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.

15. Who Is She?

Okay, before we freak out about this part - DON'T WORRY. There is a method to my madness. There is a reason why.

and there is going to be a very touching chapter which is based on a song I wrote called "Teach Me"

That's coming up in a chappie or two, depends, I've been shifting and getting rid of things. :)

Hope you like this.

Jackie

Thank you to: froggy0319, trekker4life, Abigaile, BlueJay, dansingwolf, Nix707, Tracy, LieutenantjgMegAustin, n.k, EY, jaggurl, LtCmdrFlygirl, Feverish Dream, ady, AgtDanaM, starryeyes10, DD2, KittyX, FoxyWombat, Dessler, JAGJenni, daisymh, Bite Beccy, Sam, Cristina, JamieAClassyone, The Obsessed Three, Dessler, Snugglebug, BlueJay, Britainy, verochan, EasterBunny, Any, freezepop, cbw, highplainswoman, Denaliyasha, outofit, anothershipper, marinejag, Rebecca05, prinnie, TB, Jill, eagleandrose, Daisymh, Eve, Pain, Manic Penguin, Sammy85, JAGFan89LAS, Bail's Other Daughter, MiDushiNoSushi, Lisa, writingmom, Katie, TVAngel, Anita, William, Jecho, tara, Anonymous Skeleton, Acer-127, TB, Mxfan214, KiKi, Ruli, Heather, janlaw, judy52sa, - and you anonymous peeps- for the feedback:)

PART 15 – Who Is She?

0750 Local
Mac's House
San Diego, California

"Hmm." There was something about the pillow he was holding. For one thing, it was entirely too warm. For another, it had curves and fit quite nicely in his arms, not all bunched up as it usually did. Thirdly, it never used to fan it's warm breath over his skin, pillows just didn't have breaths to begin with. Cracking one eye open, Harm awoke to the sight of one sleeping Sarah MacKenzie. 'Jesus Christ, I wasn't dreaming.' He thought, fighting the urge to laugh deliriously. He was in Mac's bed. He'd made love to Mac. He was IN MAC's BED. Harm tensed slightly as he felt her move, her body coming even closer to his, if that was even possible.

Mac looked peaceful when she slept, almost as if the weight of her past somehow vanished. He liked seeing her like this, he decided. Shifting slightly, he tried not to wake her up but did anyway and those luminous brown eyes rose sleepily to his. She seemed almost as astounded as he was. Her eyes widened as it all clicked in. With a chuckle, she resisted the urge to ask if he was real. Her tongue darted out, licking her lips to moisten them. She found that he was watching her mouth and she wondered when he would kiss her again. "Morning."

"Did I wake you?"

She stretched lazily, causing the sheet to slip off of her torso, exposing naked flesh. "Nope."

Harm's breath caught suddenly, it was almost as if he were seeing her like this for the first time all over again. Damnit, even in the early morning light with her hair tussled, without make up, she was still sexy as hell. He pulled her body onto his own, one hand holding her firmly while the other caressed the contours of her face. "You're beautiful, Mac." She didn't say anything, simply leaned into his palm, closing her eyes as she felt his touch straight through to her heart. He moved his hand down ward and around, coming to rest on the side of her arm. As he grazed his fingers downward, she giggled. "I thought Marines didn't giggle."

"We don't." She blushed and yet, giggled again when his fingers did the same movement on her arm.

"Well, what was that?"

"Uh. . I am not sure. . .definitely NOT a giggle though."

The night before he'd heard how many different wonderful sounds Sarah MacKenzie could make and at the moment, he was curious to see which others he could elicit from her. In a quick movement, he turned them both over, landing Mac on her back as he hovered right over her. The gaze they shared threatened to light the room on fire. Harm lowered himself down, bringing their bodies flush together as he kissed her deeply. He liked kissing girls, but never quite this much. God, even if he just spent the rest of his life only kissing Mac, he would die a happy man. Those lips of hers, so full and luscious did something to him.

Harm was in the process of taking the kiss just a little further when the sharp shrill of his cell phone caught them both by surprise. "Ugh."

Breathlessly, Mac held him still. "Don't get that."

