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.

21. Assistance Of The Female Persuasion 1

Hey gang, here's part 21. Thanks for your patience, I managed to study and get a 97 on my Anatomy final, yay! Me! Right now, I am just chilling.

I AM HOPING that starting Monday things will be easier at school (Laughs like a loon) but, I doubt it. I want to write a bit more often, but it's getting crazy. No, I am not going to abandon you or something. grins I have some cool ideas.

Alright, so here we go!

Enjoy!

Jackie

Part 21 - Assistance Of The Female Persuasion Pt. 1

1400 Loca
Joint Legal Services Southwest (JLSS)
San Diego, California

Mac was trying to secure early so that she and Harm could visit Gunny. The operative word was 'trying.' It had been a week since her place had been ransacked and still, the police were downright refusing to find Michael Rose. Harm's leads had found that he'd been let out and that the parole officer in Northern California swore she had seen him daily, that there was nothing to worry about. Something about that ceased to put Mac at ease.

As she headed out of courtroom B and towards her office, a certain Marine caught her eye. There was something utterly familiar about him. (As in, she'd kicked him out of her office not more than two days ago.) "Excuse me? Staff Sergeant." Purposefully, she strutted across the bullpen towards a copier which Jarvis was utilizing. Somehow, Vukovic managed to cut her off at the pass. "Not now, Vukovic." She nearly bowled him over.

Vic thought quickly and the first thing that came to mind (grabbing her arm) culminated with Mac an inch from his breathing space and with a look that could kill. "Ma'am. . .there's someone in your office. . .a detective. . .it's urgent." Thankfully, he was telling the truth on that instant. Sawyer was sitting in her office, waiting. That look of acceptance momentarily threw him, Vic was not expecting her to completely back off.

"Thank you, Commander Vukovic." She stepped around him and towards her office. For their trouble, Vic and Jarvis exchanged similar looks of relief.

The 'Marine' motioned for Vic to keep a look out, a gesture that one Bud J. Roberts didn't miss. "Excuse me, Commander, what's going on?" He glanced between Vic and Jarvis with peaked interest. Not to say that enlisted were a lower life form, but besides the occasional greetings, for the most part, they didn't mix, especially since this guy, he was sure, was a newbie. "Staff Sergeant, front and center." At first it seemed foreign to him to be in such a place of authority, as he was usually the one being given orders. But, Bud found he had a knack for leading that came naturally.

Once the 'Marine' stood in front of him, he glared coarsely at the man, slightly upset that he hadn't bothered coming to attention. "Oh, I'm sorry Staff Sergeant, I guess I forgot to mention. . .ATTENTION!" He bellowed out, nearly bringing the rest of the bullpen to their feet.

Jarvis wasn't sure if it was because Bud's yell came out of nowhere, or if it was because he was half asleep, but, for some reason, he was actually responding. "Sir."

"Name."

"Staff Sergeant. . .uh. . ." Damn, would have been nice if he remembered his alias.

Bud's eyebrows hit his hairline. "You don't know your own name?"

Jarvis chuckled. "Sorry sir, I thought you were asking for yours. . .I am new here." Well, sometimes playing the part of a complete idiot did have its advantages. "The name's Angel Van Edee." How had they picked that name again? The damned thing made him sound like either a pop star or British royalty. "I'm a staff sergeant."

At the moment, the Lt. Commander wasn't sure what to think. On the other hand, he had seen Mac rather displeased a few moments earlier in regards to this young gentleman. That alone told him that he needed to run interference until she could step back outside. "Staff Sergeant, I want you to step into my office and stay there. . .I just find it intriguing that I am the Chief of Staff and, darn it, I haven't heard a thing about you." With a pat on Jarvis' shoulder, Bud ushered him on the path to his office. "We'll have some coffee and a nice little chat."

There was nothing more he could do but comply and pray to God that Vic would get him out of this one. If he didn't, he'd be a dead man.

In her office, Mac sat across from Sawyer, a man she was quickly beginning to loathe. The impassive expression and the seemingly lack of wanting to work was really irritating. "So what you mean to say is that with the help of Harm's firm you've managed to find out that Michael found someone to pretend to be him?"

"In order to trick the parole officer, yes."

Yup, this was getting frustrating by the second. "When did you find out?"

"About an hour ago. . .Rabb's investigator, Mike Benson, who was working with one of our guys, I guess they are friends or something," He waved his hand dramatically and sighed, "Well, they were up in San Francisco investigating and found that the parole officer had no idea who the real Michael Rose is."

Mac sighed. "Great. . .This is just what I needed." She said sarcastically.

