Return To Me

by Radiorox

COMPLETE Harm and Mac went to separate ends of the world and never stayed in touch. Four years later, when Harm returns to the States, he and Mac find that you can’t fool destiny. That friendship is the road that leads to the heart.

13. Refuse To Dance

Hey gang!

Here's a way to start your work week with a story. There are some fun aspects to this chapter. For the record, some people didn't like the past chapter, I didn't either. Go figure. ;)

Anyway, some people wanted Mattie and Trish kicking Harm's six, you got it! For all of those people that wanted reasons to hate Vic more, you got that two. For all of you wanting Harm and Mac to hit the sheets. . .you don't got it. . .but a chapter from now, that can change. ;)

Yes, tease, I know I suck, but you love me anyway. Heheheh.

EnjoY!

Jackie

PART 13 – Refuse To Dance

1730 Local
Burnett Residence
La Jolla, California

The weather was beginning to change, but it was still warm enough to spend time by the pool. Harm stood at the edge, his feet together, preparing to dive in. He jumped up, made a perfect summersault, then landed cleanly in the water. "Go Harm!" Mattie yelled from where she sat on the steps of the shallow end of the pool.

Harm broke the surface, taking long strokes until he was next to her. "How was that?"

"Awesome. . ." She smiled brightly at him, then wrapped her arms around him, hugging Harm tightly. "I missed you a lot. . .Trish and Frank want to go next year, if we do, you are SO going, screw work."

"I agree with, Mattie, darling." Trish stepped out carrying a tray with fresh lemonade. "Screw work." She set the tray on the patio table under the umbrella and took a seat. It was good to be home. Of course, she knew that Harm was never the type to stay out of trouble and though she was worried, Trish was not surprised to hear about his house trouble – if you could call it that. "So why didn't you stay here? You never told me. . .You do have the keys."

Harm shrugged. It was true when he told Mac that he didn't want to be alone in the large house, but it was a little bit more to do with him staying with her. "The house is too big, Mom. . .And I. . ."

"I think he just wanted to stay with Mac." Mattie grinned impishly, raising her eyebrow as Harm glared at her. "What? I asked you once if you loved her, you said 'yes.' Are we to believe otherwise?"

Trish's mouth hung slightly open. She'd know, possibly from the first time Harm had mentioned his new partner that he was falling for the Marine. Her attempts to get him to admit that had been futile. Could it be that his daughter had succeeded in breaking down his walls? "He admitted it?"

Mattie walked out of the pool and came to sit next to Trish. "Yup! I just wish I'd had a recorder handy." She chuckled winking at Harm whose face was burning a deep shade of red.

Angrily, Harm pushed off the wall, kicking hard with his feet as he swam the expanse of the pool. He came up for air, spun around and began swimming the other way. Why couldn't people leave him alone in regards to Mac? He loved her, yes, but he wouldn't risk making a move. Not now, when he was so unsure of himself, as if he'd ever been sure in regards to Sarah MacKenzie.

Frowning, Mattie looked away from him, staring off into the distance. All she wanted was for him to be happy and she knew, too damned well that his happiness depended on a certain female Marine. During the years they spent in London, she'd never once seen Harm actually be happy. Sure, he was ecstatic of her progress, her ability to fight the odds and be whole again, but in regards to himself, he'd become somewhat of a grumpy old man.

But, perhaps the worst was his relationship with Susan O'Connor, the civilian lawyer who had, somehow, managed to move herself into their home. Mattie hated her and the feeling was mutual. Despite all of the times she tried to break the two up, Susan had sidestepped all advances, practically taken Harm away from her. There were days, when she preferred to remain at the rehab clinic rather than go home. In her room she had various pictures but two that she treasured greatly, one of her with Harm and one taken with Mac and Jen when the Marine had taken her shopping as Harm was away and on a carrier. In a fit of jealousy, Susan had destroyed that picture.

"Sometimes I think he does this on purpose, almost as if being miserable protects him from being hurt."

Trish sighed deeply. Though Mattie still was, very much, a kid, the girl could definitely hit the nail right on the head. "He never got over losing his father and as a result, he's never learned how to be loved."

"Mac deserves better than him, then." She turned to her grandmother to find a shocked expression on her face. "I mean, I sure wouldn't want to be with a guy that can't tell me what he feels."

"You shouldn't be thinking about guys at all." A wet Harm stepped out of the pool, then stretched out on a lounger which was right next to the women. He chuckled slightly at Mattie's shocked expression. Thankfully, he hadn't heard the rest of the conversation, just the tail end.

