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.

24. Hiding Something Behind Those Eyes

Hey gang, sorry to those that got the "unbetaed" version. This is the betaed version without all of the beta's notes. Sorry about that again.

Jackie

Part 24 – Hiding Something Behind Those Eyes

2120 Local
Manda Patterson's Yacht
San Diego

Harm and Kendra Nichols (the 'other girlfriend' as Mac un-lovingly called her) headed slowly up a small gangplank and onto a rather large yacht. "I thought she lived in that house we went to? For the party?" He whispered to Kendra then glanced around at the beauty of everything around them. Never much into the whole rich and famous type of things, Yachts just really didn't impress him unless he was the one driving the boat around. This time, however, it was very difficult not to feel something about the boat. It was truly magnificent.

Kendra chuckled. "Manda's always changing ideas. . .she sold that house a couple of days ago and is now living here."

"Ah, understood." Well, not really, but at least there were possibilities now, methods of sneaking onto the ship, maybe even using some police equipment to tap into it. Kendra led him through the ship, weaving past other party goers until they reached an upstairs section which was an open-air, wooden deck. If it wasn't because he knew better, Harm could have sworn the whole thing was bigger than an aircraft carrier. "She had to have paid a fortune for this." Everything inside screamed of glamour, from the gold dusted columns in the main dinning room to the elaborate glass etchings which served as paintings.

They had meandered towards the bar and then to a small table in the corner waiting for Manda Patterson to make an appearance. According to Kendra, the woman was never on time and the term 'fashionably late' could certainly apply. "I can't believe that bitch is late for her own party. . .I don't think she knows just how much cash I blew to fix this all nicely.

Harm rolled his eyes, having to deal with Kendra was starting to drive him nuts. The woman was a complete airhead and though he felt marginally sorry for using her, he had a job to do. Mercifully, there were only about fifty people on board, not enough for him to completely lose touch with the situation. Unfortunately, with that came his inability to stick Kendra with someone until he could get Patterson alone in order to charm her.

He'd been hinging for weeks that things were 'going to be over soon', but the more he tried, the more busy things seemed to get. In truth, Harm knew it wouldn't be 'over soon', he just couldn't come to terms that this was possibly disappointing Mac. Maybe he just couldn't come to terms that he was disappointing himself? Through the crowd he spotted Patterson and if it hadn't been because he didn't feel a thing for her, that whole 'magic glance from across the room' would probably mean something. Alright, so he found her sexy, attractive – any heterosexual man would – but, she just didn't do it for him. Contrary to Mac's past thought, he wasn't always into leggy blonds.

"Kendra, you made it." She smiled brightly, kissing her friend on both cheeks, using that moment to eye Harm. "And Jack, isn't it?"

"Yes." Harm clarified, taking Manda's hand gently. "Jack MacKenzie." Yup, there was no doubting where HIS mind was when he was coming up with an alias. "Thank you for letting me tag along, I so enjoyed the last party." Jack MacKenzie enjoyed that last party immensely. Harmon Rabb, however, was dying to get out as quickly as possible. The terms – brothel, casino and crack house – would have been the best way to describe the last festivities he'd attended. There were all types of men and women for the single folk who would be yours for a few hundred bucks. All types of alcohol (some illegal) graced an elegant bar while the narcotics were given out like breath mints at a table in the far corner. People were not shy about what they were there to do. If they wanted a little intimate action, rooms were available. In the mood to snort coke? Not a problem, the glass coffee table was a big hit in that department. All in all, it was an itch that most law enforcement agencies would have loved to have scratched. And though Harm would have loved nothing more than to shut it all down, he was wiser than that and would partake in the activities (well, only the drinking and some black jack) and go after the bigger fish once the opportunity allowed.

And a bigger fish he had gone after. It didn't take him too long to catch Manda's fancy, in fact, by the end of the night, they were chatting away. Now, it was all a bit difference, almost as if she'd caught the bait: him. Now all he had to do was lose Kendra and things would be set. Manda would do that for him. "Kendra, babe, Lucas is looking for you." She pointed across the room towards a tall, blond haired, green eyed hunk of a man that looked more like a football player than an executive. The man waved over at Manda who waved back and pointed to Kendra. "You know, I was talking to him last night and I think he might be ready to close that deal for good."

"Oh yea?" If it were humanly possible, dollar signs would have lit up inside Kendra's eyes as the prospect of a new deal hit her sweet spot. Marking her territory, she kissed Harm on the cheek, leaving a lipstick mark. "I'll be back in a bit, baby. . .Manda, watch him for me."