Sawyer shifted nervously on the seat in front of him. "I don't need to tell you that Rabb has to be careful."

"Rabb?"

He nodded. "You two are an item, right?" She didn't have to answer, despite his lackluster method of investigating, that was one thing that even those with an untrained eye could see. "These types of cases – the jealous ex – well, they sometimes go after your current lover."

"Yes, I am well aware of that." One thing was Michael bothering her, another thing was him taking his frustrations out on someone else and Mac had a gut feeling that is what it was headed towards. Thankfully, for the last four nights Harm had been away; he was spending time with his 'other girlfriend.' Something he was sure would wrap up within a week or two. (What's a week or two more on top of the week or two that he had promised before?) "I can assure you that the Captain is watching his back." It was amusing how, despite their more intimate relationship, during times of crisis or business, they reverted back to the Colonel and the Captain. "Now, what do you want me to do?" She already had an idea of what he was going to say.

"Nothing. . .just stay safe and contact us if anything out of the norm occurs." He stood up, shook her hand and stepped out of her office, almost barreling into Harm who was waiting outside. "Hey Rabb, how are you?"

Harm smiled wryly. "Not great, but watching mine and Mac's sixes as best I can."

"You do that. I'll call if something comes up." Sawyer patted him on the back, then quickly headed out of JLSS. The man was definitely a character – one that was a spark one moment and deadly calm the next. Harm didn't like him, but SDPD was unwilling to change the man, so he handled the cards they were dealt and put some of his own into action.

Coates smiled up at him as he entered the outer office. "Captain. . .The Colonel's been waiting for you, sir."

"Jen, it's Harm." Right, like that would stick.

"Of course, sir." She said with a cute smile and all he could do was laugh. Truthfully, Bud and Jen did that to bug him, he was sure of it. "Are Mattie and I still on for movies and pizza?"

Ah, that's what he forgot. "Yep, Mattie's already picked up something called the Scream trilogy and some project about a witch or other."

"I'll be at your folk's house around nine then, gives me time to pick up pizza." She grinned conspiringly, then sat back behind her chair with her good girl look. Despite her misspent youth, Jennifer Coates had grown into a mature young woman, one that he cared for like a daughter. "You and the Colonel should join us."

"Some other time, Jen. . .We'll probably get back a little late from visiting Gunny, but thank you." He quietly entered Mac's office, finding her with her head in her hands and a look that made him want to hold her tightly to him. She was so lost in thought, she barely noticed his entrance or the fact that he closed the door behind him. "Mac?" It wasn't until he placed a hand on her arm that she finally came around and stared at him, eyes wide and confused. "Hey, you alright?"

"Hey." For the first time since they'd met again, he could tell she wasn't happy to see him. That glow and light in her eyes that appeared when he was in the same room with her wasn't there, just this complete look of guilt. With a sigh, she stood up, grabbed her purse and maneuvered past him. "Let's go."

"Woah, woah, woah. What's up?" Harm caught her by the arm, spinning her around gently so he could look into her eyes. She refused him that one motion though, and he was forced to use his index finger to lift her head up. "Sarah?" It was weird for him to call her that but in some instances, like this one, it was perfectly natural.

Mac's mouth opened and closed several time as she tried to formulate something that didn't sound as pathetic as it did in her mind. Here, standing so close to him, it killed her to know that just being with her was deadly. "I'm like a disease, Harm. . .You should run far away before something happens to you." She managed to move her head back downwards to the ground, sighing as she remembered that comment he made long ago about the men in her life being dead.

He glanced at her as if she'd grown two heads. "Mac, you're confusing me here."

Distraught, she stepped away, turning her back towards him. "Detective Sawyer said that you were probably in danger. . .I mean, I've thought about it, but to hear it out loud. .Christ, Harm, what if you get hurt or worse?"

Ah, so that's what had been bothering her? Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her body towards him. "Mac, we'll watch each other's sixes, it's going to be fine."

"You don't know that."

"No, I don't, but we've come too far to let some jerk destroy us." He walked around her, standing so close she could feel his sweet, warm breath on her cheek. "Stay positive. . .We will catch him." His arms wrapped around her body, holding her tightly. "We'll catch him." But, who was he trying to comfort with those words? Mac or himself?

In Bud's office, Jarvis sat in a chair, trying not to beat a certain Lt. Commander senseless. Scratch that, make that TWO Lt. Commander's. For the past twenty minutes, Bud had been on the phone trying to get the details on a case he was trying next Monday. While it was good that he was at least hidden away from the hustle and bustle of the bullpen, Jarvis had some information on his person which wouldn't sit too well with anyone. He bit back a curse as his finger received a paper cut from trying to shove documents he'd copied farther into his jacket. He'd managed, somehow, to hide them completely from Bud, but it really didn't help that the damned things were sliding out of their location. Hopefully, this little time in Bud's office could postpone another chance encounter with the pretty Colonel.