Mattie stuck her tongue out at him. "At some point I might want to get married, have kids. .you know? That sort of thing, since I am very much heterosexual, would require a guy."

"Hey, I am not saying not to do that. . .Just do it when you're forty."

Grasping an ice cube out of her lemonade, Trish chucked it at her son, laughing earnestly as he groaned at the intrusion. "This from a forty five year old who is unwed and came to have a daughter by pure luck."

"Why are you two ganging up on me?"

"Someone has to!" Their simultaneous response was the answer and though Harm seemed mildly peeved at the comment, he chose to ignore it.

"Toss me the phone, would you? I'm going to tell Mac that I am not going to her place tonight." He caught the phone as Mattie tossed it to him, then flipped it open and dialed the digits.

Trish shook her head in amusement. The two were living together, didn't that mean a thing to either of them? How stubborn can two people be. Glancing out towards the beach she had a wonderful idea, one that would likely benefit her son. "Harmon, why don't you ask Mac to come over? I'll go start the grill, put a few steaks on, you told me she likes those." With a wicked grin she added, "Oh, and tell her to bring a bathing suit." If she had it her way Harm and Mac would fall into each other's arms by nightfall.

"Mooom!" Patiently, he waited for her to pick up, instead he got the machine. "Hey, Marine . . .It's me. . uh. . .Harm, I guess you're getting ready for the ball. . er. . or something. . .I'm not going. . I mean, I am not staying over at your place tonight. . .Staying at my parent's. . .you know the number if anything. . .Uh, have fun, okay?. . .Bye." When he flipped his cell phone closed he found both women staring at him as if he'd grown two heads. "What?"

Mattie was the first to drive a certain point home. "Ball? What ball? Actually, forget 'what ball.' There's a ball and you're not taking Mac?"

Groaning, Harm stood up, walked to the edge of the pool and dove in cleanly. He wasn't going there with Mattie, or anyone else. He had his reasons for not going to the ball. If Mac could understand them, why couldn't anyone else? Moving towards the deep end he kicked off the side, using long strides as he tried to work out the apprehension inside of him. He couldn't stop thinking about Mac's comment about going with Vukovic. It was the last thing that he wanted, for sure if she'd somehow fallen for Lt. Sleaze, he'd die on the spot. Amidst his anger, he barely noticed Mattie positioning herself to jump on top of him as he gracefully cut through the water. "Ooobmfmfff." His body sank to the bottom and it took a moment or two for him to catch his equilibrium and swim to the surface. As he broke through, Harm took a deep breath, then looked around for his assailant! "Matilda Grace!" She was swimming away from him as fast as possible, but still he caught her ankle and pulled her back. "I'm going to get you for that."

"Hey, don't shoot the messenger." She pointed sheepishly towards Trish who was laughing her head off.

"Mattie and I just decided that you needed some sense knocked into you. . .Hopefully it worked."

Harm pulled himself and Mattie out of the pool and sat on the edge with his feet dangling into the water. "And just why do I need this sense knocked into me? What did I do now?"

Mattie groaned in frustration. "The ball, Harm!" Before he had a chance to interrupt she waved him off. "Think about it? Mac, in a gorgeous evening gown and all sorts of sailors, dignitaries and Marines trying to sweep her off her feet. . .Next thing you know, she falls in love, marries some creep and you never hear from her again. . .No more Butch and Sundance."

"No more Ninjagirl and Flyboy." Trish supplied with a sad expression on her face.

He crossed his arms over his chest, knowing full well that he'd been had. That led him to two choices, staying there and having two of his favorite women relentlessly annoying him, or, going to the ball.

1905 Local
Mac's Home.
San Diego, California

Standing in front of a full length mirror still didn't quite do the gown Mac was wearing justice. It was entirely too expensive but in the hopes that her sailor would take her to the ball, she'd chanced it. Now, it was almost sacrilegious to put it on so that others would gawk at her. And gawk they would, she was sure of it. Though she'd never been much the type for self appreciation, she had to admit that she looked stunning. "Damnit, I even feel sexy."

The outfit was a light, black silk number which clasped behind her neck, leaving her shoulders and back bare. A deep 'V' which would have shown off too much of her 'assets' was covered over with a thin layer of sheer chiffon adorned with jewels that resembled diamonds. It hugged her in all of the right places, sweeping downwards just slightly below her ankle. On her feet were open toed, black heels which had to be the first comfortable pair she'd ever owned. Mac chuckled at the irony. For once she had the good job and an actual comfortable shoe, what she was missing from her formula was that man.