"I have to, Gunny and I are on call. . .big case." He said with a voice etched in remorse. With a huff, he came off of her and moved off of the bed, searching through his pants for the offending object. He hated cell phones and some of the 'conveniences' of the modern world. Annoyed and without looking at the caller ID, he flipped the phone open and pressed it to his ear. "Rabb." It was clear, even from a good ten feet away that the person on the other line was female, perky and had a bad habit of speaking in a loud tone. "Hey. . I'm kind of busy at the moment." Thankfully he was turned away from Mac so that she could not see the look of shock registered in his eyes. The woman on the other end clattered away about something and the only reason Mac could tell he was apprehensive was because of the way he was breathing. "Umm nine? Yea, that sounds great. . .Sure, I'll pick you up."

This just wasn't quite the morning-after he was expecting. If anything, he'd get up, make her breakfast followed by another round of love making. "Yup, see you soon. Aww, me too. . .bye." He snapped his phone shut, setting it just on top of the nightstand. "Damnit." Slowly, he turned to Mac finding her with an expression that, for once, he couldn't categorize. "I have to go."

"Who was that?" That was reasonable to ask before jumping to conclusions? The truth was, Mac was trying to stay positive and not do that overly jealous feminine thing. Jealousy just wasn't a fiber of her being, then why was she suddenly trying to control her anger? As far as she could tell, by the way he was acting – guilty and nervous – and the fact that the woman on the other line had clearly said 'I love you', the person that interrupted them had to be a lover.

Harm bent over, grabbing his underwear which he slipped on. "I'll explain once I have a chance, which isn't now."

"Fine." She wouldn't argue with him, not after what they'd just experience. If he was with someone else and this was all a mistake, she at least wanted to carry a beautiful memory in her mind. "Will you be back later? I was thinking of making dinner."

Her casual tone was, actually, starting to scare him. The person on the other line hadn't been exactly quiet and as much as he tried to palm the receiver, certain words no doubt spilled out into the open air. "Gunny and I have business tonight. A stakeout of sorts and I won't be here on Sunday." He wasn't lying, but he was leaving out some of the finer points. "I'll be back, I need to get a few things." With a sigh, he walked out of the room and towards his makeshift bedroom. He pulled out a t-shirt, jeans and a pair of tennis shoes along with a leather jacket and his helmet.

"Positive, stay positive. . . He doesn't exactly LOOK like he wants to go, right? Right!" Mac said under her breath, offering up a charming smile when he stepped, apprehensively back into her room. "Be careful."

"I always am." He bent over the bed, coming down low enough so that he could kiss her. He did so thoroughly, almost as if it were that of a man who was going off to war. "I'll call you when I get a chance." She nodded and the longer he remained so close, the more difficult it was for him to go. "If I could I would stay here, you know that right?" When she didn't answer, he took that as a sign of departure. With a final kiss, Harm headed out of the room leaving one disappointed Mac, frustrated and alone.

1001 Local
Mission Beach, California

Though it was a bit hot for a run, he'd decided it would be a good way to get the muscles working again. After the night he'd spent with an incredible woman, he needed a good stretch, a good massage and iron to get the kinks out. Chuckling, he increased his speed to pass two, barely covered blondes who were running just ahead of him. "Hello, ladies." He said, slowing his speed as he passed them so that both him and them could get a good look. The giggled, winked and blew kisses and all he could do was think of how wonderful it was to be a good looking guy.

Turning onto the boardwalk, he came to a full stop to catch his breath. "Whew. . .that was nice." Slipping his hand into his pocket he fumbled with the keys until he found the small wad of bills. He marched towards a vendor, picking up a copy of the early edition paper. "JAG Conference a hit. . ." He said, reading through articles in the Local section, coming to a stop when he saw his name. "Congratulations to Lt. Commander Tali Mayfield and Lt. Commander Gregory Vukovic for a job well done."

Vic chuckled at the picture, one of him, Mac and Mayfield. The two women had the oddest of expressions and he couldn't help but smirk. He had that promotion coming and no skirt was going to take it from him. After paying for the paper, he turned to head back onto the beach and to his apartment, only to find a very odd sight. Out on the beach, near the waters edge was one Captain Rabb and, it was quite obvious that the leggy, slightly tanned blonde was not Mac. "What the hell?"

Remaining on the boardwalk, he headed downwards somewhat, hoping to get a better vantage point. They had definitely just arrived, he judged by the sight of Harm putting an umbrella up. 'Maybe she's a friend or his friend's girl? Mac's probably on her way.' He told himself, but curiously remained by, secretly hoping there was something more to the story. "Oh boy." There certainly was more to the story and if that kiss the blonde just planted on him said anything it was that they were dating. "Oh, Vic you lucky SOB." Spinning around, he headed back down the beach and towards his apartment with a devious plan that involved a digital camera and one Captain Rabb.