"Yes, the prosecution is interested in those documents. . .by six today?" Bud eyed Jarvis suspiciously, all this hopes to dig up a little information about the man before the close of the business day was starting to vanish. He swore that the Staff Sergeant seemed pleased. "Yes, I suppose I can do that, thank you." After hanging up, he pierced Jarvis with a look that could kill. "I have to head out, Sergeant Van Edee, but I am sure the Colonel will see you." He punched a button which connected him to Jen's intercom and was quickly informed that Mac had left with Harm in tow and she would not be in until the morning. "Looks like the Colonel will have to see you tomorrow. . . I expect you in this office bright and early, you read me?"

Jarvis stood up and came to attention. "Aye, sir."

"Dismissed."

Tightly, he marched out of the office, giving Vic a hard look as he headed through the bullpen and out of JLSS. Vuckovic breathed a sigh of relief that the man was finally out of the office. A week had to be enough time for him to find whatever the hell he was looking for. Turning to his side, he found Bud standing next to him with an expression that could be described as extremely displeased. "Commander." He acknowledged his presence with a nod and made to move around him, but was stopped. 'Damn.'

"Something we need to know, Commander?" As much as some people had played Bud for the fool in the past, now he was grown up and had ways about him that could rival anything. That he learned from Harm and Mac. He'd learned from JAG's finest and it showed. "Not to be nosy, but I find that you have a bit too much interest in Staff Sergeant Van Edee."

Vic wanted to groan. His current rank, as useful as it was, didn't mean a thing when news came flying through JLSS that Bud was soon to become a full Commander and Harriet a Lt. Commander. His equality with Bud Roberts would fall by the wayside and the fact that he could order Harriet about was going to be nonresistant. Life at JLSS would suck, until he finally found a footing that would give him more of an edge. Being the SECNAV's spy was that footing, however, in dealing with Jarvis, he would have to tread very quietly. "He's a friend, Commander. . .Well, not really a friend, he saved my six once and I helped him find a job here." He shrugged slightly. Sticking to the same story as before, would be a good idea. The worst that would happen was that he'd have to deal with Mac who had thrown Jarvis out. It didn't matter, because the SECNAV would keep him there for his own sake. "Apparently this isn't the job he wants. . .Contrary to his first position, he prefers being a grunt instead of a desk jockey."

"I see." Bud said. "But, being the Chief Of Staff why didn't the Staff Sergeant come to me first?"

Ugh. This whole situation was making his newly formed ulcer ache just a little more. "I am not sure, Commander. . . Now, if you don't mind, I have to finish planning for that case we have on Monday. . .You have an edge and I don't plan on making it any easier for you." He patted Bud on the shoulder and grinned. "You're a great opponent." Those buddy-buddy, power sentences often worked when he needed to get out of a jam and this time, it wasn't any different. As quickly as possible, Vic headed into his office into some sort of refuge. All he needed to find out now was the paperwork that Jarvis had copied. What was so important that Theodore Jarvis needed their computers for? Surely some small time scheme to damage a man's reputation didn't need this much effort. With a grimace he reached for the bottle of Maalox in his drawer, chugging some down as if it were water. "Vic, what have you gotten yourself into?"

1445 Local
Mercy Hospital
San Diego, California

"Mr. Galindez is having some tests done, just to make sure things are alright. . .If you can have a seat in the waiting room, I'll let you know when you can see him." The girl behind the nurses' station said, pointing a finger to the small waiting room across from her.

Harm nodded. "Thank you." Placing a hand on the small of her back, he guided Mac towards the room, then took a seat next to a large window. "I hate hospitals." He wasn't sure if it was the doctors, the smell or just the overwhelming feeling of dread when he entered the place, but he just HATED hospitals.

"Really? I thought you loved playing doctor." She teased, poking him on the side which generated a welcomed chuckle from his end.

"Seriously though, these places give me the willies." He shook off the discomfort, happy enough to not have to visit Gunny alone. There was nothing worse than sitting in some waiting area. . .waiting alone. "I'm glad you're here with me."

Mac shook her head. There were certain things about men that she would never get, their fear of doctors in general was one of them. Nevertheless, she understood. "I am glad you asked me to come." This was still new for the both of them, their relationship and how to keep it working. It was going relatively well, save for a few nights that he'd spent away from her with that other 'girlfriend.' "Changing the subject, how is it that you are able to get away from your 'girlfriend?'"