With a deep sigh, she walked towards her bed, grabbed the two arm length gloves and slipped them on. She touched up her make up and did the usual once over. Her date was late but that was expected. Sailors never got there on time. Slowly, she descended the steps careful not to trip and ruin her night. As she hit that bottom step, Mac heard a knock on her door. "Okay, not too bad, not too late."

Checking through the peephole, Mac found a sailor dressed in Naval formalwear. Black slacks, gold cummerbund, white dress jacket with the required medals shining brightly. Despite herself, she managed to turn her frown upside down. If Harm wasn't going, that was fine, Mac would have fun tonight regardless. The moment her door swung open, the man on the other side had difficulties putting himself back behind the role of a Naval Officer. "Colonel, you look stunning."

"Thank you, sir. . And I must say, those galas still look good on you." Mac grinned up at none other than AJ Chegwidden. She took his proffered arm and stepped out of her home, making sure the door was closed. "Thank you for being my 'date', sir. . .I hated to go stag."

AJ chuckled slightly. His appearance at the ball was nothing short of a miracle. The SECNAV had, somehow finagled him back into the Navy as his second assistant. Tom Boone's expertise was needed in regards to a new training program which would likely team him up with Harm once a month on the local base. Neither men were sure what all of the change was about, but both believed that the SECNAV, as usual, was trying to shake things up again. "Shall we?"

2045 Local
San Diego Hilton
San Diego, California

Thus far, the evening was going fairly well. The general manager had done an excellent job of finding the right type of decorations to make the function room seem personal and celebratory. At nine pm, General Creswell took the stage to thank Mac and the San Diego JAG crew for the hospitality offered to conference members. She'd been presented an award, not a formal military one, but a token of his appreciation for her hard work.

Things were going very well indeed, until the SECNAV blew Mac out of the water. "Will Lieutenants Mayfield and Vukovic please come to the stage?"

Creswell leaned towards Mac to which he whispered, "Do you know what this is about?"

"Not a clue, sir." What happened next angered her beyond belief and there wasn't a damned thing she could do about it. The SECNAV went on to extend his praises to her JAG staff, especially the two before him. She'd known that Mayfield was on the shortlist for promotion, but Vic was far from it. Then why was Sheffield pinning a set of Lt. Commander epaulets onto him too? "I thought we'd agreed that Vukovic was not to remain at San Diego?"

Despite the situation which had, somehow, been pulled out of his control, Creswell smiled at the new Commanders. "I thought so too. . .Not that I want to wish anything bad on Vukovic, but his antics are nothing but bad for the Navy in general." And he'd witnessed with his own eyes just what type of things Vukovic was capable of. He doubted that the younger man understood the gravity of his errors.

"You realize that this confirms Vukovic is the SECNAV's new toy?"

"Just smile, Colonel. . .it's all part of being in command, someone always goes over your head."

"I'll try, sir." She bit back the urge to scream at the SECNAV and slipped into her Marine façade, something that was much easier to do whilst she was in uniform and not in that stupid gown. For now, she could play the good CO, caring and pleased at her officer's promotions. She was, at least, happy for one of them and by the look on Mayfield's face, she was just as surprised that Vic was now her equal again.

After the presentation, she had woven her way through the crowd, hoping not to get stopped by some higher up who wanted to chat. Towards the side of the dance floor, she spotted Admiral Chegwidden. Mac had hoped she would be able to dance with him and then, somehow, sneak away altogether. As she neared AJ, Mac felt a hand on her shoulder, tapping lightly. She whipped around to find Vukovic with a smug expression, extending his hand. "I don't suppose you'd like to dance, Ma'am?"

Mac glanced at him, then towards the dance floor. A little dance wouldn't hurt and she could always pretend he was Harm. 'Hah! Yea right, Vic could never fill out that uniform the way Harm did.' She bit back a chuckle and smiled at him. "Sure why. . ."

"Actually, Lieutenant. . .I'm her date for the evening." Turning around they were both greeted by the sight of Harmon Rabb Junior in his formals. "I'm sorry to be late, traffic was murder." He grinned at Mac's shocked expression and then extended his hand. "Colonel, shall we?"

Mac slipped her hand into his without hesitation. "Maybe later, Lieutenant?" She threw behind her shoulder as Harm led her through the crowd and towards the dance floor. Damn, she'd forgotten how good he looked in uniform, specifically formal wear. She had been right, no one quite filled it out like he did. "Looking pretty sharp sailor. . . I thought you weren't coming."

