Disclaimer: None of the JAG characters are mine, they belong to Donald Bellisario and CBS and whatnot.

And more story, whee. So about rescuing Harm... I'd say soon, but soon is kind of a relative term, it depends on how long it takes me to cover the stuff I want to cover before he gets back since the stuff before hand sets up what happens afterwards. So yeah. Umm.. so I know I mentioned Cresswell's reaction but I'm thinking now that actually won't be seen until the chapter after next, but I promise it will happen! Anyways, thanks so much for the reviews! I'm glad people are enjoying the story. :-D Read, review, and enjoy! And for the Aggies out there reading this: Thanks and gig'em! And about the puppy introduced in this chapter... yeah, he has no real purpose other than I like puppies and felt like including one. :-P

Two Days Later

Saturday

Mac's Apartment

1500 ZULU

Mac looked around the apartment with a huff, muttering absently, "Ok, I'm bored." Admittedly she'd only been on medical leave for a single day but it gave her way too much time to think. Especially when all her friends were at the office and she was stuck puttering about with crutches and a cast. Well, all of her friends except the Admiral. But she hadn't felt right bothering him. Even if she had, she didn't particularly feel comfortable baring her soul to her former CO, even if he was more like a father most of the time.

Making a decision she grabbed her coat, slipping it on carefully. Pleased with herself for only jarring her ribs a little bit she grabbed her purse and half hobbled, half walked to the door. Taking one last glance around the apartment to ensure she hadn't left anything on that would result in the absence of an apartment building she slipped out, locking the door. Reaching the outside she glanced up and down the street. She couldn't drive but the park was in hobbling distance so she decided to head there.

It was a gorgeous day for a change, the snow having temporarily decided to stop attempting to bury the city. Making her way slowly down the street Mac idly glanced in store windows as she passed. Fortunately the sidewalks had been cleared of snow so she could navigate them safely. She heard a sharp yap from her left and paused, turning to look in the window of a pet store. The sound had come from a tiny husky puppy that had apparently gotten rather annoyed with his brothers and sisters and was making it known.

Mac stood for a moment, grinning as she watched the puppies play. As she watched the first puppy pounced on his brother and promptly head butted him away from one of the others. She laughed softly at the antics. Hearing her laugh the puppy glanced up at her, blue eyes brightly curious. She watched him for a moment and he watched her. Smiling, and shaking her head at herself she headed for the door. She wasn't quite sure why she'd decided to buy the puppy but somehow she just couldn't resist.

A short time later she was headed home, the little gray and white husky pouncing along at the end of his new leash. She'd called Jen and Mattie and they were now walking next to her, various items in tow. They had originally been planning on coming over later in the afternoon to keep Mac company, but while inside she'd decided to call and see if they wanted to do lunch. Hearing the noise in the background they'd asked where she was. Upon hearing the words "pet store" the two girls had immediately volunteered to meet her at the store and help with the purchases in exchange for getting to play with the new puppy.

Mattie chuckled as the puppy stopped briefly to tackle a leaf, "So Mac, what are you going to name him?"

Mac smiled softly, watching the puppy play, "Hammer."

Mattie blinked, gazing at Mac out of the corner of her eye though she didn't say anything. "Hammer?" Jen asked, "Isn't that…?"

"Harm's call sign," Mac nodded slightly. "Yeah, it is. It seems appropriate somehow though."

The trio watched as Hammer promptly batted at Mac's leg with a paw, clearly having decided he needed attention. Mattie grinned though her expression was tinged with sadness, "Yeah, it's a good name for him." She bent down and scooped him up as Mac was unable to do so, then laughed at Mac's irritated mutterings about crutches.

The rest of the walk back was completed in silence, the puppy periodically being carried and pouncing along by himself. He didn't seem entirely certain of what to do about the leash, alternating between ignoring it, tugging on it and trying to eat it. Eventually he seemed to resign himself to the fact that it wasn't coming off and found more interesting things to attract his attention. Reaching the apartment Mac fumbled with the keys a bit, between the puppy trying to eat her shoes and the crutches just plain being in the way it made getting to the door and then getting it open somewhat of a challenge.