"It's the other way around, she gets away from me." At Mac's confused face, he clarified. "Kendra works in Seattle and often spends time flying between here and there. . .Actually, she wants me to move in with her." He shook again, the thoughts of living with that woman scared the hell out of him. The term 'extremely clingy' came to mind. "Anyway, I think by this time next week I'll be in good with Patterson and that's all that's important."

"Oh yea? Do tell." They hadn't really discussed the case much, which was mostly her fault. Mac just didn't' want to know what he was doing with the other woman. She trusted him enough to know that he wouldn't do anything to hurt her and certainly wouldn't do anything behind her back. "Kinda curious how this works."

Harm grinned, he knew that she'd eventually want to be clued in. He was actually impressed she held out for so long. "This week there was a party at Patterson's place, a little illegal gambling, some dope, etc. . .I finally got Patterson to notice me and managed to sneak in a conversation or two when Kendra wasn't looking."

"You must be losing your charm if it's taking you this long to snag a woman, Rabb." Mac teased.

Rolling his eyes, he gave her a pointed glare. "I'll have you know, MacKenzie, that I was trying not to come off like a prick." Prick? The word reminded him of a case that had landed on his plate no more than a day ago about a Mr. Samuel Levi. The man was laundering money, but the issue was how. Whatever operation he'd been using was so flawless that the FBI had to resort to hiring a PI service. With what little information they had given him, it was clear that Levi was a first rate asshole who had a penchant for having a different woman on his arm every other night. Different woman every night. You could practically see the light bulb hanging over Harm's head. "Mac, I just thought of something."

"Should I be worried?" By that wild and reckless look he was sporting the answer to that was yes. "I'm taking that bizarre look of yours as a yes. . .Question is should I say 'no' right off the bat or wait to hear your proposition?"

Oh, she should definitely hear his proposition. "Go undercover for me."

As he'd expected, those expressive brown eyes of hers grew wide as saucers. "Undercover?"

"Undercover." He nodded. "I need the assistance of the female persuasion. . ." He grinned, thinking Mac had persuasion written all over her. "The FBI landed a pretty interesting money laundering case on its hands. . .I need you to. . .distract the mark."

Alright, so that was certainly the oddest thing that any boyfriend had asked of her. But, what was even odder was that Mac was finding herself intrigued. "What kind of 'distraction' do you need?"

"A sway here, a bump there. . .Maybe a little dancing?" He offered out, already thinking about the best places to implement her 'assets.' "Best of all, I'll be there so if he tries anything I'll be there to. . ."

"You'll be there to watch this Marine kick his six to the curb, right?" She offered, interrupting him before his overly gallant and superhero side reared its ugly head.

Duh, of course. Typical of her to use that 'I'm a Marine' speech, only in a different format. He should have known better. "That's right." Harm said with a cute grin.

"And just how will you be there without blowing my cover?" She crossed her arms, then pinned him with a dangerous gaze. "Lemme guess. .. my chauffer?" Seriously, this was all some form of morbid curiosity and maybe a craving for a little adventure. Not that having Michael ransacking her place wasn't adventurous enough, but this had the makings of one of those plots she and Harm were famous for.

Harm sighed, "Well, I won't be THERE THERE. . .But, you'll have a bug and a pin camera on you." He leaned into her, almost as if he were telling her a secret. "I'll be the guy sitting in the black SUV just around the corner. All you gotta do is holler and I'll come save your cute Marine six."

"Ah, Captain, but maybe this Marine doesn't need your cute Navy six to save hers." A grin was forming on her lips, widening as they moved closer and closer.

God, this was fun! It was like the teasing and banter from before was right back along with this incredible thing between them. Were they really concerned it would all go away the moment they hit the sheets? If anything, it was magnified and much more fun. This may not have been the prime location, but neither of them cared as their lips made contact for a kiss that quickly got carried away. "Ahem." The sound of a familiar timbre broke them apart. "Maybe you two should take my room. Looks like you need it more than I do." Gunny said, grinning even though he was feeling as if he'd been probed by beings from another planet. The nurse that was pushing his wheelchair just giggled as they headed towards his room.

"To be continued." Mac said, kissing him once before standing and following Gunny who was now being set up back in bed. He was looking better and better as each day progressed. The bandage on his head had come off and hair was starting to grow around an ugly scar on the side of his head where the bullet had grazed him. "You're looking better, Gunny."

"I feel better too." He nodded in agreement and sighed contently after the nurse was finished fluffing his pillow. Knowingly, Harm and Mac glanced at each other, if they weren't completely amiss, love was in the air. "Thanks Kim, will I see you later?"

