Disclaimer: not mine
Gah! So I really did mean to have this out a LOT sooner. Unfortunately a) fanfic. net wasn't working half the time and b) I ended up rewriting at least 90 percent of this chapter, in some parts I rewrote four and five times. For whatever reason I had some real issues getting things out the way I wanted. Also had company in town (stupid having to actually be social when you have family visiting, I mean what's up with that:-P ) So anyways, here it is and I promise the next chapter won't take two weeks to get up! I'm still shooting for having all four of my fics done before I leave though don't hold your breath on that, I'll do my best.
Thanks to zeilfanaat, froggy, jaka, harmfan, snugglebug, martini, eagleandrose, carbygurl, starryeyes, jaggurl, EY, Laurie, LiseGirardi, AB, Tina Frank, CabbyMcCab, eridani, Kalystia, Sunset, cbw, JJKRUE, MichelleLee and anyone else I've missed/that's read it. And a HUGE thanks to sithwitch for reading my story (though she's heard so much about it already) and for all her help in getting this "opus" written (and also for putting up with me all year). Really appreciate you all, so thanks so much! Read and enjoy!
1415 ZULU
Bethesda, US Naval Hospital
Harm was awake, his head turned to the right so he could watch her sleep. Mac was curled up next to his bed in the chair, having fallen asleep at some point after him. He'd been awake for what he guessed was about fifteen minutes, but after seeing how tired she appeared he didn't have the heart to wake her. And he relished this opportunity to just watch her without feeling guilty about it. Ironic isn't it that I can't remember –why- I would feel guilty, and yet I remember feeling that way. At the moment, though, he didn't particularly care, happy to be able to watch her and to think.
His mind kept drifting, attempting to gather the scattered fragments of his memories and stick them together into something resembling a whole. So far he was failing rather miserably despite the gradual surfacing of memories. Unfortunately he'd discovered quite quickly that his mind seemed to have no rhyme or reason behind the order in which it remembered things, thereby making him almost more confused than before.
Hearing a sound, Harm turned his head slightly to peer curiously at the door. He watched with a slight frown as the door opened. Outwardly he managed to appear calm but he couldn't stop the slight shiver of fear that ran up his spine. He knew he was theoretically safe, but he also knew he wouldn't be able to recognize friend from foe in his current state. And the fact that someone intent on harming himself or Mac could waltz in without him realizing it terrified him.
A woman's head poked around the door and looked at him for a moment. Harm gazed back, subconsciously edging away from the door as much as he could. The stranger broke into a grin then promptly vanished. Harm heard someone say "They're in here, guys! Commander Rabb is awake!" and then the door opened fully. Immediately the woman reappeared followed by two men and another woman, this one somewhat younger than the first. Harm eyed them warily, shooting a sidelong glance at Mac. The four people were grinning foolishly at him and the first woman had already started heading for his bed, clearly intent on hugging him or something similar. He vaguely recognized the people but he had no clue what their names were or how they knew him.
Noticing the look on his face Harriet stopped short, frowning in concern. She glanced back over her shoulder at Bud who shrugged slightly. Shooting quick glances at Jen and Sturgis, Harriet realized that everyone was as confused as she was at Harm's reaction. Looking back at the Commander she asked softly, "Commander?"
Harm jumped slightly at her voice but didn't respond. Instead he turned his head slightly and called quietly, still keeping an eye on the strangers, "Sarah?" He noticed them all twitch slightly when he called Mac's name and filed the information away to examine later. The two names had become interchangeable in his mind during his captivity and he couldn't understand their reaction.
Mac opened one eye and looked at him sleepily, "Yes, Harm?" He risked a glance at her before his eyes darted back to the four visitors, as if daring them to come closer while he wasn't looking and scared that they would do so and he couldn't stop them. Mac frowned and opened her other eye, straightening up as she followed his gaze. Seeing their four friends standing in the room looking more confused by the second Mac scooted forward in the chair, reaching out to touch his shoulder. When Harm looked at her she smiled reassuringly, "It's ok; they're friends."