Manda grinned. "With pleasure." She hesitated for a few moments, waiting for Kendra to reach Lucas before turning towards Harm. "She's my friend, but I wonder what you see in her?" This wasn't about trying to be catty, but no one knew Kendra Nichols better than Manda Patterson. The two had gone to college together, been roommates, buddies. On occasion, they'd even slept with the same man, but that didn't mean that Manda actually LIKED the woman. For one instance, there were few things that Kendra was good at. – Business being one of them. The other? Well, we best not get into those types of tails. – She was basically a skilled airhead.

Harm could understand a man thinking that he wanted to be with Kendra. On the outside, she was a knock out, but once you got skin deep, it was obvious that long term wasn't something to look forward to. "She's. . .fun." Yea, right, fun if you liked having your teeth pulled. Though Kendra was rather a nice person, she talked so much and so fast that it would give anyone a headache in the span of a minute or two. "I enjoy spending time with her. We mesh really well."

"Sure you do." She patted his arm sympathetically, then noted the mark on his cheek. Really, how pathetic is that? "You know you have something. . .ah, wait." Taking a napkin, she dipped it in ice cold water then used it to dab the lipstick mark off of his cheek. "Kendra was trying to stake her claim on you, I think." Manda stepped dangerously close to him and Harm pretended not to notice that her breasts had brushed up against him. "There, all done." She smiled, then tossed the napkin on the table as they both turned to glance at Kendra who was in deep conversation with Lucas. "You know, you definitely have to be one of the sexiest guys I've ever met."

While he was welcoming her intrigue in him, this blunt statement caught him so off guard he had to change his game plan. Instead of being the seducer, he'd become the seduced, not too bad in a day's work. Ah, but if he only knew that he wasn't just been seduced. "I ah. . .well." Playing the fumbling male idiot seemed to work well for him, so he stuck to it. "Umm, thanks I guess."

"Want to dance?" She took her glass of champagne and his, placing them on the bar. "I bet you could dance a girl into heaven."

"There's no music playing." Nothing was playing; absolutely nothing and it was hardly acceptable at a function of this caliber to just dance to the sound of clinking glasses and idle chit chat.

Taking his hand, she pulled him up the steps which led to the top level. "We'll make our own music." Oh, he was one hundred percent sure that with her wiles she could make music with any guy she wanted. The upstairs area was being guarded possibly by the same goon that had nearly found Harm and Mac hiding away in Patterson's closet. The memory made him smile. God, years had passed and still they were making waves. "What's so amusing?"

Harm tried to smother the smile, but decided to use it against her. "Nothing, just that you. . .uh. Well, it seems like you went through a lot to set this up." He was referring to the upper level. Smooth wood flanked the floors leading to a table for two in the corner. There was a bottle of champagne chilling with two glasses on the table. The music, which wasn't present in the lower level, played through a small speaker system that confined the sounds only to that level. The tune was some slow sexy number. She was trying to seduce him and though it was good that he didn't have to work so hard at it, part of him was worried. True, it was better up top than in one of the bedrooms below where he would have to work double time to stop things from going too far. She was now standing behind him as Harm glanced out onto the bay. "No offense, but this looks like you were waiting for someone."

"I was waiting for you." She breathed out, her voice sultry. It really didn't matter that so-called Mr. MacKenzie was really Harmon Rabb, private eye extraordinaire. It had been AGES since she'd actually been with a man she was attracted to. Rabb was easy on the eyes, with a body to die for. Debunking him or not, she was going to have some fun first.

"You didn't even know I was coming."

'Yes, I did.' God, this was too easy. Well, alright, it had been a bitch to put together, but the end result was just. . .splendid. He was here, in her lair. The seducer falling victim to the seduced. "I had a hunch." She grinned impishly, then pointed towards the table. "Care to have a drink?"

"Sure." Now, Harm would like to think that he had everything perfectly planned, but things just don't go that way. Step one was to get a foot in and that he'd done at the previous party. Step two was to make her want him and maybe even ask him to stay around. While he was, apparently, doing well with that step, he wondered just how far he had to take this masquerade. Sleeping with the woman was completely out of the question – he wouldn't do that to Mac. But, the way she was looking at him was making that a difficulty. Manda Patterson WANTED him, probably on a platter with a little chocolate on the side. "Let me." He poured the champagne for the two of them, happy that at least he took control of SOMETHING.

"To. . .us." She offered as a toast, raising the champagne flute to clink it with his own. As she drank the thousand dollar liquid, her eyes met his over the brim of the glass. 'Too, too, easy.' Little did she know that her method of seduction wasn't working, well, at least not like she thought it was. "Tell me something about yourself, Jack? I mean, we chatted so little that other night, I barely got to know you."