Kim, the nurse, bent down and placed a kiss on his forehead. "Count on it." She smiled politely at Harm and Mac then quickly made off to finish her rounds.

"New girlfriend?" Harm really couldn't help it and the moment the words got out Mac jabbed him in the ribs. "Oww! . .I mean, nice nurse."

Gunny chuckled, wincing slightly as the action caused a sliver of pain over his body. "She asked me out, actually. . .I told her once I was mobile again that I was totally willing and able." He spied the briefcase which Harm had brought in with him and nodded towards it. "Anything interesting?"

"Not about your case. Both PD and our guys are hitting a brick wall." So much for protecting the people he cared for, he couldn't even watch over his partner. "The Patterson case is moving. . .I think one more week, maybe two tops."

"You said that last week didn't you?" Gunny pointed out with a smug grin. "What about my case?"

Harm nodded. "Not sure if I told you but, Jarvis is gone. . .He's also the main guy we are watching. . .I think he had something to do with the robbery and our attacks." He was certain of it, but evidence was a little more than skittish. "We'll keep on trying."

"Maybe we should open the case up to some of our clients? Maybe to some of our marks?"

The thought had occurred to him, but he really wasn't looking into pursuing hundreds of people on this case when he had the gut feeling Jarvis was involved. "If it comes to that, then that's what we'll do. . .But, for now, you just relax and enjoy your time with Kim."

"Anything else of interest?"

Mac glanced at Harm, "Yes, he procured me to work for you guys."

Though Gunny wanted to laugh it off, he could see they were dead serious. "You're not leaving the Corps are you? I mean, the job is alright but. . .Mac, I always thought you had a chance to get somewhere far."

She waved his concern off. "It's nothing like that Gunny. . .Harm just wants me to seduce the pants out of some money launderer. . .You know, fun stuff like that."

"Oh Lord." Gunny chuckled, this had the makings of another Harm and Mac adventure. "Can't you two be like a normal couple? Dinner, movie, dancing? Nope, you have to throw in a little bit of PI work." With an overprotective 'big brother' type of attitude he pointed towards Harm. "You take care of her, alright?"

Two Days Later
2250 Local
The Angels Nest Bar & Nightclub
San Diego, California

Harm sighed loudly for the umpteenth time, something that was starting to annoy Mac who could hear everything he was doing and vice versa via a hidden transceiver inside her ear. "Stop doing that." She said, then waved the bartender over for another club soda with a twist of lime. And though she was tired of his sighs, his complete silence unnerved her greatly. It was quite the conundrum.

She waited for the woman next to her to move and then spoke to him. "You don't have to be completely silent, you know? Just stop sighing." She shook her head and turned to the side, glancing over a lovely painting of some sort of either Italian or Parisian coffee shop.

"Sorry, couldn't help it." This apprehensive feeling just didn't leave him. It began when he saw what she was wearing to the club and continued as he realized that he needed to be impartial with this case. At the moment, she wasn't his girlfriend, she was an employee and as such, he needed to trust her to do the job as he did with the others. At the very least, The Angels Nest wasn't as racy as some of the clubs he'd entered in the San Diego entertainment district. The new club had its wild nights, but not as crazy as the places the younger crowd liked to permeate. Where those other clubs enjoyed a slew of hip/hop and modern dance. This place was pure 80s and doing one hell of a job of packing it in every night.

Best of all, its founder was the one man that they were after. Now, if only he would show, things would be much easier. "I hafta say, the music here is excellent." Trying to fit in with the others around, she swayed on the barstool to some instrumental number she'd never heard before.

Harm chuckled. "When we're done, I'll make sure to take you dancing there."

"Hey, don't joke about that, I am serious, it's great in here." Though she wasn't exactly WITH him at the moment, Mac was enjoying herself. It had been ages since she'd been in a bar or a club. Now, some of those songs, they took her back. True, going back wasn't always pleasant. Some memories sucked, others were things from her teens and early twenties which she held dear to her. "You know, I say we give it another hour." She was concerned about her presence in the club and though she was trying to keep up with the happenings, constantly turning down the men who wanted to dance with her was starting to drive her just a little bit bonkers. "If I get hit on one more time, I am going to scream."

And there went sigh number one thousand for the evening. "Well, don't wear what you are wearing." He'd never seen her in anything THAT risqué before. Harm didn't even think Mac was THAT liberal to wear something like that. The term 'little red dress' came to mind along with the words 'lacy' and 'racy.' There was a reason for it as well. Technically, Mac was wearing underwear. . .or rather, sleepwear that could pass dressware. Whatever it was, he couldn't picture her wearing it until she stepped out of the bathroom of his office and he nearly collapsed. Actually, he could picture her wearing it, but not to seduce another man. "You look like you're on the prowl, Marine."