He hesitated for a moment before nodding though she noticed he still eyed them cautiously. Despite his unease she felt him relax slightly beneath her hand. She watched him for a moment more before looking back at the group. Sturgis frowned at them both as he asked, "Mac, what's going on?" Harm felt himself tense at the sound of the other man's voice and consciously forced himself to relax, giving Mac a small smile when she looked at him curiously.
Looking back at Sturgis, Mac hesitated before answering but she didn't get a chance to say anything as the door opened yet again and the doctor walked in. She paused just inside the door and blinked in mild surprise at the number of naval personnel that had appeared in her patient's room. After a brief moment she continued forward, deftly skirting around the small group still standing awkwardly and heading for the unoccupied side of Harm's bed. Smiling warmly at Harm she commented, "I'm just checking your vitals. How do you feel?"
Harm shrugged as best he could, grimacing slightly, "I've been better."
"Yes, I imagine you have been." She glanced at the monitors then at her clipboard, "Well, everything looks good. Provided nothing goes wrong we should be able to release you sometime early next week." He smiled gratefully; pleased to have some semblance of a deadline of when he would be able to leave though he wished it was sooner. Smiling back the doctor nodded at Mac before heading back out of the room, informing the visitors as she went, "Please don't stay too long, he's been through a lot and needs his rest." With that she was gone.
After the doctor had left there was a moment of awkward silence before Sturgis spoke again, once more causing Harm to tense slightly, "So, what's going on?"
Harm beat Mac to the answer, his voice slightly belligerent, "First off, who are you?" The foursome stared at him in stunned silence; they'd been expecting some horrible description of his injuries not amnesia.
Hesitantly Harriet asked, "Commander? Don't you recognize us?" While they'd been standing there she'd taken in the presence of the various casts that could be seen though she suspected only Colonel MacKenzie and the doctor knew the true extent of his injuries. But she had figured he would still know them.
Harm shook his head in response, immediately looking to Mac for support. It pained him to admit that he had next to no memory but he knew he needed to face it. Automatically she took his hand, squeezing it gently with a smile, trying to convey her support and her understanding. It was an action that didn't go unnoticed by any in the group. Looking back at the group that was still waiting for a verbal answer Harm sighed and replied, "Yes and no. You all look familiar but I don't know who you are."
"Oh," Harriet paused, digesting that. She looked at Bud, unsure of how to continue. Sturgis' eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Harm and Mac, noting with suppressed amusement that she was still holding his hand. Bud had noticed also but wisely kept his mouth shut, knowing the second Harriet figured anything out she'd promptly react whether Harm wanted her to or not. For her part Jen just looked uncomfortable, feeling vaguely out of place among the senior officers, especially with the one she'd been closest to being the one that had no idea who she was.
Harm waited a moment longer then with no answer forthcoming he decided to press the issue. Noticing that Jen seemed the most awkward he looked at her and smiled slightly. With a hint of his usual manner he commented, "Don't worry; I don't know what's going on either. Which one are you?"
She looked slightly startled for a moment, having figured he would address one of the others first. After a moment she relaxed slightly, returning the small smile. She answered confidently, grateful that she at least still had control of herself, "Petty Officer Jennifer Coates, sir."
"Ah, well welcome to my hospital room, Jennifer."
"Umm… you can call me Jen, sir."
"Oh," Harm blinked. Glancing at Mac he dropped his voice to a whisper, "Why does she keep calling me sir?"
Mac couldn't suppress the small chuckle at his consternation and slight awe. He reminded her of someone that had just gotten their commission and still couldn't quite believe that people called them "sir" or "ma'am." She murmured back, "It's because you outrank her." She grinned at his surprised look, "We already went over Navy ranks, Harm, remember?"
"Oh… right," he smiled back then turned his head back towards the others. Bud and Harriet were watching their exchange with great interest while Sturgis and Jen both seemed knowingly amused. His brow furrowing curiously at Bud and Harriet's reactions he asked, "And you two are…?"
"Lieutenant Commander Roberts, sir, and Lieutenant Sims," Bud answered immediately, subconsciously straightening slightly.
Mac smothered a grin and clarified for Harm's benefit, "Bud and Harriet." Bud looked vaguely embarrassed at forgetting to include their first names. Harriet seemed much more interested in searching for every nuance of Harm and Mac's relationship to notice though.
