Adrift No More – Part 3
Disclaimer – See part one for all important information
Mac's emotions were in overdrive. She took a deep breath to calm herself and closed her eyes to fully absorb his unique masculine scent while she enjoyed the feeling of finally being in his strong arms. She still couldn't believe that he was actually here… right here… with her.
What happened? What was he doing here, and why? Shouldn't he be on a plane as he planned? She was flabbergasted. So many questions were running through her mind that she was totally incoherent to even speak. She knew there would be time for answers later. For now, she just wanted to bask in the wonderful feeling of him and the way he was completely surrounding her.
She was so overwhelmed and confused, that it took her a while to become aware of the fact that he was trembling and resting wearily in her arms. She held on securely as if she was the one, keeping him upright instead of the other way around. It took a few seconds longer for her to realize why he was shaking so uncontrollably.
"Oh my God! Harm, you're freezing cold," she stated in shock and immediately broke their embrace to look him straight in those beautiful, blue-green eyes. Mac shook her head critically as she tried to get a better look at him. There he was leaning heavily on his cane, and she knew instantly that he felt like hell, and why shouldn't he, considering all that had happened in the past few days. Even still, he managed to look into her big brown eyes and give her that unique flyboy smile… the one who she loved so much and always managed to make her knees buckle. She shuddered attempting to shake off her thoughts of how just a few hours ago she would have given anything to see that smile. Instead, she had been standing in this same torrential rain looking up at his apartment window and Renee was the one in his arms.
"I'm okay," he uttered, so softly that she barely heard him above the sound of the drumming rain. Mac frowned at his assessment and was about to speak, but he tightened his grip on her and she refrained. Right now, he couldn't say if it was more of an attempt to reassure her, or if he was desperately trying to keep himself from swaying. "Really Mac," he stammered. "I'm okay."
It was then with the help of a flash of lightning, that Mac was able to get a really good look at Harm and his weakened condition. She was quickly becoming distraught and had the nagging feeling that he really wasn't okay. "Come on, Sailor. I think you have taken on enough water to last a long time. We have to get you inside and warmed up before you catch pneumonia out here and I have to bring you back to the hospital!" The visions she had experienced of him struggling to survive in the frigid Atlantic Ocean came floating back to her like a bad dream… only it hadn't been a dream.
"Oh yeah… does this mean that we are going to have to share body heat to get warm?" He bantered back, waggling his eyebrows somewhat suggestively.
"Nice try buster," Mac countered back with a sigh as she remembered a cave in the Appalachian Mountains a long time ago when she was with this very same man who promised her that everything was going to be okay.
Her thoughts fled quickly as a crack of thunder brought her back to the present where they were still standing in the pouring rain and relentless wind. She chastised herself for letting her enjoyment of being in his arms numb her to just how bad the storm was. Granted she had already been wet from head to toe before even coming outside, but he had no business being out in this weather in his fragile condition. 'Smart move, MacKenzie,' she scolded herself angrily.
She was ashamed for not acting more quickly and getting him inside right away. As she made her way with him in tow to her apartment building, Harm sensed her uneasiness and put his hand on her arm, making her stop instantly in her tracks. She looked questioningly at him and Harm once more gave her a warm reassuring smile.
"I'm really okay, Mac," he said, gently repeating his words from earlier. "There's no need for you to worry okay? Granted I may look like a drowned rat, but I'm not feeling like one." Harm's choice of works struck a chord with Mac and he knew it immediately. Chuckling, he shook his head trying to make light of the whole situation.
"Ah… Mac, I'm sorry. I'm always putting my foot in my mouth when it comes to you, aren't I? I should have come up with a better choice of words."
She couldn't help but grin over Harm's attempt at a recovery as he enveloped her in another embrace. It felt so good for both of them to be here. 'Home, I'm finally home,' was all he could think about because deep down in his heart, he knew that 'home' could only be wherever Mac was. What he didn't know was that Mac was thinking the exact same thing about him. They both squeezed a little tighter as they held on and smiled.
Mac laughed quietly as she sniffed. "Gosh. You know," she started to say as she took a deep breath in the process of trying to get her feelings under control again. "As much as I love being here with you, in your arms, could we please move this upstairs? It's a bit too wet out here for my liking. And… ummm… I hate to admit this, but… ummm…"
"What? What's wrong?"
"Well… I… I sort of forgot to put some shoes on before I ran out when I saw you standing down here," she quickly jabbered, looking down at her bare feet. Harm could have sworn that she was blushing but with the darkness surrounding them, he couldn't say for sure.
Harm found her comment hilarious and managed a huge belly laugh before letting go of her. "Good argument, counselor. Let's go," he stated and together they made their way up to her apartment.
x
"Come on in," Mac said, opening her apartment door for them. Harm, limping slightly followed her into the apartment. Mac could see how much he needed to get off his feet. The pain he was feeling was clearly visible in his eyes even though he would be the last to admit it openly.
"Brrr, it's a bit chilly in here. I better start a fire," Mac said. Rubbing her hands together, she quickly walked over to her fireplace to finally get some warmth into her apartment.
Harm was shocked to say the least. The words 'a bit chilly' didn't quite describe the temperature in her apartment. Without making a mountain out of a molehill, it was darn right freezing cold. Hell, he could swear he saw the steam coming out of his mouth with every word he spoke.
