Harm caught her as she was trying to get her key in the door to her room. Her hands were numb and shaking.

"Mac, what…You're soaking! C'mon in, don't stand out in the cold…"

Thank heavens he didn't know that she had taken the stairs on the way up here and not the elevator!

He gently took her by the wrist, pulling her inside and towards her own room through the open connecting door.

"That's not what I was trying to do. I was trying to get my door open…" she shivered violently, attempting to explain.

"I'm sorry, I know…" Harm immediately knew just what she was trying to say, as always, "Let's get you into a hot shower, you're absolutely freezing…"

"Harm, wait, I need to tell you some thing first. Mrs…."

"After you get warmed up, Mac. Whatever it is can wait."

OOOO

Ch 8

Mac didn't protest; her hands were actually hurting now, they were that cold. It felt like pins and needles were stabbing them, all over and not just in that mildly annoying way. Harm helped her out of her uniform jacket and tie, while she fumbled ineffectually with the buttons of her blouse. When the tie was gone, Harm could tell that she would be there all night if he didn't help her.

He apologized, before he replaced her hands with his own, undoing the first few buttons.

"Sorry, Mac, but you look like you really need some help, there. Let's get this off so that you can get into the shower and warm up."

He finished with the buttons, pulling the garment down her arms and dropping it to the floor then turning her around to get at her uniform skirt zipper. Mac felt herself begin to blush, but Harm put her at ease.

"What? I've already seen you in a bikini…You didn't seem this embarrassed when you were going topless on that beach in Sydney…"

"I was not topless!" Mac snorted, still shivering.

"Oh, so out it comes, now! I should have known you were just razzing me!" Harm laughed, finally getting the zipper on Mac's skirt down, "Okay, marine, suck it up and get into that warm shower! That's an order!"

Mac held her skirt around her at the waistband, so it wouldn't drop, entirely. It was bad enough that she was standing there in just a bra, partially see-through to boot; she didn't want to be reduced to just her panties, too. She was thinking that Harm was at least gentlemanly enough to avert his eyes, when he gave her a playful slap to the six.

"Unnhh!" she couldn't stifle her exclamation, "Harm!"

Harm just laughed, making his way back to his room.

OOOO

"So, what is this thing you need to tell me?" Harm asked, when she entered the room again, dressed in sweats and still toweling off her wet hair.

"Commander Willows' widow came by, not long after you left. She told me that the commander wasn't in very good shape when he left for that training exercise. He hadn't been sleeping properly for months and I'm willing to bet that he wasn't of sound mind to be entrusted with the responsibilities expected in such circumstances."

"Well," Harm considered what she had told him, "even if he were the one in charge, he wouldn't be the only one to come under investigation, even if he were still alive. His CO and other superior officers…they must have noticed the state he was in."

Yeah, probably," Mac nodded, adding, "But now I feel so bad for his wife. She's going to have to live with this, on top of everything else…"

"It's a shame," Harm agreed, "She and her husband seemed very close."

"They've been through a lot together, Harm," Mac told him, "She was telling me that they've had three children, all have whom have died soon after birth. The last one, a little girl, lasted three weeks in the NICU before she developed pneumonia and passed away…That was three months ago and it really hit Commander Willows hard, because he wasn't at the hospital when it happened."

Harm nodded, running a hand through his hair, flinching.

"Ahhh…." He groaned, in awful comprehension.

"Yeah," Mac agreed, adding, "And he had been put on administrative duties for a month, a week after the baby died. I'm willing to bet that different superior officers have been noticing things, all of which, put together, have helped contribute to the factors causing this mishap. They just thought they were helping him by ignoring the signs. I'm sure that none of them ever imagined what all this would build up to…"

"I'm sure…" Harm agreed, at the same time studying Mac, covertly. He could tell that this was affecting her at a deep, visceral level. That cautious, concrete way she had been holding herself had not just been because she was soaking wet and freezing cold. It had not left her since he had seen her exit the bathroom. She was wounded and was keeping her distance from him, like an animal would. He decided to give her some more time before he tried to approach the subject of 'us' and the baby deal, so that she would maybe learn to trust him.

"How about a back-rub?" he asked, trying to keep his tone nonchalant, "You still look kinda stiff and sore…Was it all that shivering?"

"Yeah, I guess…" Mac mumbled, making her way over to where he had settled himself on the bed.

"My physiotherapist told me something like that, when I was recovering from my dip in the Atlantic. At first it was sheer hell on my muscles, simply because they were so tired and hyper-sensitized, but eventually, it felt like pure heaven! I'll try to be gentle."

True to his words, his pressure was indeed just right on her sore muscles.

"Mmm," Mac approved, adding, "Don't be gentle, be good…"

Harm chuckled, but didn't stop.

Mac felt a pressure build up as he carefully put his weight on the back of her hips, until the joints popped, loudly.

"Ewww!" Mac exclaimed, laughing loudly.

Harm joined her, knowing that she hated the noise of joints popping, especially on herself, nearly as much as feeling sensation.

She was quiet again as he continued, working his way from her hips, up her back, along her spine. He systematically pressed down firmly on different pressure points, until it was just a bit uncomfortable, then easing off. Each of the muscles in her back was addressed and Mac felt herself getting very relaxed and drowsy.

"Is that better, Mac?"

"Nnn-hmmm…"

"You're shoulders seem very tense, to me…But then again, you do carry a lot of your tension, there. Would you turn over and let me rotate them?"

Mac attempted to, but her limbs felt so heavy that she needed Harm's assistance.

"C'mon, Marine. Here we go…"

Straddling her, he firmly pressed down on her right shoulder with both hands, one over the other. Just as it began to become uncomfortable, he held it for a second then eased it off, slowly.

"That better?"

"Mmmm," she managed to make her head nod.

"Good," he moved onto her left shoulder.

Mac let out a sigh of relief, showing her satisfaction. After that, Harm took each of her arms, in turn and massaged from her shoulder down to her fingers, carefully stretching the limb out as he went. All the time, the two of them held their gaze, never wavering for a second. The expression on his face never changed; it said 'I love you,' 'You are important to me,' and 'I respect you.' Mac's replied, 'I love you,' 'You're important to me too' and 'I trust you with my life.' When he was done, Harm sat back on his heels beside her.

"Well?" he asked.

"Unngghh," was all that Mac could muster, struggling to keep her eyes open.

Harm just chuckled and got up.

"I take it that means we're going to be swapping rooms, tonight?" he asked, taking in her relaxed appearance.

He turned around and started to make his way to her room, to turn in for the night, when Mac spoke up, behind him.

"Harm?" he voice was deep with sleep and Harm couldn't quiet help but think about all the fantasies he'd imagined that voice in.

"Yeah?"

"Please could you stay…and just hold me, tonight?"

"Sure," Harm didn't even hesitate.

He quickly changed into boxers and a t-shirt, in the bathroom and made his way back to the bed, climbing in beside Mac. She had fallen asleep, but stirred as he settled down, rolling in to cuddle in his arms.

"G'night, Marine," he bid her, with a kiss to the top of her head, before closing his eyes, himself.

OOOO