Harm glanced over at Sturgis, feeling a vague sense of unease trickle through him. He had no idea why he felt that way about only this specific person, the others had seemed merely familiar but he felt some bigger connection to the black man. His smile fading Harm cocked his head and stated, absently tightening his grip on Mac's hand, "So that leaves you."
Sturgis nodded, replying in a calm baritone, "Yes, it does. Commander Sturgis Turner."
Harm nodded slightly in return, still unsure of what to make of all this. He was beginning to feel slightly overwhelmed. He knew that he should know these people but he had no clue why or how or really who they were. After a moment he asked, "So… where do I know you guys from?"
Mac answered for the group, keeping an eye on Harm as she tried to figure out when she needed to ask people to leave, "They all work with us, Harm."
"Ah," was the only response she received as he continued to study the four others. Images flickered through his mind, brief flashes of parties, court cases, arguments, and more but nothing was very concrete. He didn't even have a real sense of when any of the events happened; it was just a jumbled mess of fragments.
There was another awkward silence as everyone in the room tried to come to grips with the situation. Harriet and Bud were the most confused, having experienced Harm's previous amnesia after his crash into the Atlantic. They kept reminding themselves that then he could remember most things up to a year prior whereas this time he couldn't remember anything. Harriet was quietly thrilled that the situation seemed to have had a positive impact on Harm and Mac's relationship though. But she opted not to say anything at the moment, wanting to speak to Mac alone about it first.
The silence was becoming deafening when Sturgis cleared his throat, "Well, we'd better get back to work then. Mac, you'll keep us updated?"
She nodded, "Of course. Actually, I'll walk you guys out." Mac stood, gently disentangling her hand from Harm's as she looked down at him, "I won't be long, ok?"
Harm nodded and half-smiled, commenting wryly, "I'm not going anywhere." Chuckling briefly at him she spontaneously dropped a light kiss on the top of his head before straightening fully. He cocked his head at her, the half-smile still in place. Her gaze locked with his for a brief moment.
Grinning at the bemused look in his eyes she murmured teasingly, "You object?"
He grinned back, eyes twinkling in honest happiness for the first time in weeks as he replied, "Never." Neither of them noticed the shocked looks on their friends' faces.
Nodding slightly Mac restated, "I'll be back in a moment." Receiving a nod from the still bemused Harm, Mac turned to face the group who quickly schooled their expressions. They didn't do so quickly enough, however, and Mac's eyes narrowed slightly in contemplation. "There a problem?"
"Uh… no, ma'am," Bud smiled brightly, "Not at all."
"Uh-huh…" Mac nodded slightly, not really believing him but opting to drop the subject for now. She would harass them about it later. Scooping up her crutches from where they were propped against the wall, she asked instead, "Shall we?"
Nodding, the group filed out, bidding goodbye to Harm as they went. After they'd left Harm let out a slow breath and relaxed slowly. The meeting had tensed him up more than he'd realized though he wasn't really sure why. But everything seemed to tense him up these days, a paranoid reaction to not remembering anything was what he'd been told. Well whatever it is, it's damned annoying, he thought irritably. Sighing he looked out the window, waiting for Mac to return.
Mac closed the door quietly behind her then turned and eyed the four friends standing in the hallway. After a moment she headed for the waiting area. Exchanging glances the foursome sighed and followed, knowing they weren't going to leave the hospital without being grilled. And none of them could think of a plausible reason to leave before that, knowing Mac would see through any excuse to try to get back to work.
Once they'd entered the room she turned back to them and asked calmly, "So what the hell was that all about?"
"All what, ma'am?" asked Harriet, sounding perfectly innocent.
Mac arched an eyebrow at the other woman, "You know what I'm talking about, Harriet. What was with the reactions, guys?"
"Well, Mac, we weren't exactly expecting to walk in and have him not recognize us," Sturgis answered, clearly annoyed at the lack of information.
Mac sighed and turned to sit in one of the ubiquitous hard, plastic chairs that populated waiting rooms. Looking up at them she frowned, "What was I supposed to say?"
"Well, a warning would have been nice," Sturgis shot back.
