In the pale, early morning light, Bud wanders along the quiet docks at Luna Park. He stares at the wooden planks, lost in thought. Thirty years ago, what must this place have looked like?
He can't wrap his head around the crime scene. He closes his eyes, replaying what he knows, trying to make sense of it all.
There was a struggle here. Right here. Dunsmore holding the knife…the knife fell on the dock, clattering against the wooden planks…They both tripped over a cleat sending Dunsmore crashing down on the blade…
Wait. Bud opens his eyes, scanning the dock, his heart skipping a beat. There's no cleat. His brow rises in confusion as he stares at the empty space, nothing but a line of pilings standing between the dock and the water. No cleats, only pilings.
Could they have been replaced over the years? Sure, maybe the dock had changed since '72, but cleats don't just disappear. It would be easy to find archive photos of the dock to verify if there were cleats in 1972. But if the cleats haven't changed, then the whole story would be inconsistent! He hurries back to his car and as he slides into the drivers seat, he dials Harm's number.
‐-‐‐—-
Harm wakes up startled. He is slumbering with this amazing feeling in his stomach, but also he's a bit confused about where he is. This is not his hotel room? He is naked and next to him, curled up in a ball lies…Mac! Oh god, they're in Australia. He's in her hotel room. Flashes of last night come back to him, but he can't dwell on them for long. What time is it? He reaches for his watch and the time does not agree with him.
"Shoot!" He curses under his breath and he jumps out of the bed, searching for his clothes scattered all over the floor. Mac moans while cuddling the sheets.
"I have to be in court in an hour!" He whispers stressed, but she seems to sleep right through it. When he manages to get on some pants and a shirt, he pauses his haste for just a moment and looks at her adorable sleeping pose. She looks so sexy and cute at the same time and he would kill to be able to explore that body more right now, but he can't. He sighs and grabbing his jacket, sneaks out of the door. So much for romance.
—-
Harm walks out of the courtroom, tugging on his wig. He and Bud head for the judge's antechamber where they were instructed to wait for Petty Officer Lee to be released into their custody.
He sits down with a heavy sigh and Bud pours them both some coffee from a nearby tray. "That was a close call, wasn't it, sir?"
Harm smiles at the junior officer and nods, lifting his coffee cup and toying with the rim. "Yes, it was, Bud." He couldn't deny the rush he felt at outsmarting Brumby. Mic gave him a hard time, but Harm won the first round. There was something deeply satisfying about it, maybe a little more than usual caused by what he'd seen before the trial.
Brumby standing with Mac. Mac wearing a satin skirt and animatedly laughing at something Brumby said. Harm hadn't even known she planned on being there, especially since she was still asleep when he left her in a hurry only an hour and a half ago. But apparently she had agreed to meet Brumby at the hearing this morning and, god forbid, she had kept her promise.
During the hearing, Harm had tried to keep his focus sharp, avoiding her gaze whenever possible. The case required every ounce of concentration, and Mac…Well, she had a way of getting under his skin, especially after last night. But no one in that courtroom could know what happened between them. She understood that, didn't she? She didn't seem to be bothered by his aloofness and was her bright usual self. He even thought she was glowing, but maybe that was just his ego talking.
He doesn't really know how he feels about all this himself. But how would this work? He never thought he would cross that line with Mac, but now that he has, it feels wonderful and confusing at the same time.
He rubs the back of his neck, thinking about catching her to talk after this was done. Maybe Bud can handle the rest with Lee. Now only if that slime of a man Brumby keeps away from her until then.
The squeak of the door breaks his thoughts. Petty Officer Lee steps in, released by the Australian government, a triumphant grin plastered across his face.
"I'm a free man, commander!" Lee announces.
Harm snorts. Not even close, he thinks, glancing at Bud. "Not even close, petty officer." Harm says coolly, setting his coffee down. " It has only just begun."
He and Bud sign the necessary papers and escort Lee out of the courthouse. Harm tries to prepare him for the media circus he will find outside. "Just keep walking and don't say anything to the press."
When the doors swing open, the chaos becomes apparent. Camera flashed, shouted questions and the relentless paparazzi. Harm tries to shield his client off from the urgent crowd of paparazzi, but they are feisty and before he knows it, there is screaming and yelling and it seems as if his client is being attacked. Harm grabs the attacker in attempt to keep him away, but Brumby jumps in and does the same to his client, who tries to strike back. Harm's eyes lock onto Brumby's, anger bubbling up.
"Let him go, Brumby!" Harm shouts.
Brumby's grip tightens. "No, you let him go!"
The tension crackles between them, the world around them blurring. Harm's heart is pounding in his ears and without thinking, his fist flies through the air, aiming for Brumby's jaw. But instead of feeling the satisfying impact, he hears a sickening thud. His fist had connected with Bud. Oh boy, this is going to be bad.
—-
Harm lies on his bed, a bag of frozen peas pressed against his swollen left eye. Even lying down hurts due to his broken ribs. That Brumby sure knows how to throw a punch. He knew it was stupid, but he couldn't help himself. Brumby has been bugging him for over a year and now he just snapped. When the admiral put them in that garage together, he should have been the bigger man, let the tension blow over. But once the first blow had landed, all control disappeared. Brumby was a former boxer and definitely gave him a hard time, landing blow after blow with precision. But Harm hadn't been fighting with any finesse - he fought with raw emotion. For her.
He half expected Mac to come and see him. But of course not. She's probably not happy about Brumby and him lashing out at each other. Especially not now that they hurt Bud in the process.
A part of him hoped that, after their night together, things might have changed. That she would want to come and see him. But he's not sure where they stand right now. Was it a one night stand? It sure as hell was the best one he's ever had, and he had his share over the years. They were nervous at first, but the way their bodies intertwined…all the tension between them of the past six years just combusted. The way she craved him, ached for him…it was mesmerizing. He hated having to leave so abruptly the morning after, and that they didn't get to talk about what happened. Now he doesn't have a clue how she feels. Did she see it as a one night stand? She sure made it clear that she wanted something to happen between them now that they were in Sydney. But maybe it was just a thing that needed to happen and now they could move on. Or maybe she wasn't as satiated at the end of the night as he was…no, he can't imagine that! It was a two way street for sure.
But why hasn't she come to see him after? His inner being tells him not to dwell on this too much, because he is afraid of what the answer will be. He decides to just let it go and try to talk to her alone the first chance he gets. They will be here for two more days, so there will be plenty of time.
A subtle knock on his door and Harm squints his eyes. Who could that be? He isn't expecting anyone. His heart jumps at the suggestion of who it could be. He throws on a white t-shirt and opens the door.
"Hey." Mac greets him, rather neutral.
"Hey." Harm tries to put on his sweetest smile, slightly hurting his bruises on his face. It doesn't seem to have an effect.
"I have not come here to take care of you."
"Ok." He lets go of his smile and motions her to get inside. She slides past the door and turns to face him.
"What the hell were you thinking, Harm?"
"I wasn't, Mac. I just snapped." He sighs and sits on the edge of the bed, careful not to hurt his ribs too much.
"But after that night, we're you still that threatened by Mic?"
"He's been challenging me for a year, Mac!" The familiar fire Brumby sets in him makes him raise his voice a little too much. He sighs to calm himself and softly continues. "And to be honest, the way we left things..the way I left.."
"It shouldn't have happened." She interrupts him bluntly
"What?"
"It shouldn't have happened." She repeats. "I see that now. Nothing's ever going to change."
"Then why are you here?"
"I wanted to tell you that Mic asked me to dinner tomorrow night."
He shoots her a look of disbelief. Is this really where this is going?
"And I said yes." She walks out of the door.