Ugh, chit chat. He hated chit chat almost as much as he hated being in these odd situations which could go either way. If he played hard to get, she might be affronted and back off completely. However, some women that were pariahs like Manda only made them try harder. And, by the way she was looking at him, it was clear that she would go at any means to snag him. "Well, I do many things. . .Kendra calls me her Jack of all trades." He laughed, feigning the true emotion which he didn't feel. "Basically, I am a stock broker, have been for a long time." Grinning, he took his flute and downed the rest, refilling it casually. "But, I like to dabble in darker things."

Ah, sure he did. Which is why Harmon Rabb junior was a decorated war hero, pilot, Navy lawyer, currently still training under the reserves. Yup, that had 'darker' written all over him alright. She tried not to chuckle at all of the information that she knew, biting her lower lip which seemed like a move towards seduction rather than occultation. "Umm, yes. And you did very well with the darker side of things. . .You cleaned out at the black jack table."

"Jack of all trades, Mrs. Patterson." Damn, those eyes of his, that voice and his whole look was almost too much to bare. After Randy Quinn, she really hadn't been involved with anyone else for fear that it would let her guard down. The men she had been with were nothing more than a messy one night stand and some of the men were nothing to write home about. Then came Rabb – the man she was trying to trap – didn't things just suck? There was always a light at the end of the tunnel of course: the possibility of bringing him aboard. Maybe she could just use that little Marine Colonel to her advantage and snag him in the process. The term 'Love Slave' came to mind.

"You can call me Mandy." It was a name people rarely called her and that included Jarvis. When they were younger she'd often beaten the snot out of him for uttering it. But, with Rabb. . Hey, why not? Alright, so for a woman who had done her kind of atrocities, it was a little too cutesy, too feminine. The attraction to him was foolish and dangerous. But, weren't those the perfect kinds? Besides, she had money, power, weapons, narcotics, all of which could control him with the snap of her fingers. "So about that dance."

Harm took her hand and eased her to the center of the deck. When he looked into her eyes, he found something there. She was hiding something behind those eyes. What was it? Oh yes, it was going to be a long night.

1345 Local
The Robert's Residence.
San Diego, California

Lt. Commander Bud J. Roberts was 'holding down the fort' in the form of tongs and the barbeque fork he was using to cook the meat on their new grill. Charring meat was a manly right of passage and he'd fought long and hard with his wife – they were deciding between a grill and a piano for the boys to learn an instrument. (Bud was less than thrilled to have his boys learn piano which wasn't quite 'manly' enough.) From his spot on the back deck, he glanced out onto the yard watching Mac tossing a football with little AJ who wasn't so little anymore. He smiled with earnest, it was nice having these moments with friends. Friends that were really more like family.

The day was turning out rather nice with good friends (most coworkers) and family. "Hey there, Bud." Then there were a few people, which he'd invited to this Pre-Labor day barbeque out of politeness. People like Lt. Commander Gregory Vuckovic. "Can I help with anything?" At least the man hadn't been acting like his normal jerk self. 'Course that might have something to do with his friends dwindling by the second. As far as Bud could count, Vic's only 'buddies' were two Lieutenants that he played basketball with on the weekends.

But, Bud wasn't the type to hold grudges forever and despite that whole little mess with Vic during the week, today was about ignoring work. And that is exactly what he was planning to do. "Nope, it's all covered, just grab a beer and enjoy yourself." He hadn't wanted to let the Colonel's obvious dislike for Vukovic ruin his own perception of the man. However, no matter which way you saw it, there was something about Vic which got under your skin and not in a good way. "Beers are in the cooler right there."

Vic ripped open a cold one, taking a hard gulp. "Ah, thanks, needed that." He grinned at Bud, then patted him on the back. "If you need help, don't be afraid to ask." Leaving the man to tend to the meat, he walked down from the deck and onto the grass of the large yard. Not too far away, he could see Mac playing with the kids and settled on a lawn chair to watch her through the shelter of his sunglasses. "Damn. . .I need a woman like that." He said gently, turning away when she made eye contact with him.

Mac was alone that day. Well, alone in the sense that Harm wouldn't be there. He was busy wooing Patterson and though she did understand, it didn't mean she had to like it much. It wasn't about trusting him, though, trust issues were a major bump in the road. She could never see him cheating on her or her cheating on him. No, it was the other woman she didn't trust. Not to invite trouble, but too many things could go wrong that would result in him hurt. . .or worse. "Good one!" She laughed when she caught a rather hard throw from her godson. Winding up, she tossed it back, laughing some more as he did a touchdown dance which made him look like a frog was down his pants. "AJ, I'll play some more later. I'm going to help your mom out, alright?"