"Right, so you could all come in and tiptoe around him? Honestly, I thought you would react better than that, especially you, Sturgis, though god only knows why," she snapped. The rest of the group looked rather taken aback by the sudden vehemence of Mac's reply. Sturgis narrowed his eyes, ignoring their presence. Mac glared back, pissed at his lack of concern over his supposed long-time friend's condition. Standing abruptly Mac stated, "I need to get back."
"Uh, ma'am?" Bud spoke up tentatively.
Slowly Mac breathed in and out, calming herself slightly before answering in a much less acidic voice, "Yes, Bud?"
"Well, the Article 32 for Lieutenant Vukovic is tomorrow," he explained. Mac nodded wordlessly. "We were hoping you would agree to be a witness for the prosecution since you're back in town."
Mac glanced upwards for a moment, then back at Bud, "Yeah, sure. Let me know what time." Bud nodded, relieved.
Sturgis interjected, "Harm's presence would be greatly beneficial also."
"No!" Mac cut him off sharply. She glared at Sturgis, her previous anger flooding back, "You will not call him."
"But Mac—"
"No, Commander. Harm is not medically, emotionally, or mentally fit to be a witness. Damnit, Sturgis, he can't even remember what happened! Leave him alone, he needs time to recover not to be pestered with questions he can't answer!" Sturgis took an involuntary step back, surprised at the anger in her voice. He knew her feelings for Harm but he'd never expected such an aggressive defense of his Naval Academy buddy.
"Mac, just his presence in the room would be beneficial. The judge needs to see the results of these charges!"
"Don't you dare. He's not allowed out of the hospital; he can't sit up, can't walk, he can barely move. What are you going to do, haul him to the court room in a hospital bed with half a dozen monitors and an IV attached so he can watch proceedings about events he doesn't remember happening?"
Sturgis frowned, "Fine. Can we call him for the court martial then? It won't be for a few weeks, he should be out of the hospital then, won't he?"
"If he can remember what happened, if he's out of the hospital and if he agrees." The others had surreptitiously edged away from the confrontation, watching with varying degrees of surprise and anger. They couldn't understand why this issue had exploded so much. They'd seen the tension between Harm and Mac and Sturgis but none of them knew the whole story.
Carefully Bud interrupted, "Ma'am, we won't call him if he's not able, I promise." Mac nodded sharply though her eyes never left Sturgis until he nodded in agreement also.
Turning away, she forced a smile, "I'm going back to Harm's room. Stop by and visit again, guys."
Harriet spoke up, "I'll stay a bit longer if you don't mind, ma'am."
"What about the kids, Harriet?"
"They're with Mike; he only has one class later today so I'm free for another couple hours."
Mac smiled slightly, "Sure, Harriet, stay a little longer." Harriet hugged Bud and Jen goodbye quickly, favored Sturgis with a slightly subdued version of her usual bubbly smile before walking alongside Mac back to Harm's room. Glancing into the room, Mac told Harm quietly, "Hey, I'm going to be just a bit longer, ok? I want to talk to Harriet for a bit."
He looked over at her and smiled, slightly disappointed, "Ok."
Mac frowned at him slightly, "You sure it's ok?"
Mentally castigating himself for being so selfish, Harm flashed a full smile, "Yeah, its fine. Go talk, I'll take a nap or something, count some clouds." Smiling back at him she ducked back out of the room.
"So, Harriet, what did you want to talk about?" Mac asked as she lowered herself into a chair. She smiled at her long time friend, settling the crutches against the wall next to her. Watching as the other woman sat in the chair next to her she arched an eyebrow curiously, patiently waiting for Harriet to explain.
Harriet tried to look vaguely surprised, "I just wanted to see how you were doing, ma'am. I haven't spoken to you in weeks."
Mac didn't buy it for a second. Her lips curved in slight amusement, "I'm doing fine, much better with Harm back in the States. But that's not what you wanted to talk to me about."
Harriet studied her friend for a long moment before grinning, "It was worth a try." She edged forward in her seat and looked at Mac expectantly, her voice clearly indicating she wouldn't stand for any evasions, "So what's with you and the Commander?"
