A/N: In response to some of the feedback. 1) Sam makes a brief apperance in this chapter, but what happens here ties into something bigger that happens later. 2) Well I was way ahead of where I was with chapters written, but now I'm catching up FAST. Good thing the weekend is soon to be here and I don't much in the way of big plans so I can write write write.3) With more descriptive feedback it gives me something to hold the story up to. Some of the coming plot developments are definately going to be influenced by some of the more detailed feedback I've gotten recently, and some of the plot developments have been tweaked in a minor manner because of the same feedback. And for the record, I like getting detailed feedback, but if all anyone has to say is "good job, keep it up" then that's great too. I don't like one over the other; what I can't stand is negative feedback with no constructive criticism. Saying something needs work, without giving examples of how you think it needs work is pointless. Okay, enough of the soap box, on with the show...

Chapter 10

"We'll take two more," Jack signalled the waitress wandering around their section of the bar.

Harm glanced at the two fingers of amber liquid that remained in his glass and decided to toss back the dregs quickly to get it over with. No matter what beer he was drinking, the last bit of any glass always tasted like crap.

"Where were we?" Jack asked after the waitress deposited two more glasses of beer on their table and took away the empties. He'd been trying to get Harm to forget the idea that Patterson's death was his fault by talking about missions that went wrong, missions where people died simply because their number was up. "That's right, the ones that sucked; worst missions. I told you about Bosnia and Germany, now you tell me. What were your worst missions?"

Harm didn't have to think that long; he knew exactly what the two worst missions he'd ever had were. It was a little interesting playing 'What's your worst mission' with a person who knew what it meant to work on black ops when you both didn't have to worry about security clearances. "Laos and Paraguay. Although, come to think of it, China runs a close third."

Pausing to take a pull from his beer, Jack looked at Harm closely. "You seem a bit young to have been in Southeast Asia."

"I was sixteen," Harm replied after taking a big gulp of his own beer. He'd had four before this, and he was pretty sure that's why he thought talking about Laos and Paraguay might not hurt as much. "I heard about a Marine who was running missions into Laos and Vietnam to find POWs; thought I would hook up with him and find my dad. Lost a lot in Laos that summer."

"What about Paraguay?" Jack asked. "Drug dealers?"

"Yes and no," Harm muttered. When Jack opened his mouth Harm held up his hand. "Yes, he was a drug dealer, but the mission was to take out a load of Stingers he'd gotten his hands on. Wasn't even my mission."

"Are you collecting other people's missions for fun?"

"No," Harm sighed. "She went down there. I had a bad feeling about it after she did. Tried to get the…AJ to let me go down to find her, he said no."

"What'd you do?" Jack prompted, signalling for a fresh round.

"Went anyway, that's how I left the Navy. Found her, rescued her, saved her partner and got kicked in the teeth," Harm finished bitterly. "You want to talk about leaving parts of ourselves on our battlefields? How about love? I left love down in that stinking jungle. Went to tell her I loved her and got kicked in the teeth."

"That's the part about the job that sucks," Jack agreed. He knew exactly what it was like to lose the one you loved, probably better than Harm even. Losing a child was the worst loss, at least in Jack's experience it was.

"No, no, no," Harm waved his hand in the air to stop Jack. "Wasn't the job. It was timing!"

"Timing?"

"Timing! We always sucked at timing. I was here," Harm gestured broadly with one hand, and then gestured in an opposite direction with the other. "Mac was here!"

"Mac? Should I be worried about you Harm?" Jack asked with a hint of a smirk. He didn't have anything against those who chose to live an... alternative lifestyle, but the Commander had never struck him as the type. But then again, don't ask, don't tell.

"Huh?" Harm asked confused and then it dawned on him. "Oh, no. No, Mac…Sarah's nickname is Mac…Sarah MacKenzie. Mac, MacKenzie."

With a snort, Jack lifted a single eyebrow, followed by his almost empty glass. "Sarah? Well here's to Sarahs then, because I lost one too."

"You had a Sarah?" Harm asked with barely a hint of a slur.

"Had. Ex-wife now," Jack said with a brittle edge to his voice.

"To Sarahs then!" Harm proclaimed and clinked his glass up against Jack's.

Just as Harm and Jack made their toast the doors to the bar opened and a familiar blond head was followed by two more familiar figures. "Ahhh! The prodigal children return!" Jack called out when he saw the trio.

Sam gave a little wave when she spotted Jack and Harm at their table and stopped to look a little closer at the two of them. When she saw them order another round she put a hand on Daniel's arm to stop him from heading over there right away. "Daniel, I know you were thinking that talking to Harm about that Colonel you saw in DC would cheer him up, but I'm not so sure that's a good idea right now."

"Why not Sam?" Daniel asked absently.

"Let's just say the General and the Commander are happy enough as it is."

Looking over to where Jack and Harm were sitting Daniel realized what Sam was getting at. Sarah MacKenzie hadn't looked too happy when she'd given him her message, and to be honest he hadn't been able to get it to Harm until now. The two of them always seemed to be missing each other. Either Harm was training or on his mission, or Daniel was on a mission, or locked up with some fascinating artefact. "You might be right, Sam."

