AN: Sorry about the haitus this story took, as a college student time becomes very precious and I really want to get into my courses at Uni. Thanks for all the reviews, especailly VisualIDentificationZeta, jpstar57, byrhthelm, Semaphore, rlrct, jslee102 and Jeneral2885 and any others I may have forgotten.

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Happiness. Safety.

Now that she was home Meg was beginning to forget the five days stuck in the basement of a serial killer. Life had fallen into her old routine, like she had never left home. She laughed and joked with her brothers, exercised the horses and put some cheeky cowboys in their place. All was well until Harm said to her one morning, "everything is perfect Meg", and smiled up at her with that melting grin that made Meg's heart jump with bliss. She was finally beginning to believe that Harm could really love her. And then he said those words that tempted fate itself.

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Admiral Chegwidden was running a tight ship. Already understaffed before the Meg incident, now he was in severe need of help. He had done everything in his power to avoid calling Rabb back from his little vacation with Meg. Now however things were just a mess. He had given them two weeks to pull her together, and now it was time to recall him to his duties as a lawyer, even if Rabb had had only one week of his due leave.

"Tiner!" He barked into the phone.

"Yes sir?"

"Get Rabb on the line. Immediately."

He could hear Tiner hesitate. "Isn't he on holiday sir?"

"Yes." The Admiral sighed. "Directly damn it!"

"Yes sir." The Admiral could hear him dialling. He remembered Rabb telling him things weren't going so good, that Meg's recovery would take longer than expected. Sighing he picked up his pen to finish off a report. Things as they were at JAG, as much as he wanted to he couldn't let Rabb finish his leave. They were too understaffed, things were going badly. Krennick was burning the midnight oil and Harriet complained that Bud didn't have enough time to be a father to baby AJ. The thought of depriving his namesake of his father's time irritated him. But what really made the decision for him was that somehow word had got out that Commander Rabb was being reinstated. The number of files that were cluttering his desk with special requests for Rabb to try their cases was alarming. Some were war veterans, flight buddies and people who didn't know him, but had heard of his skills in the court room.

"Commander Rabb on line two sir." The Admiral sighed again and picked up the phone.

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Harm put down his phone, the porch chair squeaked under his movement. Groaning to himself, he leaned down and finished tying his boots. Turning this unwanted development over in his mind he decided there was only one way to go, and Meg wouldn't like it. Glancing up he saw her arguing with Luis about how to do something. Despite her anger, her face was relaxed, she wasn't too skinny anymore and she looked rested. This place was good for her. When he had to go back he would try and convince her to stay behind and finish healing. She wasn't fit for duty anyway.

Harm stood up, the old porch chair creaking as he relieved its burden. Watching her hit her brother in the arm for something he had said, and then laughing as Luis winced, Harm decided that this conversation with Meg, or breaking the news of his imminent departure the next morning could wait.

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Throwing a couple of his t-shirts into his backpack wasn't really packing, but it needed to be done. The spare room was returned to normal, and he hadn't even told Meg of his departure yet. Harm knew he couldn't slink off early in the morning, under cover of darkness. He had to tell her. Harm ran a hand through his hair. The problem was he wasn't actually worried about her anger or disappointment, he was more concerned that she would just agree with him a let him leave her behind. He was beginning to realise and develop feelings for Meg. He didn't want her to shatter them just yet. Groaning at his predicament, Harm zipped his bag shut. "So I was thinking about taking the horses…Harm?" Meg walked into the room her excited expression fading into confusion. "Why are you packed?"

"I have to go home. I was planning on telling you…the Admiral ordered me." Harm stepped forward, his hand out to calm her.

Meg stepped backward effectively avoiding his touch. "Why?" Her curls bobbed, and Harm watched her bite her lip nervously. Meg's eyes searched his face for an answer.

"JAG can't operate without me." Judging by the look on her face he should have been more serious. "Sorry, he needs me as he is understaffed Meg."

"When were you going to tell me? Her hands had crept up to her hips, and her expression was becoming one of anger. Exactly what he was trying to avoid, sort of.

"Soon?" It came out of his mouth in the form of a question.

Meg glared. "Harm."

He looked down. "I was waiting for the right moment."

Meg sighed, but her stance still radiated annoyance. "You should have told me when he called you." With that she walked out of his room. Staring after her Harm flopped backwards onto his bed. So she was angry at him then, damn it!

He obviously couldn't see her frantically making her way to her room as some tears escaped her barriers. The anger was a mask for something else. Meg didn't want Harm to leave just as much, if not more, than Harm wanted to stay.

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The night was quiet, some horses quietly whinnied at each other, but for the most part the silence was unbroken. Harm lay in bed wide awake. Despite the fact that he had an early start the next morning sleep eluded him. Meg was on his mind. She had barley talked to anyone during dinner, and when he had told her family and apologized she had walked out. She must be really mad. Dan kept gazing at him with knowing eyes, while Meg's mother stared at the door her daughter had left from. Jack and Luis had nudged each other. The peace was destroyed, but something else was going on and Harm couldn't quite figure out what. This was the reason that he was analysing the ceiling, and coming to no conclusions. His pondering was broken by a scream. He shot out of bed and out his room. He hadn't heard these screams in five days. Meg's nightmares were back. Arriving at her room he saw her brothers rushing up the stairs only beaten by Meg's mother in a gown. Harm opened the door. Meg was curled up in the foetal position, her curl soaked in sweat and screaming at the top of her lungs. You could hear the horses complaining about the noise. Harm started to shake her. "Meg…MEG!" Startled out of her nightmare Meg stared wide-eyed at Harm caught in between her dreams and reality. "Hey, hey, it was just a nightmare. You're safe now." Meg's mother came and rubbed her daughter's back. To Harm's shock Meg looked at him and said, "You never came Harm, you left me to die this time." And then she broke down again. Harm just sat and watched Meg's mother comfort her daughter. All his trying to help her was for naught, five days of healing was gone and they were living the nightmare again.