"What makes you think there's anything 'with us'? We're best friends, Harriet," Mac pointed out with a smile. She knew Harriet wouldn't believe her but she couldn't help but put up a token attempt at innocence.
Harriet sat back, looking slightly offended that her friend would try such a transparent protest. Almost immediately, however, the look was gone and replaced by another grin. Mac couldn't help but note that Harriet acted more like a teenager sitting up late at a sleepover gossiping about boys than a grown woman. Harriet asked again, thoroughly excited at the thought that her two good friends might actually be hooking up. "Yes, you're best friends. But there's more there or you wouldn't have kissed him!" she stated triumphantly.
Mac blinked in shock, rapidly sifting through her recent memories. At the time it had seemed like a perfectly logical action but now, confronted with it, she suddenly felt the implications of the action hit her. Slowly a silly grin spread across her face as she murmured, "I did, didn't I?"
Harriet looked at her knowingly, "Ma'am, there's always been something between you, but today it was a bit more noticeable."
Mac laughed, "Ok, fine, I'll tell you. But if we're going to be discussing my personal life the least you could do is call me Mac." Harriet laughed with her and nodded in agreement. Mac mused for a moment, pondering the best approach to the subject. Shooting a sidelong glance at her longtime friend she opted for the direct approach, knowing no matter how she phrased it Harriet was going to practically explode with excitement. "We're in love," she stated simply.
Harriet squealed and threw her arms around Mac. Grinning in amusement Mac hugged her back, wincing slightly when her ribs got crushed just a bit too much. But she shrugged off the pain, smiling as Harriet pulled back. Harriet grinned broadly, eyes dancing with excitement as she bubbled, "Details! What's happening next? Are you getting married? Are you both staying at JAG?"
Mac held up a hand to stem the flow of rapid fire questions. Laughing she answered them in order, "I don't know, I don't know, and I don't know." Harriet looked at her askance, clearly unnerved by the lack of information, prompting another laugh from Mac. Settling as comfortably as she could into the chair Mac explained, "Look, Harriet, we've only just gotten Harm back into the States and safe. He still doesn't remember most of his life and he has a ways to go on recovery. We haven't discussed future plans yet, right now we're comfortable with how things stand."
Harriet cocked her head to the side and asked curiously, "Did he remember anything at all when you found him?"
Mac nodded slowly, eyeing her friend and waiting for the inevitable repeat of the squealing when she explained, "A little bit, not much." She paused and took a slow breath, continuing quickly before Harriet could barrage her with more questions asking how much he remembered, "He remembered me."
Stunned, Harriet looked at Mac in surprise before slowly repeating, "He remembered you?" At Mac's answering nod Harriet sighed happily, "Oh that's so romantic."
Mac chuckled briefly and rolled her eyes in amusement, "If you say so."
Indignant, Harriet insisted, "It is! That's so sweet!" She paused and looked at her friend shrewdly, jumping back to her first questions, "Do you want to marry him?"
Glancing at Harriet, Mac nodded, smiling slightly. Then she shrugged, "Yes, but there are other things we need to worry about first, like this court martial." Mac grimaced, remembering the last time she'd seen Vukovic and grateful that, after getting him out of her apartment, she had managed to avoid him. She knew it was only a matter of time before he showed up at the hospital, however. Harriet studied Mac's profile thoughtfully, noting the grimace. She'd pestered Bud for as many details as he was allowed to share but she knew no one had the entire story except Mac, Harm, and Vukovic. Out of the three there was only one she stood a chance of getting said story from and she had a feeling that person wouldn't be in a very sharing mood anyways. She didn't get a chance to ask, however, before Mac changed the subject, "So how are the twins doing?"
Harriet chuckled, deciding to go with the subject change knowing that Mac wouldn't react well to pressure about Iraq, "They're a handful, but so adorable. I don't think Jimmy quite knows how to react to them and AJ, well I don't think AJ knows what to think. He tends to go from being thrilled to wishing they were gone, typical five year old."
Mac laughed softly, she could just picture AJ's reaction to his two new siblings. "After Harm gets out of the hospital and this court martial is over, we could baby-sit some night if you and Bud want to go out," she offered.