1145 Local

Starbuck's

San Diego, California

"Caramel Macchiato for my friend here and a Caramel Frappuchino for me." Mac said, handing her discount card over to the young, freckled face employee. "I just can't get enough of these." She told Harriet, who shared the same sentiment. It was around nine when Harriet had called to have a girls day out. Her parents had taken the kids, Bud was busy with a Quantum Leap marathon and that left her with some alone time – adult time.

After picking up their orders, the two women walked to the front of the shop and towards a corner where two oversized chairs welcomed them. "I wonder where I can buy one of these?" Harriet said, snuggling herself into the chair. "Probably costs a fortune."

"I'll bet." Mac pointed at the wood accents on the sides of the chair and chuckled. "Looks like two guys playing leap frog or something."

"So?" Harriet began in that tone of hers which meant she was waiting for something to be discussed. If she knew Mac, this would be another tooth pulling event. "How did things go last night?"

"Fine." She avoided eye contact and entirely missed the mischievous expression on her friend's face as she placed her coffee on the small table next to them.

"Did you two. . .?" Contrary to what Mac thought, Harriet already had the answer from the moment she picked her up. Just one look was all it took.

Mac's shy smile would have been an indication. "I knew you were going to ask that."

"Actually, I really didn't need to ask that I could tell."

"How?" She raised her eyebrow in question. Was she really giving THAT much away? "I mean, I've acted normal. . .Haven't I?"

Harriet couldn't help but laugh. It was very amusing to see the Marine blushing and so perplexed. She felt a deep relief that they had, finally come to their senses, but there was something more to the story. During their drive to the mall, Mac had been reserved, somewhat upset. "Well, your skin's glowing, when some love song came on the radio you had this cheesy grin and you haven't stopped fidgeting since I asked you how Harm was." She pointed towards Mac's hands who were making her Marine Corps ring dizzy.

Glancing down, she looked at her hands for a moment and nervously placed them on her lap. With a sigh, she glanced up at Harriet, replacing her worried expression with one of pure bliss. Ignoring completely what had happened in the morning, last night had been, in a word, "Magical. . .It was Magical."

A loud grinding sound filled the space as Harriet dragged her chair closer to Mac, getting dirty looks from other patrons who were busy either studying or reading. "Uh huh, details Mac, details!" She'd never been the type to pry into a senior officer's life, but considering that Mac had patched up her relationship with Bud on several occasions and she was the godmother of her children, that constituted on her being more of a friend than just a senior officer.

Mac's mouth twisted slightly, almost as if she were trying to hide a smile that was coming no matter what she did to stop it. Finally, she sighed happily and leaned forward. "We got home, still arguing about the bar fight and somewhere between me patching him up and Harm telling me that I was good at taking care of him. . .We let go." Stopping abruptly, she shook her head. "He actually had the nerve to tell ME to let go." Thinking about it, she should have been pissed at him for that one comment, but he looked so. . .good. Entirely too good to resist. "He was. . .sweet, caring. . .passionate."

Harriet was leaning forward with a look of complete and utter adoration. "That sounds soooooo nice, Mac."

"It was nice." Her look matched Harriet's and as she leaned backwards, Mac found herself blushing. He'd been nothing like the man of her dreams. No, the real Harm was simply exquisite. He put his all into loving her body with his own and though she wasn't the type to fall into cliché's like that of soul mates, if there ever had been a soul mate for her, she believed she found him. "Not to get all Harlequin on you. . .but. . .You know how people write that they heard music. . .saw different colors?" Biting her lower lip, she allowed herself to feel feminine for once. Not that she wasn't before, but disclosing so much always made her feel like she was betraying the Corps. Being with Harm, made her feel like she was human, sexy, womanly. "God, that actually happens. . .I can't explain it. . .but it does."

"I know." Though many couldn't figure why Harriet had remained so long with her husband, there were just things that broke out of the realm of 'Bumbling Bud.' He was a good man, loving, caring and so much more. "You know, a lot of people wonder about Bud and I. . .He's. . .incredible." She giggled out and this time she was the one blushing. "I mean, if he wasn't we wouldn't have had four kids. . . Bud can be such a romantic."

