with this? Close or no cigar?

mariarita - I am aren't I? Evil I mean. ;) Did you dig the explination? I hope so!

martini - If it were Really Mac with Really Spooky's baby, I'd kill her myself. :P

me - no cheek pinching just yet, but there may be:)

bluejay - Thank God it's not Webb's baby, isn't that something that makes you wanna puke?

aserene - Harm's going to read it wrong, because she's leading him by the ahem anyway. . .he loves her too much to let go, though, don't worry, Madam Tatiana has planted a seed in his mind.

ltjgmeg - Palmer, I think he is running on life 120. . .give or take a hundred. ;) He's great though, nice villian to have around and has the rogue contacts that just rock my world!

jaggurl - Nope, she is NOT pregnant, no one is. . .Well, unless Nikki is preggers with a little Palmer and, well, if she is, no one told me:P

XBlue - grabs the duct tape and pins yer ass down again Jeez, calm down, breathe! Breathe! gets Calix out and jsut glares What the hell, man! Yer fired! duct tapes her jaw too Eww, that was just like gross:P

froggy - Bumpy, full of pot holes, whatever you want to call it. ;) Webb's child, demon spawn LOL! Noooo, no webb's baby! I swwear.

jtbwriter - Yep! Someone was totally messing with someone, jsut not in the NC-17 messing type. Thank God. But Poor Harm, that nikki chick is a bitch!

harmfan - Yay! You rock dood! Harm will figure it out soon very soon, the gypsy chic put a seed in his head, now he's just going to have to come to his senses, that things, even if she FORGOT things, it's amusing that nothing of hers is the same not even the parts she does remember. Men! I swear! Sheesh!

Feverish - WEbb and Mac's babies... dear God I think if that would ahve happened I would have needed massive quantities of valium or alcohol or maybe both together. Thank GOD DPB never went that route! Eh, I unjerked Webb a bit. Figured, if you give him someone to screw with, he'd leave Mac alone ;)