"It's cool, Aunt Mac." AJ Roberts was now ten years old and going through that awkward age as a child. Thankfully, some of his wildness had ceased, she guessed the move did that to him. "I just don't want to hang out with the babies." Everyone younger than he were now 'babies.'

Though she normally got groans from him, Mac tousled his hair. "How about you play with Commander Vukovic?" She pointed Vic out from the small group that had arrived.

AJ laughed, shaking his head. "Umm, Aunt Mac? You're kidding, right? He throws like a girl." He whispered, grinning conspiringly.

"Oh, yes, I forgot." Though 'like a girl' was probably a bit much, Vic's throwing of a football could be categorized in one word – horrible. They had played a 'touch' football – officers against enlisted – and he'd insisted on being the Quarter Back. In the first quarter, due to his less than stellar performance, the officers were losing a whopping 35 to 7. It took Mac taking over for them to marginally come close, but they never won. "I'll play later."

"Is Uncle Harm coming?" One of the things that had broken Mac's heart immensely was the way in which AJ Roberts spoke of his godfather. He never forgot Harm, even though it was almost five years from the last time they saw each other. Often, he would get packages from him, all the kids did, but there was never any visitation or phone calls. Estranged would be the perfect word. In AJ's mind, whenever Mac was around it meant that Harm should be to. "He's only visited us once."

Mac nodded. "I know, sweetie. But, Uncle Harm is doing a very important job, much more important than the one he did before." This was true, the military could take care of itself, but the people Harm was 'protecting' were the innocents who got caught in Patterson and Quinn's narcotic schemes.

AJ frowned, "I know Aunt Mac, but. . .He isn't going to leave again is he? I missed him, so did mommy and daddy and so did you." With that, he took the football from her and headed towards the swing set where Jimmy was playing with one of the junior staff's kids.

"No, he isn't leaving again. . .Not ever." She hoped.

The whole week the Roberts' had been planning this get together for the staff and Mac had always assumed Harm would be her 'date.' To know that he was out, at this moment, with another woman was rather unsettling. She loved him, she trusted him, but. . . "This is driving me crazy." Looking around she noted there were very few co-workers that were here alone. Technically, she wasn't alone, she had Bud, Harriet, Jen, the people she trusted the most. But, it wasn't the same. This would be the first time they'd really be seen as a couple and she wanted that; it was time.

"Hey, Mac?" Startled, she spun around coming face to face with Vukovic. Grinning, he slipped a hand into his pockets producing a cent. "Penny for your thoughts."

She shook her head. "They're worth much more than that. Excuse me."

"Colonel, I want to put this. . .animosity behind us." That stopped Mac dead in her tracks. It was a frightening tone to hear coming from him. It was honest, truthful and without any smart-aleck timbre. "I realize I can be a creep (that's an understatement!) and I am sorry for that. . .It's just that. . .Well, it used to work in other billets. . .You are a harder nut to crack."

"Harder nut to crack? Did you think that comment would get you brownie points, Vuckovic?"

"Sorry. I guess I have a foot in the mouth problem to overcome. . . I'll work on that."

Amused, she brought her arms across her chest. "And what about your penchant for being a royal pain in the ass?"

"I'll work on that too." He grinned, trying not to be too cocky or too flirty. And he was flirting with her, but subtly so.

Mac wasn't buying it. "What brought on this sudden. . .sense of empathy?"

"I'm tired of being your enemy, Mac. . .I want to be your friend. Your colleague, someone you can trust."

Yes, but with the little known detail that he was the SECNAV's boy, trust wasn't something up on Mac's to do list when it came to Vic. "We'll see."

He reached out and touched her arm, trying not to seem too possessive when all he wanted to do was grab her, shake her, make her see that he was the one she needed to be with – not Rabb. "I mean it. . .Ever since I got here I've been impossible. I realize this and I am sorry. I will try to act as a good officer should."

"How long is that going to last? Until you get tired of playing nice. . .or. . .until I give you something that you want?" She didn't put a definition on the last part of her sentence; it could have gone either way. It was the purpose behind the question, the answer was something she knew he wouldn't give her. Not if he wanted to keep his face intact.

Perhaps she was giving him a nice sized rope to hang himself with? "What is it that you think I want?"