She erupted in a fit of laughter, nearly choking on the soda she was sipping. The bartender who noticed her distress quickly had a new drink in front of her as well as a small stack of napkins which Mac thanked him for. "Thanks, Harm. . .nearly drowned in my drink." She raised the glass up, nodding her thanks again to the bartender, then sighed. "Look, you told me to put on the sexiest thing I own. . .I thought this was pretty much it. . .Apparently it is. . .Just following your instructions, boss."

Sigh number one thousand and one. "Maaaaaaaaac." Harm whined, sighing one more time just for the hell of it. He was about to remind her that she never followed much of what he said when Samuel Levi hopped out of his midnight blue Hummer which he parked outside of the club. "Tabling this, Levi is here. . .I repeat, Levi is here."

"Rodger. . .Wish me luck." Through the mirror behind the bar, Mac made sure she was looking her best and that her 'girls' were in the right place, not having a mind of their own as they usually did.

"Good luck." That was it, time to go mute in hopes that no interference would distract her. He would only speak if completely necessary. It was then that he felt truly apprehensive about it all. And, then again, it was extremely morbid to ask the woman you love to do something of this nature. Part of him felt as if he were pimping her rather than asking for a favor. He only hoped she didn't feel the same way and that this case would wrap up in a couple of days.

"He's here." Mac whispered, then turned around on the stool making sure any man, especially Levi would get a good look at her legs and hopefully he was a legs kinda man.

Levi, she noticed, was a very young and exotically good looking guy who looked more like a common little rich boy than a money launderer. Looks, she knew, were usually deceiving. The man wore a sharp business suit which screamed of the amount of wealth he probably had acquired. And, from the moment he stepped inside, he was waving bills around, handing them to employees as if they were a pack of gum.

Mac tried her best to get noticed, reaching over to grab a napkin and, effectively brushing Levi's arm when he took a seat by the bar. He turned, took a glance at her well manicured hand and his gaze traveled upwards. Her short locks framed her face beautifully and it was true what Harm said, that men tended to notice her more with short hair than with the longer one which hid away her best features. "Well, hello." Levi said in a British accent. Thing is, he wasn't British, hadn't even been towards that island, but chose the accent because he knew it tended to work on American women.

"Hi." She breathed out, not convinced the accent was genuine. Being a lawyer had honed her instincts and in some instances, they were flawless. In other instances. . .well, safe to say that she thought Michael Rose was a 'good guy.' "I'm sorry, I was just trying to reach a napkin." She extended her index finger and casually pointed to the small stack behind him. As she leaned forward to reach them, Mac purposely dipped her body in a way that she knew he could see down her dress. It was almost like offering your jugular to a vampire, but, hey, if it worked, it worked.

Levi suddenly turned into a gentleman. "Oh, here, let me." He took a few, placed it in front of her and smiled charmingly. It may have worked with other women, but all she could think of was that it was nothing compared to Harm's smile. "This is the first time I've seen you here."

Mac nodded. "That's 'cause it is my first time. . .I just arrived here from Portland." Yes, out of town was the way to go. Some men found it empowering to have a new piece of meat on their territory. "Lovely place."

"Thank you. I'm the owner, Sam Levi." He extended his hand, taking hers and kissing her knuckles softly, grinning as she pretended to do that girlie 'I'm so impressed' giggle thing. "And you are?"

They never did discuss her alias despite all of the planning. She was sort of confused as to how Harm could forget such a thing. "Sandra. . .Sandra McKinley." It was a good tactical move to choose something CLOSE to her name in case he called her and she didn't remember to react appropriately. "It's very nice to meet you, Sam. . .So nice to see there is actually a gentleman in this city."

He seemed slightly off put by her comment. "Why do you say that?"

Mac shrugged, took a sip of her drink and licked the rim just for fun. "Oh nothing, just that many men don't know how to treat a lady that knows what she wants."

Oh yea, that totally got his attention and even the attention of the bartender who was pretending not to listen. "Really? And what is it that you want?"

A small smile upturned her lips as she motioned towards the dance floor. Sade's "Smooth Operator" had just begun. 'How fitting.' She thought, not knowing that Harm was thinking the very same thing. "I want a dance."