Maybe Harm wasn't as romantic as Bud was, but he did have a charming way of concealing it. The dinners they'd had in his place throughout the years, were always done with a consideration for her. Something that she found only a man did for his lover. There were often candles, flowers and they way he dressed, unless they had arrived directly from work, seemed more like a man trying to seduce a woman than a friend having dinner with a friend. With all of that it was a miracle this had never happened before. Maybe they just didn't want it bad enough. 'No,' She thought with a frown, 'We were just stupid.' Despite herself, Mac slid back into the chair deep in thought. Was last night another foolish move in their dance? Was it them trying to pacify a passionate hunger that would likely consume them? Would it happen again? She wanted it to, but did he? And, just who the hell was that woman on the phone! She had a right to ask that and to get an answer, didn't she?

"Mac? What's wrong? Don't tell me you have regrets."

She shook her head. Regrets. Even if this was the only time they'd be intimate, she wouldn't regret it and yet, part of her would. "No. . I mean, not really, no."

"Something's bothering you." Harriet had noted that behind the smile and Mac's glowing exterior lay something. A hint of apprehension that manifested itself in her eyes.

The feeling of getting up and running away seemed more viable than telling her friend that the man she just spent the night with. . . Damnit, she couldn't even think about it anymore, she'd mulled her suspicions over and over again during her morning shower, breakfast and even as she drove herself to the Roberts'. "I am trying to figure this out without. . .jumping the gun." She said with a sigh, reaching for the cool coffee drink in hopes that it would cool the slight anger she was beginning to feel. "We were laying together this morning. . .and I am here expecting breakfast, maybe. . ." Trailing off, she imagined just what her fantasy would have wanted – to spend the day in his arms. "Maybe. . .I don't know, I just wanted to spend the day with him, you know?"

Harriet's renewed hope in her friend's finally getting it right was slowly being crushed. She knew Mac well, got to know her even better after spending time in San Diego and the way she was acting, that wasn't the look of a woman that was entirely happy with her romantic situation. "What the hell happened?" She blurted out loudly, catching the attention of a few patrons. She ignored them, concentrating solely on the Marine in front of her. "Mac?"

Mac moved forward, placing her elbows on her knees and then her head in her hands. "I am not sure." She said through her hands, coming up to look at Harriet who seemed as if someone had shot her. "I am probably freaking out over nothing." Sighing, she dragged her own chair closer, once again catching the attention of some of the patrons who were becoming rather annoyed with the female chit chat. "We're in bed, right? And then his. . .STUPID cell phone rings. . .And I hear another woman's voice." Stopping abruptly, Harriet and Mac turned to the side to find three teenaged girls staring at them almost as if they were watching a good movie. All they needed was the popcorn to complete the scene. Annoyed, Mac moved in closer to Harriet, whispering. "Anyway. . . The conundrum is that I HEAR her tell him that she loves him."

"Maybe it was Mattie." Harriet said simply, mentally crossing her fingers that Mac wouldn't one up her.

Shaking her head, Mac sat back momentarily. "If it were Mattie, I'd have known. . .He would have said something, acted shy. . .SOMETHING. . .He acted guilty, Harriet, GUILTY!"

"Ahem?" Both of them glanced up to find a Starbuck's employee, the same freckled faced kid from before standing over them. Mac gave him her best 'what?', raised eyebrow, annoyed expression which didn't work quite as well out of uniform. "Umm, ladies. . .umm some people umm. . .have been com-complaining. . .umm that you're umm being. . .loud." He whispered the last word, then ran his hand through the back of his head nervously.

Harriet took a glance at his name tag and smiled sweetly. "Ted. . . We're sorry to have upset the other customers, but this is really important." She turned back to Mac and waved her hands for the other woman to continue. "And then?"

"He was sitting on the corner of the bed, his back hunched, and the way he was breathing was like. . .he was trying to control himself." Sighing, she leaned forward, once again brining her head into her hands. "Tell me I am worried about nothing."

"Worried about nothing!" Harriet echoed. "You're kidding me right?. . . If that had happened to me I would have SKINNED Bud. . .SKINNED." This wasn't quite the evening she'd hoped for in regards to Harm and Mac, but she knew the two cared for each other. They loved each other, so it was worth giving Mac one good piece of information. "You never know what's going on. . .maybe she's an old flame? Maybe she's his girlfriend who he's breaking up with in order to be with YOU. . ."

Turning to the side once again, Mac found nearly the whole shop staring at them. "That makes me the OTHER woman and I don't want to be the OTHER woman." She crossed her arms in front of her chest, defensively staring out the window rather than looking at her friend. Mac hated feeling like this and what was sad is that he was the only one that COULD make her feel like this. "I don't like feeling like this. . .Especially when it comes to him."