Once the group managed to get inside and get everything put away she collapsed on the couch. Mac was seriously beginning to hate being injured; it shot her stamina completely to hell. Mattie and Jen took up places on the floor, watching Hammer as he romped around his new home. Jen glanced up at Mac, "He really is adorable, ma'am."

"Yes, he is. And I though we covered the 'ma'am' issue on the phone the other night," she grinned.

Jen laughed, absently ruffling the puppy's ears as he tried to nibble her finger, "Yes, ma'am… Mac." Mac and Mattie both chuckled at her while Jen just shrugged and grinned. "Hard habit to break."

"Understandable. So girls, it's 1145, what shall we do for lunch?"

Mattie glanced up from her game of tug-of-war with Hammer, "Chinese?"

Mac shrugged, "Sounds good to me, Jen?" Jen nodded in agreement then yelped as Hammer tried again to eat her fingers, this time a bit more in earnest. Mac chuckled, "Well, looks like he agrees too."

Mattie jumped up from the floor, "I'll call."

"Ok, phone book's on the counter." A few minutes later the order was placed and Mattie had resumed her place on the floor. Hammer had decided it was naptime and was curled up peacefully in Mac's lap while she petted him idly. "So Jen, what have I missed at JAG?"

Jen thought for a moment, "Nothing terribly major really. The annual JAG conference is coming up." Mac groaned at that, prompting laughs from both Jen and Mattie. "Other than that, mostly minor cases, though work did begin to pile up a bit this week."

Mac sighed, feeling guilty that she hadn't been there even though her head told her it wasn't her fault, "Yeah, being three people short will do that."

Jen frowned also, "It's not your fault."

Mac glanced at her then had to laugh, "You are way to perceptive, petty officer." Jen just grinned at her. "Unfortunately, things aren't really going to get better. You'll still be three people down for another week, then two down for another week after that." She refrained from mentioning that they would be short at least one senior lawyer for an unknown length of time. Though it wasn't put into words everyone was thinking it, however, the mood taking a definite turn for the somber.

After a short silence Mattie asked quietly, "What happened, Mac?"

She hadn't asked the previous night, and on the phone Mac had simply avoided it. This time she knew she couldn't completely avoid it, nor could she say everything. Mac was silent for a long moment, gazing blankly across the room as she gathered her thoughts. Both Mattie and Jen waited patiently, realizing that the other woman would speak in her own time and pushing her could cause a complete withdraw. Mac wasn't the most open of people under the best of circumstances and they were both afraid that she'd clam up completely given the current situation.

Finally she began to speak, voice low and sorrowful, "Harm was diverted out from Florida to help in an investigation. He was meant to sit second chair to me while the lieutenant served mainly as an assistant. We'd gone to shore to interview some marines stationed in a town. While we were there a group of insurgents attacked, I'm still not sure why. During the chaos the three of us became separated from the marines and came face to face with at least a dozen insurgents. Outnumbered, and with the lieutenant already unconscious by the time Harm and I arrived we didn't have much choice but to surrender."

She paused, taking a few moments to regain her equilibrium. She hadn't realized talking about it, even in the most general terms, would be so difficult. After a moment she continued, speaking even quieter, "They took us prisoner, drove us off to who knows where. Harm was their main focus; they figured he was in charge." She hesitated, fighting off the tears that threatened. "I wasn't really clear on time passage while we were there," she smiled briefly, "crazy, I know, given my sense of timing. But somehow I had no idea how much time passed, maybe it was the pain, I don't know. I was told later that it was only two days, it felt like so much longer."

She frowned, surprised at herself for talking about it so much. Normally she would have given a brief explanation and left it at that, never even hinting at any emotional reactions. Yet somehow she felt comfortable telling Mattie and Jen at least the basics, maybe she felt they deserved to know more than just the essentials. She wasn't sure and after a moment shrugged it off as unimportant, she'd analyze her feelings later.

