* * * * *

The Admiral couldn't believe his ears. He'd stopped by Harm's office to get an update and found that Harm was on the phone, his back to the door. He stood in the doorway and listened, growing angrier by the second.

"I understand that Ma'am, but if you know why your son was in Iran in the first place…no Ma'am…yes Ma'am. If you change your mind, please don't hesitate to call…yes Ma'am…thank you."

Harm turned in his chair to hang up the phone. He froze when he saw the angry man standing in his doorway.

"That's strike three, Commander. Get your ass in my office!"

Every head in the bullpen popped up, and every eye followed the two men across the room and into the Admiral's office.

Harm had never seen the Admiral so angry – and he'd seen him very angry many times before. He knew this was going to be bad. The Admiral did not disappoint him. The door of his office slammed, and he launched immediately into a very loud, but short lecture. Harm winced at the decibel level of his voice, and was concerned, just for a moment, that everyone in the outer office could hear.

"Commander, I don't think I have ever had someone in my command piss me off as badly as you have today. I have never had anyone in my command disobey me as blatantly as you did. If you were anyone else, you'd be facing a court martial faster than you can say 'aye-aye'. But since you're not anyone else, get your slacks down and your ass over that chair. Now!" Harm grimaced at the force of the command, and hesitated. "Unless you'd prefer the court martial – which you most certainly would lose."

Harm stared straight ahead for a moment, considering his options. But he knew the Admiral was right, so he obeyed. He unbuckled his belt, pushed his slacks down and bent over the back of the chair, his hands gripping the armrests.

"Get comfortable, Commander," the Admiral said as he pulled the paddle out of his desk drawer. "You're going to be there for a while."

The sound of the paddle impacting his backside left no doubt in Harm's mind of two things: First, the Admiral was displeased, to say the least. And second, everyone in the outer office was now aware of the results of his displeasure. And the immediate pain left no doubt that sitting would be difficult at best for a little while. Just how long remained to be seen…

The Admiral delivered a blistering spanking before he stopped. Harm pushed himself up. "I did not tell you to stand up, Commander. We're not done," the Admiral growled. Harm settled back down over the chair. "I gave you a direct order and you disobeyed me. In fact, since that order came from SecNav, you disobeyed him. What the hell were you thinking?"

Harm breathed shakily for a few moments, choking back sobs of pain. "I was just doing my job, Sir."

"Your job, Commander, is to obey my orders!" he yelled and then resumed the spanking. After a few painful moments, he stopped again. "Let's try this again, Mr. Rabb. I gave you an order and you disobeyed it. Why?" Tears were streaming down Harm's face. He started to stand up, but the Admiral stopped him. "No. Answer the question."

Harm thought for a long time as he got himself under control again. There was no sense in lying. "To be honest, Admiral…"

"Good idea."

Harm shifted uncomfortably. "Anytime SecNav gets involved, it usually means there's a cover-up. I thought Mrs. Hodges had a right to know what really happened over there."

"It is not your job to decide who should know what. And it is not up to you to decide which orders you will and will not follow." The paddle went to work again and Harm couldn't help but cry out this time. He no longer cared who heard. And he hoped this was the last round – three strikes, three spankings, right? When the Admiral finally stopped and put the paddle on his desk, Harm relaxed, slumped over the back of the chair.

But the next sound he heard made his heart drop. The Admiral was unbuckling his belt. "Drop your shorts, Harm."

Harm looked over his shoulder, surprise, confusion, and worry written all over his face. "I've disciplined you for your insubordination so that when SecNav calls me and demands that you be keelhauled, I can tell him that you've been dealt with. But this is personal, Son. You didn't just disobey your superior officer. You disobeyed me. After all I've done for you, after all the times I've covered for you and given you some slack and believed in you…" he trailed off, and Harm could hear the hurt in his voice.

Harm stood up and turned around. "Sir, I never meant that…I mean, that's not…Sir, I'm sorry. I really am. I owe you everything. I never meant to betray you." He looked at the Admiral for a long time, neither man moving or speaking. Slowly, Harm turned back around, lowered his boxers and bent over the back of the chair again. "Go ahead Sir. I deserve it," he said quietly, bracing himself for what was coming.

The belt landed hard on his skin and Harm jumped. It hurt worse than almost anything he'd ever felt before. The strapping was long and hard on top of his already well-paddled hide. But in spite of the tears falling on the seat of the chair, Harm didn't make a sound. He knew he deserved every lash of the belt and more. He hadn't even considered that the Admiral would take his actions personally. All he had thought about was his own anger at being blocked by politics from doing his job. But now, as far as he was concerned, the Admiral could whip him all afternoon if it meant he'd be forgiven.

But he didn't. Eventually, the punishment stopped and he was ordered to stand up and pull his pants up. He obeyed, sucking his breath through his teeth as the cloth of his shorts and slacks rubbed against his raw and throbbing backside.

The Admiral walked to the window and stood with his back to Harm. "Get your things and go home. You're restricted to quarters for the rest of the day," he said quietly.

"Sir…"

The Admiral turned around quickly. "Commander, do as you're told for once before I bend you back over and start all over again!"

Harm didn't even bother snapping to attention before he made his retreat. He tired to walk carefully across the bullpen, but it didn't work well, and he all but limped to his office. He packed up his briefcase and grabbed his coat. He turned to leave, but Mac blocked his path.

"Was it worth it?" she asked, looking at him with a mix of annoyance and concern.

He swallowed hard, and pushed past her. "No."