One thing that Harriet had found intriguing was the way her friend seemed to become so vulnerable whenever her feelings for Harm were brought into the conversation. It was almost as if her Marine persona was switched completely off and the wounded woman inside came to the light. "I wish I could tell you what to do." She wished for more than that too, like fixing things and maybe even bopping them both over the head.

Mac shook her head. "I don't need someone to tell me what to do. . .I'm just hoping you'd stop me from flipping out."

"He didn't say he wouldn't talk to you about it, did he?"

"He said he wouldn't talk about it this morning. . .But, it sort of seemed he was willing to discuss it. . .That's a plus isn't it?" True, he was tabling another conversation, but, at least, there was some shred of hope that this time things would be discussed.

2250 Local
Mac's House
San Diego, California

Spending the day with Harriet had helped her, somewhat. It just wasn't fair that her mind wouldn't let her rest on this subject. I wasn't fair at all and though she wanted to wait for Harm before jumping to conclusions, that was becoming impossible. To make it all worse, he hadn't called when he'd promised her he would. True, on a stakeout, sometimes things made it difficult, but he'd had all day. "I am not going to over react. . .everything is. . .fine. . .Damnit." She cursed, but for the life of her, Mac couldn't make herself believe it.

Shutting down everything downstairs, she slowly made it up to her bedroom. The sheets were still rumpled and his shirt, when he'd forgotten to pick up was laying haphazardly on the floor by the bed. "Ugh, maybe this was a bad idea?" A silvery object, from the corner of her eye caught her attention. It was sitting on the nightstand just where he'd left it, just waiting for her to take a peak. "No, don't do it."

But not even a pep talk could prevent her from grabbing for Harm's cell phone. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she stared at the object as if it were foreign. The LED screen indicated that there were four messages on his voice mail. "No. . .Don't." She warned herself from listening, not that it mattered, she probably didn't know the password. Although, she DID know the password when he was in DC. As she sat there, weighing the decision, her fingers took on a life of her own. They flipped open the phone and hit the function key for messages. Sighing, she brought it up to her ear, waiting as the automated operator asked for the password. "It can be this easy." Mac dialed in the date of Harm Senior's birth and hit pound. Magically, it connected her to his messages. "This is so wrong." But, despite it's wrongness, she couldn't put it down.

The first, second and third messages, which she saved for him, were from Mattie, Trish and Bud, respectively. Both Trish and Mattie were wondering what happened at the ball. Bud was rambling off something about a boat. But the fourth message made her blood boil. 'Hey baby, it's Veronique, where are you? . . . Oh, there you are, you naughty, naughty boy. . .Bye, sexy.' That message was entered at around nine that morning.

"Veronique?" She swallowed down the bile that washed up her throat and bit back the urge to scream. Taking a deep breath, she placed the phone back down on the night table and stood up. "Okay, MacKenzie, let's be rational. . .Let's not FREAK out over nothing. . ." Pacing, she headed towards the right, tripping over his shirt. "Argh!" Grabbing it, she threw the offending object to the other side of the bed, collected herself and resumed pacing. "One. . .If he had been dating someone, I would know. . .he would have told me." That made sense, at least, to her it did. They were closer. They were divulging information and since he'd been living under her roof. . . "Well, there was that week that we kept missing each other." She thought with remorse, turning towards the left and pacing in that direction. "Each and every time he blamed. . .work." Wasn't that the tell tale sign of a cheating man? Work? Stopping abruptly, she shook her head. "Cheating on me? We aren't even dating. . .Wait a minute. . .Work!"

It was an epiphany of sorts, something that seemed to smack her right on the forehead. The woman could be part of an investigation. "Yea, but what investigation would have her calling him like that." And women just didn't start calling guys sweetie and sexy if they weren't involved, well, most women didn't anyway. She sat at the edge of the bed, believing one thing, which was the same thing Harriet had drilled into her head after they'd left Starbucks. "Harm wouldn't do this to me. . .I know he wouldn't."

Monday
0940 Local
Joint Legal Services Southwest
San Diego, California

Sunday had been just a normal day for Mac. A normal day without her newly acquired roommate, that is. She'd gotten up early, gone for a run, showered and then decided to make breakfast for herself. The night before, after torturing herself with Veronique's message, Mac had decided to let it go for the moment. She could do that, in regards to Harm, she'd done it before anyway. Sometime around noon, he'd called her and let her know that he was going to be back sometime on Monday, that he had an important case to take care of. It sounded like it was all business until he said three little words. 'I miss you.' It wasn't quite the ones she was waiting for, but still, it was sweet. 'I miss you, too.' She repeated back without thought. When they hung up, she was feeling much better than she had been in the last day and a half. It was going to be alright.