Mattie and Jen were looking at her in concern, apparently she'd stopped talking for longer than she realized. Smiling slightly to reassure them she started speaking again, "Eventually they got a bit complacent with me, underestimating women seems to be a common theme. I managed to surprise the guard and knock him out. I took his gun and went to Harm's cell to free him." Mac closed her eyes briefly, she could remember the scene so vividly and it broke her heart. She forced the tears down once more, being willing to talk to people and crying in front of them were two completely different things. It hurt even more, though, to realize the one person she could cry in front of was the very person she would be crying over.

How ironic, she thought bitterly, sometimes she really despised the cosmic powers that be. Slowly she continued, her eyes directed towards the sleeping animal in her lap but she was a million miles away, "I couldn't get him free, the lock was too rusty. Come to think of it mine was too but my door was already open so I didn't notice. He was awake, he spoke to me… and then he told me to leave him and save the lieutenant. I argued with him, probably almost got us all killed doing so, but I argued with him nonetheless. But I couldn't free him and eventually did as he asked."

She swallowed hard, clamping down on the emotions that threatened to incapacitate her. "The lieutenant's lock was newer, not entirely sure why. But I was able to get it open. We managed to evade our captors and hide out until evening." Her voice dropped even lower. Her gaze was distant as she spoke. No longer even aware that she was speaking, Mac relived the events in her mind, "I watched as they loaded Harm into a truck and abandoned their outpost. We waited a couple hours then headed out, moving down the road in search of civilization. Finally at dawn we found it in the form of Gunnery Sergeant Galindez and a squad of marines. He and his men got us to base camp and the doctor. A few hours later we were on our way home."

There was complete silence after she finished the story. Mattie and Jen stared at her in shock; they knew there was a lot left unsaid but even what she had said scared them. Slowly the two exchanged worried looks, neither could understand how she held up so well considering what had happened. Jen had also noticed that Mac never referred to Lieutenant Vukovic by name, he was simply "the lieutenant" while Commander Rabb was always "Harm." It was an observation she filed away for further discussion with Mattie, sensing that Mac wouldn't be too open to questions about her choice of words.

All three jumped at the knock on the door. Mac's head shot up; momentarily disoriented. She'd been so lost in the memories she'd temporarily forgotten that she was indeed home and not still locked up in the middle of Iraq. The knock came again and all three rose, though Mac stood quite a bit slower than the others. Setting the now awake Hammer on the floor she grabbed her crutches, intending to answer the door. Mattie beat her to it, glancing through the peephole then opening the door to reveal the delivery man. Mac managed to hobble up behind the girl after a moment to pay for the food.

As they sat down at the table to eat Mac noticed both of them shooting her surreptitious glances. It continued for a short while before she finally stated in exasperation, "I'm not going to suddenly break, you two." Sheepishly they returned their attention to their food, prompting a chuckle from Mac. After a moment they joined in the laughter, realizing just how silly their behavior had been.

Finishing the meal Jen looked at the other two, "How about some ice cream?"

Mac grinned and shrugged, "Sounds great but I don't have any."

Jen smiled back, "I was actually figuring Mattie and I could run to the store and get some pints."

Mattie grinned, "That sounds great! Let's go! What kind do you want, Mac?"

Mac laughed, "Ok then, I'll take Hammer out for a bit while you're gone. Bring me something with chocolate." The girls nodded and were out the door almost immediately. Shaking her head and still chuckling in amusement Mac stood up, grabbing the leash and a single crutch. Fortunately Hammer didn't appear to want to play tag and she managed to snatch him rather quickly and snap the leash onto the collar. Smiling at the puppy she headed out the door, making sure to lock it behind her.

Outside she stood, carefully balancing on the single crutch. Watching the puppy bounce around in the grass she smiled sadly, praying that his namesake would make it home safe and sound. Briefly she felt a flash on anger that she was unable to go and actually search for the human Hammer but her brain told her she was in no shape to be of any assistance. "Yeah, tell that to my heart," she muttered irritably. Intellectually knowing something didn't make it any easier to accept.