Some of the officers on the dance floor parted, allowing them space. A slow instrumental number had them dancing closer than they would have in the past. Harm didn't want any space between them. "Yea, well, needed to make sure that Vukovic wasn't harassing you."

"Jealous?" She teased as she glanced over to find the former Lieutenant's eyes glued on the two of them. It was almost as if he were willing an electric beam to shoot her and Harm down. Damn him.

"Yes."

His answer surprised her more than anything. Harm was here, dancing with her, being her date and she was also getting an admission out of him? Hell had definitely frozen over. They hadn't said much after that, just allowed the music to take them to different destination. Mac felt good, relaxed and it was almost like all of the problems with Vukovic didn't matter, as long as she was in Harm's arms. The slow song bled onto another and she could only wonder what he was thinking. Their eyes rarely left each other as they made slow circles on the floor. He was a good dancer, always had been but his best was slow dancing. It was almost like dancing in a dream. It was as if they were the only two there. "Thank you for coming."

"I'm sorry I rejected you before. . .It wasn't intentional. . .at least, I didn't want to intentionally hurt you." He said sincerely. On the ride over he had thought about it all, envisioning it from her point of view. God, did he really shoot her down again? What kind of a man was he? With a sigh, he pulled her closer allowing himself this moment in time to feel her soft curves flush with his body. That dress was incredible on her and if it wasn't for his self control, Harm was sure he'd take her on the floor at any second. "You look gorgeous, Mac. . .Actually, words can't desc. . ." A tap on his shoulder broke off any other compliments that Harm was trying to shower her with. Instead, an innate says of annoyance was blooming steadily as he turned around to find Vukovic with his new Lt. Commander epaulets and a smug grin.

Vic extended a hand towards Mac, his action, once again, like that of the Alpha Male. "How about that dance now?" If anything, he figured she would dance with him out of morbid curiosity as to how came to receive the promotion. He would use this moment to his advantage.

Mac glanced up at Harm, noting again that look of jealousy and a slight rage. There was something else that she saw, a secret that he was hiding. "Sure, Lieu. . I mean, Commander. . ." She stood on the tips of her toes and kissed Harm on the cheek, then whispered, "This won't take long, I just need to figure something out."

"Save the last dance for me, Colonel." Harm kept his composure as best as possible while scrutinizing the new bars on Vukovic's epaulets. How the hell had the younger man even made Lieutenant was beyond him. As he moved through the crowd, he spotted AJ Chegwidden and quickly made his way over to his former CO.

The fact that Mac was keeping as much space as possible, without looking awkward, was starting to unnerve Vic. She was doing everything possible not to make eye contact with him. Even her body language, the tension in her arms and her reluctance to move fluidly with him clearly indicated that something was up. "You don't seem happy for me, ma'am. . I am curious why."

Turning to look at him, she ground out in an emotionless tone. "You don't deserve those bars, Lieu. . Commander."

"The SECNAV believes I do."

What in the world made people believe that he did? Nothing Vic did was ethical and though she didn't have hard evidence to debunk his practices Mac was vehement to sit back and take it. She only hoped that her hardnosed attitude would knock some sense into him. That was doubtful. "The SECNAV is operating under a false pretense when it comes to you. . . Like usual, you are probably part of some agenda."

Vic loosened his grip on her, "The agenda is called being a good lawyer." He was offended.

"Instead of being a good lawyer, you should look up the words integrity and ethics. . .A good lawyer fights for the truth and for justice, not for himself or herself." Boldly, she edged on. After all, she was his CO and she'd kept her mouth shut enough in regards to his promotion. "Even if it means losing a case, our first responsibility is to uphold the law and find the truth and then defend or prosecute to the best of our abilities."

"You believe I haven't done that?"

"Oh, you've done that. . .but, it's your methods that are more than questionable." Though she knew this was probably the wrong place and time to have this conversation, she was on a roll and he would have to listen to her. "They are disgusting."

"But, you never said anything to anyone." Vic knew he'd caught her and literally ripped the sails right off of her ship. If he was doing wrong, she'd never reported him like a senior officer should have. That alone could incriminate her and if she wanted a war with him, he was sure to have the artillery to fight back.

But he didn't anticipate that she actually had a kind bone in her body. Nor that she recalled a time when she too was just a little wild. For that matter, she'd dealt with Harm's unorthodox ideas in the past. "I was giving you the benefit of the doubt. . ." She said softly, her eyes losing a bit of the anger that had recently filled them.