She tilted her head to the side, amazed he had the gall to ask. "I have my assumptions. . .One of which is inappropriate between a junior and a senior officer." Raising her hand Mac shook off a comment she knew was coming. "And do not bring up Colonel Farrow." She warned. "I was much younger then. Youthful indiscretion may have applied to me only because I was in my early twenties and thought it was love, but you're a big boy. . .and, despite the halfcocked way you handle things, you are clever enough to realize that you're heading into unfriendly territory."

Ah, Farrow – the lucky SOB. Vic would be lying if he said he didn't think of a younger, naïve version of the woman standing in front of him. That woman he surely would have broken and that was the woman he was trying to chip now because parts of your past still made up parts of your present. "I may have treated you inappropriately in the beginning, back in Falls Church, but I've out grown that. . .I can't say I don't find you attractive, because I do, but you are way out of my league." A little butt kissing wouldn't hurt, she actually seemed surprised by it. He offered her his hand. "Anyway, the point of this whole conversation is to offer a truce."

"A truce?" Mac found it odd that he chose that specific word to categorize the conversation. A truce would make them, somewhat, equals and she wasn't likely to equate to him in any aspect. "I'll call it an. . .an. . .understanding. Not a truce."

Alright, so he could handle that, it was better than nothing. "You have yourself a deal." They shook on it and Vic used their new found understanding to bait her into more personal conversations. He did have a good amount of details on her life, but things were missing. He wasn't considered a friend and missed all of those opportunities, the things that weren't on paper. The things that weren't scuttlebutt. "Could we chat a bit?"

New understanding or not, Vic still didn't convince her. She doubted he ever would. Still, one bad thing about her was getting her curiosity peaked and that was exactly what he was doing. "Chat?"

"Yes, I realize we never talked. . .as friends I mean. . .I don't know anything about you."

"That's because I keep things to myself. . ." If Mac would put his expression into words it would be hopeful. Vic seemed hopeful, poor guy. "And that isn't going to change."

"I wasn't suggesting getting personal, Mac. . .I mean, just discussing stupid things: your favorite sports team, favorite color . . What type of music you like. . .stuff like that."

He was rambling off things and amusing her at the same time. She always found it funny the lengths people, in general, would go to in order to get what they wanted. When she didn't immediately answer, he went on another tangent, telling her his favorites. He was goading her, Mac knew it, but the moment a familiar figure stepped out onto the Roberts' deck, Vic ceased to be a burden and everything was right in the world.

Harm looked, in a word, delicious. He was wearing a tight fighting black t-shirt with the words 'I love Rock and Roll' written across his chest. The jeans he was wearing were tight in the right places and the sunglasses gave him just a hint of mystery. She watched as he shook hands with Bud and intercepted a tackle from AJ. Almost as if in slow motion, he slipped the sunglasses off and scanned the yard, making eye contact with her.

"And, then of course, I love Jazz. . .It's awesome, don't you. . . think?" Vic furled his brow. What the hell was she looking at?

Mac stood up. "Excuse me, Lieutenant." Great. He was back to being Lieutenant again?

"Uh, it's Commander now . . .Mac." Annoyed couldn't even begin to cover it and he didn't have to turn around to know that Harm was the reason she was so enthralled. He didn't expect, however, for Mac to literally run across the yard and crash into the other man's arms. Nope, THAT was a surprise.

Mac reached Harm and pulled him close, hugging him tightly, feeling his arms wrap around her. Damnit, it was a day, maybe two, but she missed him. She missed him terribly. Mac pressed her lips to his own and immediately their tongues met and dueled, then parted, only to repeat the caress again. Holding his head, she deepened the kiss, knowing they were creating a bit of a show, but she really didn't care. There weren't regulations anymore. This wasn't forbidden. They could have each other and there was no one to say otherwise.

No one except one pissed off Lieutenant Commander who wished his eyes had lasers. The day had been great for Vic. He and Mac had a new understanding after all. But this. . .Oh, this was way too much for him. It was obvious that they were together. Scuttlebutt had been unrelenting when Harm started living with her after the explosion. Now they were REALLY giving them something to talk about. "This is nauseating." Grabbing his beer, he downed the rest, recovering slightly to hear the cat calls and applause.

When they finally broke apart, Harm gently placed his forehead against Mac's. The grin that graced his lips was infectious. "You made it." She was surprised, but pleasantly so.

Harm nodded. "Managed to sneak away. I know how important it was for you that I be here today."

"Not just for me, you know. . .Our friends miss you too." She kissed him again, slowly, with a little more love than passion. The passion could wait until later, much later.