"Of course I am," Sam tossed over her shoulder with a cheeky smile as she walked over to where Jack and Harm were sitting.

"Sam!" Harm called out when he saw her standing next to their table.

"Carter!" Jack called out at the same time as Harm.

"Harm, sir. Looks like you two are having a bit of a party without us."

"He," Jack started, pointing at Harm. "Is being stubborn. Had to show him it wasn't his fault Patterson didn't make it back."

"And you showed him in the bottom of a beer glass, sir?" Sam asked with a devious little smile.

"No, that came later," Harm answered for Jack. "Daniel! Teal'c!"

"Hey, Harm, how you feeling?" Daniel asked, sitting down next to Sam.

Inclining his head slightly, Teal'c took the seat next to Harm. "Harmon Rabb. It is good to see you well."

"Thanks guys, I can't believe how much better I'm feeling, thanks to the lovely Colonel Carter."

Blushing, Sam looked away from Harm with the pretence of finding the waitress. "It was nothing, Harm."

Jack held his glass up to his lips but apparently had forgotten to take a drink as his eyes flickered between Harm and Sam. There was something in the air since Harm had thanked her; Carter's blush, her not wanting to look him in the eye when she responded; could it be? "Nahhhh," he muttered as he opened his mouth to swallow the rest of his beer. Sure, if someone put a gun to his head and forced him to admit it, he'd agree that Harm wasn't a bad looking guy; the smile, the height, it all had to attract women. And Carter, well there was absolutely no denying Carter was a looker, plus brainy, but in a good way. But there couldn't be anything going on there, Jack was sure he'd know.

Jack stuck around for another hour and then looked around at his companions. "Well kids, it's time for grandpa to head on home. Some of us have to be on the base at oh-five hundred."

"Why don't I give you a ride sir, I think you've had a few more than me," Sam offered with a knowing smile. She knew the General wouldn't drive drunk, but she could save him the cab fare.

"Teal'c and I should be going too," Daniel said as he finished his beer. "I have a briefing with SG-6 tomorrow. Oh that reminds me, Harm, I want to talk to you about those ruins you found. Come by my office tomorrow?"

"Sure," Harm shrugged. Until the Doc cleared him, SG-13 was on stand down so he supposed he didn't have a whole lot to do. "What time?"

"Anytime after ten will be good. Hey," Daniel added as he watched Jack and Sam head toward the exit with a couple waves in their direction. "Need a ride?"

Harm chewed his bottom lip for a moment, looking at his latest glass of beer. He knew he'd had more than he would normally allow himself, but Jack was right. He had needed this; and while he wouldn't be having many more, he didn't feel like going back to the base just yet. "Nah, thanks though. I've been cooped up on that base all week while the Doc poked and prodded me. I think I'll stay out a little later. It's only ten after all."

Nodding knowingly, Daniel knew just what Harm was getting at. Of course when the Doctor had been Janet Frasier, there was no burden being 'cooped up' in the infirmary. "Alright then. I'll see you tomorrow, Harm."

Standing up, Teal'c once more inclined his head towards Harm. "Good night Harmon Rabb."

"Night guys," Harm waved as the two men made their way through the bar towards the exit.

"Can I get you anything else?" the waitress asked as she came over to Harm's table to take away the mess left behind by the others.

"Just a coke please, I think I've had more than enough," Harm answered with a smile.

"Do you work out at the Mountain with Jack and Sam?" she asked as she put the last of the plates and glasses on her tray.

Nodding, Harm swallowed the dregs of his last beer and handed the glass over. "Just started a month or so ago."

"They're nice folks," the waitress said as she turned away to go get Harm's coke.

While Harm thought about what he and Jack had talked about, he had to admit Jack was right. There wasn't much he could have done for Patterson. Intellectually he knew that, but it still didn't make it any easier to lose someone. He'd said goodbye two days earlier when they'd had a memorial service for the young marine, and now he'd just have to work on putting it behind him if he was going to move forward.

Lost in his thoughts, Harm failed to notice a slender brunette standing next to his table. "Excuse me?" she said in an attempt to get his attention.

Looking up he started to smile only to stop in mid smile. At first he thought it was Mac, and for a split second his heart stopped. She had the same brown hair, and the same slender build with the curves in all the right places. It was only when he looked into her eyes and saw that they were a brilliant green that he realized this wasn't Mac standing for some unknown reason in a bar in Colorado Springs. Now that he knew it wasn't her, he could see other differences, but it was still uncanny; they could be cousins he thought to himself. Shaking his head slightly Harm allowed his smile to grow and raised a single eyebrow. "Yes?"

"My friends and I," the girl began, gesturing to a woman and a man standing by a pool table. "We were looking for someone to join us in a game of pool; our other friend wasn't able to make it tonight. Would you be willing to join us?"

Deciding that a good game of pool was just what the doctor ordered Harm nodded with a smile and stood up. "I would love to, thanks. The name's Harm."

"Allison," the woman said with an answering smile.