Harriet frowned in concern, "Are you sure? Harm will be in a wheelchair for a while; I wouldn't want to burden you two."
Mac smiled wryly, "Ok, well maybe not right away. But after Harm is better."
There was a brief silence before Harriet nodded with a smile, "Ok, if that's what you want, are you sure though? I'm sure the two of you have plenty of other things to worry about than our kids."
"Harriet, I'm sure. We'd love to watch them." Mac pushed herself out of the chair, grabbing her crutches, "Speaking of Harm, I should get back. Thanks for coming by, Harriet." She flashed a smile, "After things have died down we'll have to get together." Exchanging a final hug with her friend Mac hobbled back towards Harm's room. Harriet stood and watched her speculatively, eventually turning to make her way to the elevator; she had so much she needed to tell Bud. She couldn't wait for him to get home.
Mac peeked into Harm's room and noticed he had his eyes closed. Assuming he was asleep she slipped into the room as quietly as possible, carefully shutting the door behind her. When she turned around she jumped slightly, startled to find his eyes open and his gaze fixed on her. Smiling at him she spoke softly, "Hey."
"Hey. Have fun?" She returned the smile though she noticed a slight reservation in his eyes.
Her smile faded slightly as she moved to his bedside. Nodding she replied, "Yeah, I did. She's bubbly as ever and ecstatic."
"Ecstatic? About what?" His expression lightened slightly as she reached his side but she could tell he was still more distant then before.
Settling into her chair she chuckled at the memory of Harriet and nodded. Still laughing she elaborated, "She suspected something was "up with us," as she put it and became fairly giddy when I confirmed."
Harm cocked his head slightly, puzzled, "Why?"
Mac shrugged slightly, reminding herself that Harm wouldn't remember Harriet's normal attitude. Nor would he remember her tendency to want everyone to be as happy as she was. She explained, "Harriet's… the type of person who wants everyone else to be happy and she also has some…" Mac trailed off pondering how to continue. After a moment she finished, "Matchmaker tendencies."
Harm pondered this for a moment, an amused smile lurking around his mouth. She could hear the amusement in his voice when he spoke, "So basically you told her we'd talked about our feelings and now she's bouncing off the walls?"
Mac nodded, smiling wryly, "Basically."
Harm let out a brief chuckle then frowned, "What was up with that Sturgis fellow?" Mac felt the amusement leave her in a rush. She frowned, mulling over the events that had led to Harm and Sturgis' estrangement, or at least those events she knew of. "Mac?" the sound of Harm's voice jerked her out of her reverie.
Smiling wanly at him she briefly explained, "Sturgis was acting JAG for a while. We had our… issues with him and more recently you and he had a, um, falling out."
"Falling out? Mac, the guy thought I was a murderer!" Harm burst out.
Mac looked at him, startled, "What?"
He frowned, eyeing her curiously, "What?"
"You just said… he thought you were a murderer. You remember?"
Harm blinked at her, almost as surprised as she was. He pondered this for a moment, reviewing the conversation in his mind and struggling to dredge up the memories that had prompted the outburst. Finally he managed, "I… I don't know. I mean, I know that statement is true, I can feel it. But I can't quite remember the events that make it true."
Gently she asked, trying not to push him too hard but knowing he needed to continue talking, "What do you remember?"
His gaze grew distant as he wrestled with his uncooperative memories, "I was flying. There was something wrong, then an explosion. He came… investigating… me? Something about the explosion… then I was being accused of murdering someone. But it wasn't true… they were… not dead? I don't know; it's all little fragments that don't want to order themselves." He heaved an angry sigh, thoroughly frustrated. Scowling at nothing he looked back to the window, gazing determinedly outside as if the view would bring him his answers.
Mac watched him for a long moment, concerned. Tentatively she asked, "Harm? What's bothering you?"
"I just… don't like not remembering everything."
"No, there's something else." She could see him tense slightly at the question and her frown deepened. "Harm?" Sighing softly he finally looked at her again. She could see the fear dancing in his eyes though he tried to hide it. "Tell me?"
He gazed at her silently for a long moment before replying quietly, "I'm scared. I feel like I'm losing you and I don't know how to stop it."