Levi took the invitation, not taking his eyes off of her as he led her through the small crowd and towards the center of the dance floor. He positioned them and Mac pretended not to mind that his hand was resting right on her six. Nor the fact that he didn't even subtly wander into the area. He just simply took his hand and placed it there as if it belonged there. As if she were his possession. The whole thing made her just a bit nauseous. Closing her eyes, she reminded herself that this was a job and it wouldn't last too long. Eventually, after they'd made contact and Harm was sure he was interested in her, he'd call her cell phone and she'd make up some story and leave. "You're a very beautiful woman, Sandra. . .Much too beautiful to be here. . .alone."

How'd she know he was going to say some crap like that? Too bad there wasn't some button she could press to make herself blush at will. She giggled all girlie-like, reminding herself to kill Harm if any of this got out. "I am not here alone. . .You're with me, Sam."

Outside, in his SUV, Harm sat, groaning in disgust. Thankfully, the audio hadn't cut short and the camera he placed both in Mac's small purse and in a strategically placed sequin, he was able to get a good angle on the place. "True. . .So are you planning on coming here more often?" No questions about her past. Nothing about her staying in San Diego, only a question about her visiting his domain. Lovely.

"Only if you promise to be here." She grinned slightly, hoping that playing the clingy, brainless woman wasn't doing more harm than good. If he was the type of guy that only wanted something pretty hanging onto his arm, then her willingness to be with him won't really matter much.

Levi tightened his hold on her, crushing her chest onto his own and grinning when she didn't resist. "Oh, I'll be here."

"This is too much." Harm sighed, grabbing his cell phone. Levi was interested, that was all that he cared about for now. Trust would come later. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, anxiously waiting for her to answer. "Answer Mac. . .Damnit. . .answer. . .Mac." Angrily, he depressed the mute button on their transceiver so that he could nicely ask her to answer the damned phone.

When he did a loud feedback, screeching noise sounded off in her left ear. "Oww!" She yelled loudly bringing her hand up to her ear as she stepped away from Levi.

"Sandra?" Levi asked, his face more curious than concerned.

She hoped the earpiece hadn't fallen off, that he hadn't noticed she was wearing it at all. Thankfully, with a brief touch, she found it to still be in its place. Glancing up at Levi she smiled slightly. "Sorry, some sudden pain in my ear. . . I had a bad cold, I guess it's residual." Wow, she really could take this whole BSing thing somewhere if her lawyering gig didn't pan out.

Sympathetically, he gave her a squeeze. "Would you like me to check on it?"

"NO!" She yelled, a bit too abruptly, then covered up. "No, the doctor I went to said no one should touch it. . .something about infection." Alright, that sounded gross and with all certainty, by the look on Levi's face, he was slightly repulsed. Not good. To top it all off, it really was the wrong moment for her purse to be vibrating. Smiling at him, she excused herself, then dug the phone out. "Hello?"

"Mac, it's me. . .time to go." Harm spoke, his voice whispered and sounding, if she read him right, completely embarrassed.

Mac frowned. "It did? Really? When? Oh God. . .Yes, yes of course. . .Thank you, bye." She snapped the phone shut then slid it back into her purse. Turning to Levi, she placed a hand on his chest and ran it upwards, slightly, resting her hand on his face. "Sam, I'm sorry, but I need to go. . .It's urgent."

"Urgent?" He repeated waiting for an explanation.

She nodded. "A friend of mine who's pregnant is having some pains. She went to the hospital, but she's all alone and. . .God, I just can't let that happen." Mac smiled earnestly, trying to buy the whole lie herself. Something in his eyes flickered and instantly, she knew it worked.

They said their goodbyes and she was more than a little shocked that he actually kissed her. On the lips no less. He walked her to the car she was using for the undercover work and helped her into it, giving her one more kiss before allowing her to drive off. Sighing, Mac touched a hand to her ringing ear. "Damn, Harm, what the hell was that?"

In his own car he waited a few moments, making sure Levi was back in the club before leaving. He didn't want anyone to be suspicious. "Sorry, I was trying to tell you to answer the phone, but this thing had interference from somewhere. You did good Marine." He smiled. "The camera's got me a good picture of the place, I'll take a look at it tomorrow in the office and figure out a game plan."

"When are we headed back in there?" She asked, anxious to get the case over with. Mac didn't like Levi. It was doubtful that any woman actually did, but his whole attitude reminded her too much of too many men she never wanted to be with again. Men who would take what they wanted without even so much a care in the world.

"Day after tomorrow, I need him to LONG for you." He groaned as he said it. Not only did it sound like a page off of some cheap romance novel, he really did feel like he was pimping her. "Mac, that didn't mean to come out that way. . .I um. . ."

Mac rolled her eyes slightly. She knew what he meant. "It's fine. . .Let's head to your office so you can drop off the equipment and then beat it on over to your folks' house. . .I'm exhausted."