Why hadn't she already started a fire, or at least have turned up the heat while the power was still on? She had been home for God knows how long before he got here. 'What is going on here?' He wondered, and made a note to himself to ask Mac about it later.
Harm knew that there was definitely something going on with her. This was not like his marine. His mind immediately wandered back to the time Mac had declared herself his bodyguard and insisted on staying at his loft to watch over him and protect him from Clark Palmer. He had woken up to find her wrapped in a blanket complaining about how cold it was in his apartment and could he please turn up the heat.
"Okay, that should do the trick," Mac said, bringing him out of his thoughts. She got up from her knees and walked over to her bedroom. "Now we better see about getting you into some dry clothes, before those wet ones freeze to your skin."
The words had no sooner left her mouth and Harm sneezed.
"Bless you."
"Thanks and I like the way you think, Marine," he said as he started to follow Mac into her bedroom. "But please don't tell me you expect me to…," he continued but was immediately interrupted by Mac's answer.
"Don't worry, Harm. They are yours," she quickly explained, knowing that Harm thought she was about to give him some of Mic's clothes to put on. Mac lit the candles that were on her nightstand to give the darkened room at least some light.
"Do I even want to know how some of my clothes made their way into your closet?" Harm asked grinning. He actually liked the thought of their personal things sharing closet space.
"No," she quipped. "You certainly do not want to." Not wanting to explain to him why some of his clothing was actually in her possession.
She opened her closet to get his stuff and quickly changed the subject. "Why don't you sit down on the bed Harm? I really do think you need to get off your feet for a while."
"Nah, don't worry. I can handle it," Harm protested.
"Harm..."
"Mac, I'm all wet!"
Mac chuckled dryly, placing his clothes on the bed for him. "Don't worry about the bed, Harm. I can change the sheets and blankets. It's not a big deal," she told him matter-of-factly. To herself she added, 'and while I'm at it, a new bed is in order as well.' She didn't want to have any reminders of her time spent with Mic Brumby, especially those times spent in the bedroom.
"Well then, if you're sure," Harm said with a shrug and a groan as he slowly and painstakingly lowered himself to sit down on the bed, sighing once he was seated.
"How much does it hurt anyway, and I want the truth Harm?" Mac asked softly as she pulled some towels out of the closet and handed one to him while she took another one for herself.
"Seriously Harm, don't you even dare try to give me any of that typical macho behavior crap that men seem to exude in these situations. I would see right through it anyway," she warned pointing her finger at him.
Harm mockingly stuck out his tongue and shrugged apprehensively as he started to towel dry his soaked hair. "Okay, okay. I'll admit it. It hurts a bit. BUT it could be worse I guess. It has just been a long day."
Mac couldn't help but smile at his boyishness. "I guess." Then she chewed on her lower lip while toweling her own soaked hair, suddenly feeling a bit nervous and somewhat shy. "Well… ummm… I better get out of your way so you can change your clothes. I'll make some hot tea. Thank goodness I keep a camping stove around here somewhere. It certainly comes in handy during times like these. Unbelievable, isn't it? Mother nature goes on a rampage, and civilization as we normally know it, is put on hold. I'm sorry I can't offer you a nice hot shower, but without the power… there is no hot water. Besides, you shouldn't shower during a raging thunderstorm, and I only have flowery shampoo and a girly vanilla shower gel which I doubt you…" Mac knew she was babbling, but she was powerless to stop herself.
"Mac… it's okay," Harm spoke soothingly, taking her hand into his and squeezing gently. "Everything is alright. Please don't worry so much about me because I am more worried about you at the moment, Marine. You're soaking wet too and freezing cold, and somehow I think the chill goes deeper than the few minutes you just spent outside with me."
"Harm, you don't have to…," Mac started to protest, but Harm wouldn't hear any of it.
"Yes, I do have to! I have every right to worry about you just the way you worry about me. Now… get out of those wet clothes and no arguing, Colonel."
Mac raised her eyebrow, not quite suggestively, but just enough so that Harm could see her nervousness was slowly disappearing and being gradually replaced with her feisty cockiness. "Wow, are you always this bossy in the bedroom, Commander?"
Harm gave her his best flyboy-grin and winked. "Oh, you haven't seen anything yet, Colonel."
Mac groaned and rolled her eyes. "Get changed, Harm," she said and made her way out of the bedroom. "The tea will be ready in no time and then we need to clean up that cut under your left eye. Of course I want to hear all about how it got there," she said with a smirk. It was a little cut that had stopped bleeding and was only a little bit swollen. If she didn't know better, she could swear someone got a bit pissed off and actually hit him.
"Of course," Harm replied with a grin, remembering the not so pleasant scene on the plane. But his thoughts immediately returned to Mac and the look she gave him after his 'haven't seen anything yet' comment. He had to laugh. 'I think I got ya going, Marine,' he mused.
Mac could hear the sweet sound of his laughter as she closed the bedroom door behind her. The sound comforted her and gave her a warm feeling inside even though it was still chilly in her apartment.
Yes, Harm was right. Everything was all right, or at least they were on the right path. With that thought still in her mind, she started to light all the candles she had around her living room. Slowly and steadily, she could feel the darkness in her heart dissolving as hope was taking its place and in turn, the once completely darkened room was coming alive bathed in a soft glow of comforting light. It was time to heal.