That was until she walked into JLSS and Vic dropped a bomb on her. After the early morning meeting, Mac barely had time to settle in behind her desk or sip her coffee before he was knocking on her doorframe. "Are you busy, ma'am?"

Raising a brow, she glanced his way. Over the weekend her worries over Harm, had made her forget about Vukovic and those new stripes on his uniform. Perhaps subconsciously she'd made peace with the notion that he was now two ranks closer to hers. "What is it Commander?" She bit back the sound of disdain in her voice as she called him by his new title.

"May I come in?" Her brow raised just a little bit more. He was being way too docile for Vukovic. Maybe the stripes did something to him? Maybe he realized how much of an ass he normally was. Nevertheless, a change of pace would be welcomed in contrast to the normally, nauseating version of Vic which never quite treated her like a CO.

"Yes and leave the hatch open." She warned, hoping to avoid any problems like those that had occurred over the weekend. True, she should have reported him, but somewhere between Harm trying to play hero and Harm winding up in her bed, nothing else quite mattered. "How can I help you?" She pointed to one of the guest chairs and saved the work she was doing on her computer to pretend to give him her full and undivided attention.

She pretended not to notice the folder he was holding in his hand until he placed it on her desk and sat down. Clearing his throat, Vic creased his forehead, frowning as he pointed at the folder. "I was running on the beach this weekend and found. . ." He trailed off for a moment, more for effect than anything else, "Well, the pictures speak for themselves."

"Pictures?" She glanced curiously at the folder and then tugged it open. The first picture, was actually quite nice. It was a shot of Harm wearing swim trunks and a t-shirt with his hands placed on his hips. Those well defined abs of his hiding beneath making her blush slightly. Clearing her throat, she flipped pictures. The next was that of Harm, in the same position but with a blonde now in the shot. The third had them hugging. The fourth had him carrying her. The fifth was the straw that broke the camels back, it was a picture of Harm and the blonde, kissing. She glanced up at Vukovic, her attempt to hide her anger disappearing by the second. "What?. . .Where did you get these?"

"Saturday, on Mission Beach." Vukovic's veneer of professionalism, which he only slipped on when it suited him, was switched on. "They are dated if you look at the timestamps on the bottom." He wanted to appear he actually cared about her and worried enough to debunk a man that was hurting her. "I know it was none of my business, Colonel. . .I was just concerned."

That funny little saying of a picture being worth a thousand words stuck to her head. Looking at the picture crucially, she found one key element was missing, Harm didn't seem to be enjoying himself too much. His hands weren't exactly all over the woman though she had hers all over his. The swim trunks were entirely too long compared to times when he'd gone swimming with her in the past. Once he'd even worn a Speedo. "Thank you for being concerned Commander, but the Captain's life is his own. I don't think he'll be pleased to know that you were spying on him." As Vic reached for the photos, Mac pulled the folder into a drawer and shut it. "I'll keep these, just in case they get into the wrong hands. . .I assume you'll bring me the negatives?"

Vic shook his head, this wasn't what he was expecting. Shouldn't she be angry! "No, ma'am. . .digicam."

"Then bring me the camera and the memory stick and I want it by the end of the business day. . .Dismissed." She saw him being to object, but fell short when he saw Harriet standing just outside waiting for Mac. "Lieutenant, come on in. Vukovic and I are done here. . .Commander, close the hatch behind you."

"But, ma'am." He interrupted only to be hit by that stern look of hers, one that, for the first time, he headed. "Aye, aye, ma'am." Vic snapped to attention, made a perfect about face and left her office, securely shutting the door behind him. "Damnit!" Once outside and alone, he'd made his dissatisfaction clear. Glancing around and making sure he was alone, Vic pressed his ear to the door, hoping to catch a snippet or two of conversation.

Harriet stood ramrod straight in front of Mac's desk, holding a folder as she rambled off. "Ma'am, I found the revisions to UCMJ article 47 A subheading three and article 49 D subheading one. I made copies of them for you, ma'am."

Mac grinned up at her friend shaking her head in amusement. "Take a breath Lieutenant. . . At ease and have a seat." Sighing for the millionth time today, she pinned Harriet with a slight glare. This wasn't the time or place to start a conversation, but she needed someone to talk to and soon. "Can you be objective about something, Harriet?" She asked hesitantly.

Right off the bat, she didn't like where this was going. "It depends on what you are asking me to be objective about, ma'am."