That was all he needed to go in for the kill, to make his intentions known. "You do realize that by not reporting me you were being derelict in your duties as a senior officer?"

Mac's hands came away from Vic as if she'd been burnt. She took a step backwards glaring at him in ways that only a commanding officer would. "Are you threatening me lieutenant?"

"Stating the facts, Mac. . . One could say that's the reason why you never wanted to give me this promotion. . ."

There had been times when others had caused her to lose her cool. Despite her attempts to gain control in the conversation, this just shocked her beyond belief. He had the gall to speak to his commanding officer in such a fashion? "I am not liking the implications here, Vukovic."

"I don't think you would, no, ma'am. . .and I am sure you spoke with Captain Rabb about our agreement." He grinned smugly. It was apparent by her suddenly shocked and confused appearance that he had broken down the iron woman.

"What agreement with the Captain?"

Oh, this pleased him beyond belief. Maybe a little tiff was all she and Rabb needed to break up their little relationship. "Our agreement to make sure you get off my six, ma'am." She stared at him with a combination of both shock and hurt. Damn, he did good, really good. "By the look on your face he never told you? Shame. . ." Vic shrugged slightly, stepped close to Mac and drew her to him, trying to keep dancing with her. She moved with him slightly, her distance even farther away than before. "It's not really personal, Colonel. . .But, I needed to make sure I wasn't being caught up in some subterfuge."

From over Vic's shoulder she spotted Harm chatting with Chegwidden and couldn't help that pang of hurt that grew from deep within. Now she slightly understood why, from time to time, he'd told her to calm down about Vukovic, that with the grace of God, he'd been transferred out of JLSS. Mac wanted to believe that he didn't go around her in order to protect her, or some other Superman reason of his. If she and Vic had a problem, she wanted to hedge it out with him, not have an interpreter. "You're despicable."

"Just looking out for number one, ma'am. . ." Mac tried to move out of his arms, but Vic held her tighter, unwilling to relinquish her just yet, for the sake of appearances. "It's a beautiful song, let's finish this dance."

Mac tried, once again to move out of his grasp. True, she was a Marine and could floor him if need be, but she didn't want to make a scene. "Let go of me, Vukovic, else you'll be using a colostomy bag for the rest of your life."

"See, I don't think you'll make a scene in the middle of your big show."

While that was true, she wasn't going to allow him to manhandle her. She was much too strong for that. Bringing her heel down, Mac sunk it into his shoe using some of that training Marine's were famous for. "Thank you for the dance, Commander. . .sorry for stepping on you, I really do have two left feet." She tapped him on the shoulder, frowned slightly and then made her way through the crowd.

"Mac? What's wrong?" Harm asked as she charged through the guests towards the ladies room. He and Chegwidden exchanged a look of confusion. "What the hell happened out there Lieutenant?" Harm asked Vukovic who had recovered slightly and was also headed towards the rest rooms. Not liking the scene, he excused himself and followed.

Without fanfare, Vukovic entered the ladies room, starling Mac who was reapplying her lipstick. She spied him through the mirror, her eyes boring into his reflection. "You don't listen very well, do you?"

Vic crossed his arms over his chest, attempting to stand his ground despite the fact that he knew she could beat him to a pulp. "We have things to discuss." Mac refused to play his game and instead, continued her musings. It was then that she saw him move closer behind. "You're not going to screw my career, Mac. . . I am not going to let you do that. . .If I go down, so will you."

With a brutal force, she spun around, the movement rocking him lightly. "I don't like being threatened. . .and I suggest you leave now before I make good on my pervious promise, consequences be damned."

"See, I don't think you want me to leave. . .I think you like this." He moved his hand between them, grinning wickedly. "You like me. . .Which is why you treat me like shit all of the time. . .You can't have me so you push me away." He dared to move closer to her once again, but this time he'd made a complete mistake when his hand ran slowly down her arm.

"Back away, that's an order!"

Harm was standing outside of the ladies room, waiting for Mac to emerge when she heard her yell. Blindly, he pushed through the door only to find Vic sprawled on the floor holding his nose and Mac in a fighting stance. Even if he wanted to, Harm couldn't quite bite back his laughter. "Something wrong, Colonel?"

Mac turned back to the mirror, smirking slightly as she placed all of the items back into her small purse. "No, apparently, Lieutenant Commander Vukovic has a nose bleed problem. . .he passed out and fell. I was attempting to help him out."