A Day Later
1825 Local
Mac's House
San Diego, California

Mac sat in her red Corvette, silently contemplating walking back into her home, the place that she'd worked so hard to turn into a place that was truly hers. The place some madman destroyed for reasons she wasn't too sure about. Nervously, she reached for her cell phone, dialed in the messages and waited. There was only one, from Harm who had stated that there was trouble in her home and that she needed to get there immediately. So, she'd dropped the work she had left to do and sped out of JLSS like a bat out of hell.

When she spoke to him, Harm had said something in regards to the police trying to contact her and that he would join her as soon as he was off a case he was working on. That meant she had to do this alone, which was fine; she was a Marine that could handle anything. But, she shouldn't have to be asked to shoulder this. "Damn, MacKenzie. . .This is YOUR home. . .YOUR place, you can't let that bastard win." Despite the uneasy feeling, the pep talk DID work.

Mac opened up the car door, swung her legs out and set off up the steps to her home. She slipped the key into the keyhole, turning the tumblers until they gave way. 'Hmm.' She thought, 'Gotta change the locks.' That she remembered, Michael didn't have a key, she never gave him one. But, that didn't mean he couldn't have stolen one of hers and made a copy. As far as she remembered, the police reports did note that it seemed like an inside job.

As she stepped inside, everything seemed different and she couldn't quite put her finger on what was going on. There was some sort of chemical smell in the air, almost like that of fresh paint. 'Probably some solvent from the investigation.' She guessed, shrugging her shoulders as she stepped into the living room, expecting the worst.

What she found blew her away.

- - - - - - -

Okadota – Nope, Mac didn't know it was Jarvis at all, she's only met him once or twice and why would you want to remember a dork like that anyway? Not to mention, he's pretty skilled in the art of changing persona, so at that moment, it didn't look like him.

Heather – Thanks for the review! Hopefully I'll keep your interested peaked. :)

NK – Computers are pricks sometimes yes:threatens puter: Jarvis is NOT in on it with Michael and Schilling. At the beginning Jarvis wasn't going to be a bad guy, just a jerk, but I had some ideas and he was there, so it works. . .Just wait until you find out EXACTLY what and WHO he is. :Grins:

MiDushi – I try NOT to forget earlier chapters, though I have sometimes. It's just a big story. And I don't want to break it down to two smaller stories cos it's pointless. Vic is going to start losing it, truth is Vic has a slightly shady past with one of his coworkers and Jarvis is good at getting people to do what he wants so he's putting the whammy on Vic. That sounds sick. ;)

Brittany – Just don't fall off that seat's edge huh? Wouldn't want to get sued for you hurting your butt. HAHAHA!

Xblue – You hate me:Sobs for like ever: Calix I need a hug!

Jamie – Vic is slowly losing it and Jarvis is using that to screw with him. Mac is in the middle because Jarvis feels it's a way to 'thank' Vic is to help him snag Mac. It doesn't help that the person between Vic and Mac (Puke) is Harm and Harm is the person he's after. .. Why? Well. . .more of a reason than just revenge. ;)

Nikki – Jarvis is a jerk, but just wait until you find out how much of a jerk. God, it's gonna be fun!

Lisa – Yay! Still hooking you:D

Nix707 – I know, I would love to see Harm eating meat! Maybe I should make Mac force him LOL! "C'mere flyboy, get yer big JUICY steak!"

Foxy – I passed it though! And yes Anatomy sucks, it was SEMI interesting but our teacher went into too many details and was just a BLOG of information :sighs: I Passed though!

LtJGMeg – Yea, Harm and Mac sweetness will be simmering around form time to time. ;) Action/Adventure/Romance that's the ticket!

Lurkz – You have more! Everything in S. Fla is still in shambles, we're still trying to repair our way of life and there was a lot of damage around some places. We missed a week of school which means we have a week less of Xmas break. . .Stuff like that, but we're moving forward, Miamians are like that. :) Thanks for your concern! Slimeball trio is actually going to be a slimeball two pairs of twosomes. ;) Yes, that was confusing, sorry!

Froggy – Yea, Ffnet is on crack this week. Some of us lost our reviews. How sad is that! Harm and Mac do rock don't they:)

Acer – Trying to update as fast as possible, work, school, hobbies. . .Argh, I don't have a life lately. Oh well. :D

TVAngel – Vic sucks and if you like hating Vic you will hate him OH SO MUCH more in the next few chapters as a few dirty secrets come out.

Jecho – Jarvis sucks. Mac doesn't really figure it out. . .someone else does but it MIGHT be too late. Hehehe. ;)