"It's just Mac for the moment. . Unless someone walks in through that door." She pointed out, took out the folders from the drawer and placed them in Harriet's lap before settling herself back behind her desk. Waiting patiently, she saw her friends features turn from a sweet expression to a woman hell bent on murdering herself a man. "Those were taking on Saturday." She calmly watched as Harriet's cool exterior was compromised by the abrupt redness in her cheeks. For good measure, the younger woman rifled through the small stack again and then shut the folder. "Well?"

"Who gave you these?" She was seething.

"Vukovic."

"Ah." Harriet was going to suggest that they were fakes, but, as much as Vic was conniving, he wouldn't have had the time or money to go through the trouble. Glancing up at her friend, she found Mac expecting an answer of sorts, one which she wasn't sure she could give. "You might not want to hear this. . .but, talk to Harm. . .figure it out."

"I'm TIRED of trying to figure it out Harriet!" She realized that her tone was too loud, but she didn't care. At the moment, all she wanted as good advice and answers. "To be brutally honest, as much as it would break my heart, if we can't figure it out NOW, I don't want to figure it out at all. . .I am tired of having my heart broken by him."

Trying to be feasible, though she wanted to rip Harm limb from limb, she gave up a simple explanation. "He's a PI, maybe she's. . . well, part of some scam he's trying to stop?"

Mac nodded in agreement. "I thought of that, but he would have told me."

"Maybe he wasn't sure how you'd react."

"Then that means he doesn't trust me and we're back where we started." It was ridiculous to her how she an Harm were barely in a relationship and yet, things were so out of sorts. "I'm trying not to fly over the deep end, but this would be damaging in court."

"It's not a case, Mac. . .You're talking about the man that you love." She stopped suddenly, raising an eyebrow in interest. "You DO love him don't you?"

"YES!"

"Then TALK to him. . .and kill him later."

Despite herself, Mac had to chuckle at Harriet's suggestion which wasn't too far from her own but with one minor change, "I prefer to shoot first and ask questions later, thank you."

"Harm's much too cute to shoot." Harriet pointed out with a sweet expression that did nothing to hide that mischievous look in her eyes. "Seriously, talk to him."

"Talk to him." Well, that would be fine, if only talking hadn't failed a zillion times before. "We aren't famous for our chats, but. . .Fine."

Monday
2145 Local
Rabb and Galindez Investigative Service
Pacific Beach, California

"We need to wrap this up." Gunny said, stepping into Harm's office with a duffle bag that was clearly full of something. "This case is depleting resources like a mother. . .For once I agree with Jarvis." He closed the door behind him, dropped the bag in the corner and slipped into a guest chair with a loud sigh.

"Tell me how you really feel." Harm joked as he stood and headed towards the duffle. Opening it up, he found it completely full with blocks of cocaine. "Jesus Christ, Gunny." He'd never seen so much of the stuff in one place. The bag alone probably had a street value of twenty million dollars. "The cops just let you have it?" Both of his eyebrows rose up in shock. Gunny knew someone, who knew someone, who was a cousin of the chief of police. Using a slight bit of bribery, they were able to secure the cocaine for another phase of their big case. Now, all Harm had to do was hope that the buyer would show. They weren't getting paid for this service, but it would help them out in regards to government offices and they needed all of the help they could get.

Gunny shrugged. "Can you believe someone actually managed to sneak all of that past airport customs? How the hell do you do that?"

"You pay someone. . .Unfortunately, money corrupts even the best of us." With a sigh, he stood, picked up the bag and placed it behind his desk and away from prying eyes. Only the more trusted members of the staff knew how intense the case was getting. "I'm trying to wrap this up and I've been using my own cash for this, not company cash."

Seeing that he'd worked with Harm at JAG and now as a partner, Gunny knew the other man quite well. Like himself, he needed to see things until the end, come hell or high water. "I know, but not having you here full time, is killing us. . .Plus, we might have to snip a few investigators and I really don't want to do that if I can help it."

"I agree."

As he sat in front of Harm's desk, Gunny saw a familiar look. A smirk and a distant smile that indicated he'd had some company of the female persuasion. If anything, after being a Deputy, he was damned good at reading people. "Good weekend, I see?"

"Somewhat." But as much as Harm tried to play it off and hide that smile, it wasn't working. "Things, got interesting, I guess you could say."

"Not with, Mac?" He couldn't believe that they'd finally gotten their head out of their sixes, would it even be possible for them to. . .to. "In your dreams right?"