A little over an hour later, after everyone was fed and happy, Harm sat on the top side of the picnic table, watching as Mac played hide and go seek with the kids. Conspiringly, he pointed towards a shed, helping Jimmy find where AJ and Mac were hiding. He laughed as they both pouted when they were discovered. Turning to the side, he reached for his beer, taking a long pull of the cool liquid. He was surprised (and it wasn't pleasant) to find Vukovic approaching him.

"Hey, Harm. How are you?" Playfully, he slapped Harm's back, noticing how the other man had visibly flinched. "Sorry, didn't mean to hurt you."

It was easy to pretend that there was nothing wrong, that he hadn't been injured. But, the scars Susan had left were always much more tender than any other spot on his body. And it wasn't a good type of tender. The wounds were a reminder of what weakness could do. "You didn't hurt me." He grinded out, sighing deeply, hoping to elude this odd feeling that suddenly came over him. "And I am fine, Vic, thanks." He finished the beer in two gulps, then placed (read: banged) the bottle on the top of the picnic table.

Vic grinned. So there WERE chinks in Rabb's armor, chinks he could use to his advantage. Jarvis had mentioned something towards discrediting Harm in Mac's eyes. Glancing at the empty beer bottle, he found the perfect topic to begin with. "Is that really a wise thing to do?"

Shocked by the question, Harm spun around, pinning Vic with his glare. "Excuse me?"

"I mean, being Mac's guy and all, I'd figure you wouldn't drink around her." He picked up the beer bottle waving it in front of Harm, almost taunting him.

Harm was at a loss of words, completely and utterly. His mouth opened, he meant to say something, but nothing came out, not even a peep. He stared at the beer bottle on Vic's hand, then lunged for it, ripping it out of his grasp. "What's it to you?"

To say that Harm wasn't feeling himself was an understatement. Nothing had happened with Patterson. They had danced and he used some lame excuse to leave there and spend the rest of the night alone in his hotel room. Nothing had happened – that is if you didn't count him kissing Patterson repeatedly and liking it. No, he wasn't attracted to her, but he had to admit that Manda was attractive. The kisses, he knew deep inside, were a means to an end. He needed to finish this with her, to get what he needed and debunk her narcotic trade. But, it wasn't just for that, he needed Mac. He needed to stop worrying that something would go wrong and she'd get caught in the crossfire.

The night before had not been fun. Manda had made it blatantly clear that she wanted him and would get him at any cost. In the middle of their private dance, Kendra had walked in, found Harm's lips on Manda's and literally had a fit. Kicking and screaming she was taken off of the yacht and would probably never be heard from again. Or so Harm hoped. There was nothing worse than having to deal with another woman. This was getting ridiculous.

'Careful, Vic. Careful.' Vic was going to back off slightly, but cornered animals tended to sometimes expose a thing or two. "She's an alcoholic, right?. .Why would you want to kiss an alcoholic when your breath smells like alcohol?" Holding back a grin was becoming near to impossible, but he succeeded. "That's not very smart." The way he said it was almost as if he were disciplining a child and it was having a desired effect.

His long legs allowed him to climb across the picnic table in one swift movement. Grabbing Vic by the shirt, Harm slammed him up against the wooden fence, destroying a portion of Harriet's herb garden in the process. "Listen to me you sick son of a bitch. . .You touch her and I'll. . ."

"You'll what? Kill me? Yea, right." Vic taunted playing with fire and learning how to wield it. He'd always known Harm was a hothead. Scuttlebutt had said so, but he never thought it would be this easy to get him going. Glancing over his shoulder, Vic noted that everyone was staring. "They're staring, you know? All of them seeing what you really are. . ." As Harm's grip tightened, words continued spilling out. "Is this why you left the Navy? You were losing control. . .Weren't you?"

Never in his life had he actually craved breaking someone in two as much as he did Vukovic. If it were any other day, Harm wouldn't have had a problem keeping things under some control, but today. . .no. There was too much on his mind. Reluctantly, he let Vic go. "I don't know what you are doing, Vic. . . But it's not going to work." He turned to walk away then stopped. "On second thought." Without warning, he slugged Vukovic, one punch sending the other man to the ground.

Angrily, Harm stalked out of the yard, using the side gate, ignoring the looks others were giving him. He knew Mac had been watching, he could feel her following him now. "Harm, wait." Oh, he so didn't want to do this with her, not right now. All he wanted was to relax, spend time with friends and not have to worry. Now, it would all come out, everything – Vic, Patterson – everything. "Hey, wait." She grabbed his arm, stopping his movement before he got too far. "Harm?" Nothing, no answer. "Look at me."