"Ah, yes. . .It happens." Ever the helpful officer, Harm picked Vic off the floor and then spun him towards the exit. As he was guiding him away from Mac, Vic spun around attempting to punch Harm squarely in the face. Unfortunately for him, Harm caught his fist in midair. "Walk away." He said in a warning tone that promised that same bodily harm which Mac had promised. He shoved Vic through the door, then took a deep breath. "Did he hurt you?" His fists were clenched at his sides, his eyes closed almost as he willed the rage inside to leave him.

"No."

"But he tried."

"Yes."

"You need to tell someone Mac."

"No."

"Mac, he could ruin you."

"Yes and apparently you can too."

Did she just say what he thought she did? As Harm open his eyes and turned towards Mac, he found a look that he was never quite fond of – hurt. Damnit, what had he done now? Worse, what did she believe he did? "What do you mean by that?"

"He told me that he'd made some arrangement with you." His silence spoke volumes to her. "What arrangement?" She wanted to understand why he'd chosen to keep that piece of information to himself when it involved her. To not accuse him of withholding information and destroying all of their progress thus far.

Harm's head was hanging low in shame. "I thought I could find away around him." In fact, he'd tried searching all avenues for information, in the end the only thing he found dirty on Vukovic was a juvenile record which was supposed to have been destroyed. It was difficult to raise his head to look at her. Though he really hadn't done wrong, he never quite thought that Vic would go through with promises to destroy her. If his actions tonight meant a thing, he was more than willing and capable. "Look, you said I was jealous of Vukovic and, in regards to you, I am okay?. . . He said he would destroy you, I was afraid you would like his methods and I'd lose you again." He confessed, his heart pounding so hard Harm was sure she could hear it. That was his problem, at the end, the fact that he didn't know where Mac and Vic stood. It was obvious that there was something about him that she liked, though now it seemed she despised him more than anything. Still, to have him in her office. . .

"So we're right back where we started? You don't trust me. . ." Mac's voice broke slightly. With a sigh, she moved passed him and back to the party.

"That's not true." He managed to catch up with her, knowing full well she was probably going to run away from him. Trying not to make a scene, he pulled her behind the wall which separated the bathrooms from ballroom and held her there. "I do trust you. . . It's him I don't trust."

"Then why didn't you TELL me?"

"I thought I could protect you, Sarah. . . Look, he came to me one day to tell me to keep you off his six and if you didn't let him get promoted, he would go after you. . .I thought I could stop him."

"I don't need you to play my hero, Harm. . .I'm doing fine all on my own."

"I thought it was just a pathetic threat. . .Damnit, Mac you know I wouldn't do a damn thing to hurt you." Harm removed his hands from her shoulders, slowly brushing them down her arm. The color of his eyes intensified as he gazed into her own. Why couldn't he just tell her what he felt and get it over with? She was cornered now and she was listening. He kept glancing between her lips and her eyes. Damnit, did he want to kiss her. Ever since that other night when she'd planted a light kiss on his lips, his body was, literally on fire. He noticed her breathing had changed, it was shallow, labored, almost as if his gentle touches were crumbling her down. Little did he know that they were. "If I could I'd take your pain away I would." That statement came out of no where, he was even surprised it came out at all. Mac leaned herself forward slightly, licking her lips in a discreet invitation to the kiss she was hoping to receive. The moment she thought he was about to give in, she felt his hands leave her body, his head was cast down low. "But I can't." Sighing deeply he took two steps backward and then walked away.

Sadly, Mac watched him leave, a heaviness in her heart growing even deeper. She wouldn't leave things like this though. This time, he wouldn't walk away. She followed him, weaving her way though the crowd to find Harm standing along with AJ, Bud and Harriet. Ignoring the group, she bored her eyes into his with a sense of urgency. "We need to talk."

Bud had noted the change in the air between Harm and Mac. Maybe a little intervention was in order? "Ma'am, I was looking for you too. . .we're planning on heading off and going to a local bar. . .It's the first time in weeks since we've had a babysitter. . .You're coming, right, sir?" He said to Harm, hoping to get the two of them friendly again.

Harm shook his head. "No, Bud. . .I'm just going to go home."

"I'm game." Mac said, her eyes not leaving Harm's. Her words came out more like a challenge than anything else. "Would be nice to have a little fun. . . You owe me the last dance, Harm."

Bud, AJ and Harriet all glanced from Mac to Harm, waiting to see if he'd accept the challenge. He grinned down at her, shaking his head slightly. Damn, did she do things to him. "Alright, I'll go."