Harm shook his head. "I'm being serious." Sighing, he leaned back into his chair, that grin becoming ever wider. "I don't kiss and tell, but. . . yea, it's. . .I think it might be serious."

"Well it's about time!" Yet, as he sat there, glancing at his partner, Victor saw something else in the man's eyes, regret. "Okay, I don't like that look. What's up?"

How was he going to explain to Mac's biggest supporter that he was cheating on her? "Kendra Nichols."

"What about her?" Harm didn't need to answer, the look in his eyes spoke volume and by piecing a few things together Gunny understood totally. "Tell Mac about it."

"It's not that simple. . . Things with her are always complicated." What Harm really mean to say was that he was scared. He'd fought in a war. He'd survived an unfathomable time at sea. As a teenager, he took off, on his own, to a third world country in search of his father. And, yet, all of that paled in comparison to the fear he felt when he had to deal with Mac. He knew her, at least, he hoped he did. But for all of his Sarah MacKenzie knowledge, there was something about her that mirrored something inside himself that just didn't trust people. Though, come to think about it, the way that he had left her the other morning didn't have 'trust' written all over it. He should have been forthcoming then, informed her of his relationship with Kendra, but he just couldn't.

"So that's why it's almost 2200 and you're still hanging around here?" Gunny smugly pointed out, waving his hand around the nearly empty office. Sure, there was work to do, but nothing so pertinent that had to be conducted after business hours at the office. "You're a chicken, Rabb."

Harm opened his mouth to object, but quickly shut it, knowing he'd been caught. Pensive, he sat there, staring at a scuffed spot on his desk as he weighed the options. He couldn't avoid Mac forever, this he knew and if he didn't do something soon he ran the risk of losing everything they'd rebuilt up to now. "Damnit. . I guess I'm going home, then?" The only answer he got was a nod.

Reluctantly, he shut down for the evening, stepped out to his motorcycle and sped off to Mac's place. It took him a bit longer than usual to arrive as his bike seemed to have a mind of its own. So that he would not wake her, Harm shut down the bike and pushed it up to the driveway and then inside the garage. With the spare keys, he'd let himself in finding everything dark. Quietly, he headed up the steps and directly into her office where he searched for clothes that he could change into. Stalling a bit more, he made a beeline for the bathroom, telling himself that he wasn't chickening out, but he needed a shower.

Once he came out, his skin slightly flushed and warm from the hot water, he'd made a decision to slip into her bed. It may have been a bad decision on his part, but he needed to take the bull by the horns. Stepping into her room, he waited a few minutes for his eyes to become accustomed to the darkness. Soon, he spotted Mac, sleeping on her side with her back to him. Smiling, he walked the few feet to the bed, pulled back the covers and slipped in behind her. His warm skin touched her own and instantly it was as if he'd never left her. As if they could pick up where they left off. One of his arms slipped around her body and that's when he heard her voice, fragile and nearly pleading. "Who is she?"

- - - - - - - - - - - -
NK - I know all about crazy weeks. Work, school, Hurricanes and if it isn't Florida in a Hurricane it's our clients in a hurricane. Go figure. :P

William - Trying to post quickly, but I am picky with this story for some reason. I deleted the parts I didn't like so it left a hole in the story to patch up. I suck. ;)

LtJGMeg - Yea! That bar scene was a trip, when I saw in in my head I hwas likw WOAH! YEA baby!

Outofit - Harm to yourself! WHAT! Get off the crack dood!

CBW - There will be another morning after scene that works better and a very touching chapter, methinks. ;) You'll love it. :)

Jecho - Not sure where you can DL the episodes but it's called The Four Percent Solution. I would suggest asking around the JAG mailing lists. Harriet fighting would be HYSTERICAL on TV, I still crack up at her smacking Singer.

Tara - No regrets, just an issue which will be overcomed I promise. :)

Jamie - You know all you cared about was the smut. :P Don't lie to me! Tattoos :twitch: I have the same issue, I have eight. . .And already have an idea for another. Just no cash. :P

Nix - LAzy again, eh:P LOL! Damn that was a kick ass idea with Harriet's heel. Maybe I need another bar fight! LOL!

MiDushi - There was more detail - e-mail me off ffnet and I wrote a semi-details smut version. ;)

Side note, already have ideas for two new stories which may or may not post after this one. I have one story called "Getting Away With Murder" which is an AU story that I keep skipping over. LOL. So we might do that one first. We'll see I'll put it to a vote when I decide wether or not the two new stories deserve to see the light of day. :)