The look of worry that he found etched on her features as he turned to face her broke his heart. "Mac. . .I. . Nevermind." Standing her ground, Mac prevented him from leaving. Clearly something was bothering him and she would get to the bottom of it. "There was something he said. . .It. . .made me react."

"What did he say?" When she got no answer, Mac took his hand and pulled him gently up towards the porch. "Sit, let's talk." She pointed at a swing, joining him as he sat. It was frustrating to see him shut down again, for them to revert to their old selves, but that part couldn't just disappear, it never would. So, it needed to be dealt with head on, not walked around, and she was moving towards a head on collision. "Tell me."

For the life of him, there just weren't ways to put it. This wasn't about Vic, though the man's attempt to rile him up wasn't something that should have been dismissed. "It's the case. . .It's getting to me." It was more than getting to him. For the first time in his life Harmon Rabb felt tainted and he really couldn't understand why. "I'm in. . .I have Manda eating out of the palm of my hand."

Mac was confused, "Isn't that a good thing?" Gently she ran circles around his back, hoping to soothe whatever was going on. She should have seen something was wrong. He was hiding something behind those eyes. But, it was a nice surprise to have him there, she'd ignored looking for something more. "Something happened?" It wasn't a question, she knew Harm and if he was beating himself like this, something bad must have happened. "Did someone get hurt?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Did something happen between you and Manda?" She pretended to be impartial while he was dealing with other women but it did hurt. Something about it had similarities to them working at JAG and letting their jobs get in the way of intimacy. Mac didn't want to lose him and two consummate professionals had a nasty habit of letting work get in the way of their private lives. Such was the way in modern life, but she couldn't. . .wouldn't go back to that, not with Harm.

When his shoulders slumped, Mac had all the answer she needed. "Did you two. . ."

"NO!" Harm yelled, coming to his feet and stepping away from her. He leaned against a post, glancing at her from over his shoulder. "Is that what you think of me?"

"No. It isn't. . .It isn't." She defended. "But, the way you are acting. . .it looks as if the world has come down on you and I am fresh out of ideas."

He sighed deeply. No, he hadn't slept with her, but why did it feel like he did? As if he betrayed his relationship with Mac? "I kissed her. . .And I liked it."

"Oh." Mac couldn't help from sounding disappointed if she tried but, she still needed to be there for him, for them. "It'll be fine, Harm."

Quickly he spun around, his hard gaze keeping her from getting too close to him. "Don't. . .Don't pretend you aren't hurt. Don't pretend you don't feel betrayed because, if it were you out there and not me, I'd want to rip someone's limbs off." He threw his hands up in frustration. "I mean, at least be PISSED OFF or something!"

"I AM hurt. . .But, I know this is for a greater good and that it isn't just about you and me." That took the wind out of his sails almost as if she'd had slapped him. Standing, she leaned against the railing, glancing out towards the street. "I am hurt that you kissed her. And, I am PISSED that you said you liked it." Well, she was pissed, but she could understand it because she'd rather liked the company of 'the bad guy' before. If she remembered correctly, even though both of them knew Mark Sokol was slime, there was an attraction there and it was mutual. "But, I understand."

This really wasn't what he wanted to hear. Groaning, he stepped away from Mac assessing the situation. By all rights, he should have been pleased that some Marine death tactic wasn't used on him but, he wasn't. "Damnit, Mac, can't you just beat me up or something?"

An eyebrow hit her hairline. "Beat you up?"

"YES! Beat me up! Chew me out! YELL at me! Something!" Harm didn't want her to be passive, as far as he was concerned, he did wrong and when you did wrong you are supposed to be penalized. Cautiously he stared at her, fearing a new look that had replaced her formal confused expression. "I ah. . ." He raised his hands up to thwart the attack he wasn't sure he wanted anymore. It took her just six steps to reach him, but Harm swore it was longer. He braced himself for a slap, a punch, something. . .it never came. Instead she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his body, pressing it flush with her own.

Mac's hands tangled in his hair, pulling his head down. She pressed her lips to his, kissing him hard and passionately, trying to tease him into kissing her. And kiss her he did, deeply, searchingly. Her hands weren't idle either, they'd snuck under the t-shirt, feeling his rock hard abs. Her fingers traced the hem of his jeans and then moved towards his six. She dipped a finger into the waist band as he deepened the kiss on her. It was intoxicating and healing. Very healing and the only reason why they broke away was for air.

Harm groaned his displeasure at releasing them from the spell. He rested his forehead on hers. It felt that with every breath he took, every time he sampled her scent, a piece of the tension melted away. "Damnit, how do you do that, MacKenzie?"

