A/N: Thank you for the amazing reviews. Sorry for not getting back to you personally, as I usually do, but I've been having some problems with my computer. Everything is solved now. This chapter is going to be about the past between Harm and Rome, just so you get what was going on with them. I can imagine that things look a little strange 'cause you don't know anything about their history.

Second, but that won't go for this chapter, everything in between (...) is Portuguese, but I translated it already. Less text and a whole lot less work for me.

Hope you'll enjoy!

Saint Vincent Airport, St. Vincent

Cape Verde Islands, Africa

1340 hours local

Harm, Romaine and Clay exited the airport, squeezing their eyes against the sudden daylight. It was warm this time of year, almost pushing ninety degrees. Two days traveling in a row was exhausting. Jolando was waiting for them with the car. He'd arrived two days prior and had been to the other island already.

'Hey Harm, good to see you'. They shared a masculine hug and Jolando kissed his sister on her cheek. 'Let's get you checked in and we'll discuss things later tonight okay?'

Not having slept for close to forty-eight hours was getting in his system. If they all looked as exhausted as Rome did, they weren't good. Checking in the pension wasn't the thing Harm was worrying about. They were undercover as a married couple, traveling to see some family, which wasn't a total lie since Armando Pereira was Romaine's great-uncle. What had Harm worried was that they were going to have to share close quarters.

Romaine and he had accidentally met almost ten years ago, when Romaine was almost sixteen, at the UCLA, where she was visiting her brother and Harm was taking a Portuguese course. They had become friends and had stayed in touch after Harm returned to DC. For Harm it had been to keep his skills up, for Romaine a way to talk to someone else than her family. Harm had met her parents, whom he liked very much, and her brother Jolando. When Romaine started to work as an interpreter for the Pentagon, they started to see each other more and more. Soon, Harm had found himself in love with her. And, lucky enough for him, she had been in love with him too.

But being in love hadn't brought them the happiness they had hoped to find. Although Romaine knew more about him than anyone else, she didn't always understand the reasons behind the things he did. Then, right beforehe started to work at JAG, she'd sent him a letter saying that things were over. But a little over a year and half ago, she'd come back to him. Not looking for a romantic relationship, but looking for a friend. They had stayed close friends ever since.

And now they were going to share the same close quarters as they had been sharing voluntarily four years ago. It worried Harm a little. What was Romaine going to say about it? Not that she really had a choice… And she'd come to him right? She wanted him with her. Like she had wanted him with her all those years ago.

Romaine herself was too tired to think about any of it. All she wanted was to see a shower, preferably with water that wasn't heated by the sun but by a boiler, and a bed. She needed all the hours of sleep she could get right now. Especially if she was going to have another exhausting conversation about her parents tonight.

Not that she didn't know what Harm was thinking about though. They had been in a place where they had trusted and openly loved each other. And she had… well, not really thrown it away but let it slip through her fingers because she wasn't really willing to work for it. Only to find out that she wasn't able to live without him. Only, this time she had kept him at a distance, not knowing whether or not she was ready to let him in again.

The kiss of a couple days ago was burned into her memory. She could still feel his lips against hers. Soft and strong. It hadn't changed. That little tingle she'd always felt when he'd done that had appeared yet again. How was she supposed to get through the coming couple of weeks if he was going to be around her? If he was going to be so close?

Harm opened the door to their room and set their bags under the side table near the door. Yep, just as he had figured. A simple room, with just a queen sized bed, a closet, small bathroom and a small table with two chairs. All they needed for one night.

'You want the shower first or…?'

He didn't even have to finish the question when he heard the shower running. Okay. She'd slipped out of his sight before he had been able to say anything. He let himself fall on the bed. This was going to be harder than he'd first thought.

Sunrise Hotel, St. Vincent

Cape Verde Islands, Africa

2050 hours local

Harm and Romaine just had dinner with Clay and Joland and now they were sipping their coffee on the terrace. They had just discussed the major points of the case.

'Okay, is there anything else Rome and I need to know before we get ourselves into that snake hole?'

Clay looked up from the table. 'Not that I really know of, no. I think we got it pretty much covered. Gabriela Da Silva- Vermont will start to work for Izabel Pereira since she is almost eight months pregnant. Her husband, Zachary Vermont, will be working for Armando Pereira. We let it slip to him that you can fly almost any airplane they got and he was more than happy to get you to join the team'.

Romaine's eyes darted to her brother. 'Are you into this?'

Joland shook his head. 'Not really. Clay will be but I have to stay just a little outside the loop. You don't really look like either Mom or Dad but I'm the spitting image of Dad. They have mixed you up pretty good. I just have to do it with a little more outside job'.

Harm was playing with the wedding band around his finger. It was maybe better that Joland was a little more outside. Romaine shivered and Harm wrapped his arms around her. It was something he did on auto-pilot. Rome didn't seem to mind. 'Where are they?'

'Where are who?'

Harm nodded to Joland. 'The Barrett's?'

Due to tradition, the family's daughter was named after her mother. Romaine actually had two last names, Ferreira and Barrett. She only used her mother's name. Joland was only named after his American father.

Clay sipped his coffee and shook his head. 'They're safe. The less you know the better Zach'.

Harm nodded. 'Of course Andy'.

Andrew Patrick was a business associate of Zachary Vermont. Not that Armando Pereira knew that. If he had the slightest idea of Zach and Andy knowing each other, it would be only a moment of time before he would have them killed.

Romaine snuggled deeper into Harm's embrace. 'Anything else you want to know? We've been over this a million times already. Can't you dream it by now?'

He smiled. 'I just need to make sure that I know everything I need to know before I get us in there'.

Joland kept a close eye on his younger sister, knowing that she was safe when she was with Harm. He knew almost everything about their relationship. He only didn't really know why they had broken up a couple years ago. As far as he could see they still loved each other.

Harm put his cup on the table and rose, offering his hand to Romaine. 'Ready?'

Taking his hand Romaine stood up. They said good night and went to their room. Once lying in bed, Harm had to keep himself from simply rolling over and wrap her in his arms as he always had done. She was so close and still so far away.

'Harm?' Romaine was lying on her back, staring at the ceiling.

'Mmm?'

'Are you sure you want to go through with this? He hasn't seen you; he only knows that they are coming'.

She was still concerned. That counted for something didn't it? 'Rome, I'm sure I want to go through with this. I'm gonna be here all the way'.

It was silent in their room again, except for the soft buzzing of the ventilator. They were both thinking of the times that had been and about the operation that was to come.

'Rome?' Harm asked.

'Yes Harm?'

He took a deep breath. 'Are you scared?'

She shifted in her position. 'A little. A whole lot less now I know that you'll be with me'.

That put a smile on his face. So a part of her still trusted him. That was a good thing.

'Harm… could you…' She almost didn't dare to ask. 'Would you hold me?'

'Of course'. He pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arm around her waist and burying his nose in her long hair. It still smelled as sweet as he remembered. Mangos. He would recognize that scent anywhere.

Romaine drew lazy circles on his chest. 'We're gonna be okay right? We're gonna catch him, aren't we?'

Harm stroke over her head. 'As far as I can say, yes Rome, we're gonna be okay'.

There wasn't anything else he could say so far. Because all he could do was hope. Hope that it wouldn't take too long before they would catch Pereira, hope that their cover wouldn't get blown, hope that they would be able to keep her parents safe. Slowly, he fell into a restless sleep.

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