Mac's eyes widen slightly in shock. Slowly she answered, "You're not losing me, Harm, I promise."
"Then why won't you tell me what's bothering you?" His gaze locked firmly on hers. She saw fear as he looked at her and yet more than that she could see his love for her, allowing herself for the first time to really see his feelings. And she could see his need for her to talk to him, his own need to help her with whatever was bothering her.
She hadn't even acknowledged it to herself but he'd picked up on her own hesitation and fear. Mac studied him for a long moment, allowing herself the luxury of looking at him without fear of discovery or worry that he wouldn't return her feelings. Finally she replied, not insulting his intelligence by denying that something was bothering her. But she didn't answer with a statement, instead she asked simply, mind flashing back to the last time she had asked the same question, "Will you always be there?"
Harm watched the emotions flicker through her gaze, his breath hitching slightly. Slowly he nodded; his own voice just as quiet as he assured her, "Always." His lips quirked slightly and he reached across his chest to grab at her hand which was resting on the bed. Gently he laced his fingers with hers, careful not to jar his fractured wrist. His gaze was still locked with hers as he added softly, "And when you don't want me anymore, I'll still be here."
Mac's gaze dropped to their entwined hands and a slow smile spread across her face. She looked back up at Harm, meeting his eyes once more. His gaze searched hers for a moment then he smiled back, tightening his grip slightly. They still had much to talk about, though he couldn't remember the specifics yet, but he knew they'd taken a step in the right direction.
Lightly he tugged on her hand, silently asking her to move closer. Her smile turned flirtatious as she complied, leaning closer. Her other hand was resting lightly on the bed. Raising it, Mac gently brushed the side of Harm's face, tracing the line of his jaw. He smiled tenderly up at her; he couldn't wait for the day he could actually move his right arm and return the gesture. They were only a few inches apart when they heard the door open and an overly cheerful voice call out, "Colonel MacKenzie! Commander Rabb!"
The pair jerked apart immediately, causing Harm to yelp in pain when Mac inadvertently tugged on his hand. Completely forgetting about the intruder Mac's attention focused fully on Harm. Mentally cursing herself for forgetting his injuries she cradled his left wrist and frowned worriedly at him, "Oh God, Harm, I'm sorry. Are you alright? Do I need to get the doctor?"
Harm gritted his teeth and shook his head, breathing slowly as he waited for the flash of pain to subside. He glanced at Mac and flashed a subdued smile, murmuring in response to her near panicked look, "I'll be fine, just give me a second."
"Are you sure?"
His smile brightened slightly and he felt himself relax slowly as the pain subsided, "Positive, I'm fine, Sarah."
Mac quirked a smile at him, her voice dry as she commented, "You'd tell me that even if you were on the verge of death." He chuckled in a wordless acknowledgment of her statement.
Cocking an eyebrow at her he grinned and rejoined, "Ah, but so would you. So we're even, wouldn't you say?" Whatever response she had planned was interrupted by the newcomer clearing his throat. Slowly Harm looked past Mac to find a young naval officer standing just inside the door. He frowned, taking an instant dislike to the young man. There was something about him that jarred his mind. The way the guy was looking at Mac didn't help any. Careful to keep his voice controlled he inquired, "And just who the hell are you?"
Mac closed her eyes briefly, still facing Harm so the other man couldn't see. She'd recognized the voice the instant she'd heard it. Opening her eyes again she studied Harm's reaction closely, not wanting to turn around just yet. Harm glanced at her briefly and she smiled faintly. Sighing softly she turned to face the lieutenant, still keeping one hand resting lightly on Harm's.
harmfan- thanks! it's a weird feeling having a degree, I miss being a student. :-)
martini- Vukapuc (heh, love the name) is stupid, oh yes, and going to prison. Eventually... once I get it written.
eagleandrose- nono, never forget about y'all, I promise. It's just life keeps doing it's best to keep me from writing.
carbygurl- thanks:-D
AB- thanks:-D
Tina- we'll see. ;-)
Sunset- thanks a bunch!
Michelle- hehe, don't worry I love them too!
Sithwitch- :HUGE huggles: thanks so much for everything! Including listening to me yammer on about a show you barely watch! though, ha! I got you watching it too!