Mischievously she grinned up at him, then licked her lower lip. "I ask myself the same thing." She pressed her lips against his once more, eliciting a moan from Harm that left her breathless. "We're. . .soul. . .mates." She said between kisses.

Somehow, and neither of them were quite sure how, they were sitting on the swing again, Harm with Mac on his lap. "Soulmates?" He questioned, stopping the kiss to look her in the eye. "You honestly believe in that?" To say he hadn't thought about that term in regards to her was a lie. But, did things like that really exist?

Mac nodded, then gave him an Eskimo kiss. "Think about it. . As much as we've tried to stay away from each other, we ALWAYS wind up together. . .Every time." A slight blush came to her cheeks as memories of the past floated through her mind. She recalled, specifically, a conversation with her therapist in DC, Lt. Commander Vera McCool. The woman had asked her once who she went to when things went wrong. When Mac had indicated that it was Harm the woman had been completely surprised. 'Every time?' Maybe it wasn't 'every time,' but it sure was frequent. "I know we've had trust issues and this might be a bit presumptuous, but have you ever felt closer to anyone else?. . .And be honest."

Closer? He knew the answer to that. "No, I can't say I have. . .And even when I haven't trusted you. . .I trusted you." He glanced at her strangely for a moment, "Does that make sense?" Sighing, he pulled her closer. "I've thought a lot about why this happens between us. . .and I have to come to the same reasoning as you. . .I mean, I can't say I stopped thinking about you the past five years. From time to time, you would sneak into my head. . .But, to see you here. . .It renewed my hope, you know? I knew it wasn't over."

That first day they'd met in San Diego was a doozy for her. Mac had all but given up ever seeing him again. She wasn't happy without Harm, but when did that stop her from living. "I was so upset that day."

"Yup. I thought you were going to rip my head off." He chuckled.

She shook her head. "No, it wasn't like that. . .I was more upset at myself and how my traitorous body hummed when I saw you."

"Hummed?"

That previous blush turned a little brighter. "Oh yea. . .It made me realize that I couldn't shake you. Couldn't get you out of my skin and that there were worse things than wanting you." Sighing, she buried her head into his shoulder, breathing in his scent. Damnit, he smelled good, always did. "I just. . .I didn't. . .Didn't want to fall into that trap again."

"I wasn't trying to trap you, Mac." Is that what she felt around him? Trapped?

"I didn't mean that way. . .We. . You and me, without knowing we trap each other. . .We play on emotions and once it gets too intense, we can't take it and back away. . .I didn't want you backing away. . .I didn't want myself backing away either."

Harm understood that a little too well. Once he had accused her of running, but hadn't he done the same thing? "I want to say that it was JAG that kept us apart, but I know we have to shoulder the blame. . We could have made it work then."

"We ARE making it work." She corrected. Their pasts would always reflect on the future, there was no way to hide away from that.

He sighed. "It could have been too late." Staring up at her Harm saw a positive look on her features, completed by that mischievous grin that was previously there. "Oh, yes. I forgot. We're soulmates?"

She nodded. "I know it's a bit Romance Novelish for you, sailor. . .Frankly, it is for me too. . .But, you believe in fate, right?"

Harm claimed not to be a superstitious man, though he had to admit, he believes in enough metaphysical occurrences to prevent him from being a skeptic. There was always a link between the two of them. She had been the one thing that saved him so many years ago when his plane went down in the Atlantic. And Harm wasn't lying when he told her long ago that he always knew where she was. Well, maybe not 'always' but enough – he could feel her. "Yea, I believe in fate."

"It put us together and it could keep us together. . .forever."

He thought about that for a moment and realized it did make sense. "I don't like forever, Mac. . .But eternity sounds pretty damned good."

Mac swatted his arm playfully. Her lips met his own and before it got too far, she backed off. "Now, about this kiss with Patterson. . .The one you said you liked? Anything I can do to change your mind?" She raised an eyebrow up suggestively.

Unbeknownst to Harm and Mac, someone was watching, listening in on the whole conversation, taking in each and every detail. Jealousy was a monster which was difficult to get rid of and Vic was letting that monster consume him from within. "Son of a bitch." He said softly, then straightened up from his post behind a bush when Harm and Mac's kissing had become too much for him to bare. His little spat with Rabb should have been enough to get her pissed at him and, instead, they talk about some woman he's dating on the side and wind up kissing! "What the hell is wrong with this world!" If Jarvis didn't make good on his promises to take care of Rabb, he would have to go to plan 'B.' A plan, he decided, wasn't a bad thing to implement anyway. "He'll never know what hit him."