After being on the island for one month, Mac didn't think it was possible to discover too many more secrets about her partner. She was wrong. Harm had been fishing in a tidal pool for nearly 45 minutes, letting out a cry of exasperation every so often when an evasive fish got away. Though it aggravated him, he was in his element. With his face down and locked over the water in intense concentration, he stood rigid and coiled for offensive action under the late afternoon sky. Watching Harm fish was endlessly engaging to Mac. He took his job so seriously, and moved with such instinct in the shallow pools.

As Mac sat captivated from across the beach, all at once Harm yelled in exhilaration. Mac looked on in interest while Harm carried his prize back to her in a rush. He held up an enormous crab, as if to finally impress her and justify his usefulness. His eyes were shining brightly, and he grinned in the most astonishing way. Mac had never seen him quite so overjoyed. It was a new side to him, this uninhibited and expressive Harm. He stood there with his jeans rolled up, hair tangled and unconstrained, and crustacean dripping in his hand like an offering. Butterflies danced in Mac's stomach as she took in the sight of him, so free and happy. His elation was contagious. Mac felt like she was seeing Harm as he was in his youth, full of life and eager to please.

Harm swiftly cooked the crab over the flames along with some other fish, and served her dinner with much fanfare. He gave her the biggest claw, and doted on her incessantly as her mouth sunk in to the delicious white meat. Harm beamed with pride and satisfaction when she made her appreciation known to him. With that encounter, Mac had reached a new level of understanding Harm. Back in the world of Washington, Harm had always been an enigma, living behind an emotional fortress and never providing her a way in. Yet, over time on the isle, Harm had let his guard down with her and gave her a glimpse of his inner world. He was really a man of uncomplicated motives at the core. With the burden of responsibilities stripped away, Harm was openly nurturing and playful with her. He seemed to derive pleasure from the simplest things. He turned out to be a surprisingly uncomplicated person. As long as he was given respect and could contribute his talents, he was consistently easy going and fair-minded with Mac. She appreciated the unfettered Harm all the more, his over-active superego finally giving way to his true adventurous spirit.

Eventually, their feast came to an end, and Harm and Mac cleaned up their camp to prepare for twilight. Their bellies were satiated for the first time in weeks, and their heads buzzed in fulfillment. Once the sky darkened, Harm and Mac reflexively settled down together on the smooth sand near the waves. The starry night illuminated their view, as they stared up into space and talked quietly. It was a dazzling display of pinpoint bursts of light. Harm showed her a few of the constellations that he knew, while Mac challenged him to spot the first satellite. The stars were plentiful even with the half-moon and seemed to cast a magic spell on their mood. The skin on Mac's shoulder brushed up against Harm's as they sat side by side.

Some time during the past week, an almost involuntary closeness had developed between them. Neither was quite sure when it happened. It felt like it was the most natural event in the world to talk like lovers in the darkness. Harm listened to the ocean and gazed into the panoramic expanse of the heavens. He felt Mac's inadvertent touch and relaxed at the comfort it brought. Then, out of the blue, Mac sat up further and tugged on Harm's hand, inexplicably attempting to pull him up beside her. At first he resisted, because he didn't want to move from his spot or break their intimacy. Then he saw Mac's fervent face and willed himself to follow her lead. Without preamble, she stood up and invited him for a swim, extending her hand once again. Harm was somewhat taken back by her suggestion, but magnanimously agreed. He took only two steps towards the surf, when he realized he needed to change into a swimsuit. Mac noticed his hesitancy, and encouraged Harm to just go in his underwear, since it was dark out anyway.

Harm vacillated for a moment, but then shucked his jeans and shirt and ran into the waves, splashing wildly ahead of Mac. For her part, Mac was already in her bikini and needed no preparation to dive right in. The weather was pleasant and the water, warm. Night swimming…. Why had they never done this before? It was exhilarating! The ocean spray danced on their faces, and they laughed together at the novelty of the experience. Mac could see Harm in the partial moonlight, tall and bare-chested. He tried to dunk her and but she swam away skillfully, laughing with glee. While they rode the waves and body surfed, Mac caught glimpses of Harm's athletic form. He had a runner's body – long, lean, and perfectly proportioned. He was just so good looking, Mac acknowledged to herself. He probably didn't even know it. She felt the pull of his sex appeal. Mac couldn't help but be attracted to him physically, but it was dangerous for her to entertain such thoughts. Swimming with a half-naked Harmon Rabb caused her body to do flip-flops, but she had to build up an immunity to him. She tried to focus on the wonderful companionship they now enjoyed, and to drive Harm's masculine charisma out of her consciousness.

They frolicked together until they were completely spent, and crawled out to rest on the shore. They were breathless and high on adrenaline. Water dripped from their bodies, and Harm felt invigorated from their exercise. He cast a glance at Mac, and his heart skipped a beat. She was stunning. Her hair was slicked back, and body glowed from the light of the moon. Her skin was tan and wet, the outline of her bikini searing a powerful image into Harm's brain. She was exceptionally beautiful. Then she smiled in that marvelous way of hers, and Harm had to get a grip on his heart. He was completely enchanted by her. He couldn't help but stare, spellbound by the vision beside him.

A strong feeling of sexual attraction curled in Harm, and he tried to keep his breathing even and body calm. He was thankful for the shadows of the night, since he felt self-conscious sitting near Mac in only his briefs. He turned over and provided some coverage for himself by lying on his chest to dry off. He didn't dare move from his position for a quite a while. As his chin rested on an elbow, Harm continued to look at Mac and felt a longing that he had been suppressing for a while, perhaps since he first met her years ago. It seemed like an eternity of waiting. He was such an idiot. He had missed his opportunity, because of his long history of indecisiveness and ambivalence. He had hurt her countless times, and probably could never make it up to her. As he looked across at this remarkable and sexy woman, he resigned himself to the fact that he would not cross any lines that potentially jeopardize the caring but tentative relationship they had painstakingly rebuilt. Mac meant too much to him for that. With a determined intention, he stifled the more primitive drives of his body and focused on the special bond that tied them together. They spent the rest of the evening in hushed conversation, allowing the thrill of their nighttime escapade to linger with them for hours.

At dawn the next morning, Mac sat outside their shelter, hungry once again and unable to sleep any longer. She watched as the light changed in the sky from dim grey to glowing gold, accented with streaks white. The waves lapped calmly on the shore, and matched Mac's relatively tranquil mood. Out of the quietness, she heard faint sounds of struggle. She wondered if Harm was having a bad dream and went to investigate.

She lay beneath him and moved her body sinuously against his hips. Her dark eyes were glazed in desire, and she begged for him to move closer…to come in…to find a rhythm. It felt so good, he couldn't stop…he was desperate to have her, crazy with need,… just a little more, so close… so close…

Mac moved towards his strained voice in the hut.

"Mmmm..."

"Harm?"

Wait…ahh…so close…

"Are you okay?" Mac hovered with concern over Harm's restless form.

Mac's voice echoed through his half-conscious mind, and pulled at the corners of his awareness. Irrational, aching desire fought to keep the dream intact, but it began slipping out of his reach, like sand through his fingers, elusive, irretrievable. Then, in a moment, the image was altogether gone. Drowsy disappointment replaced fantasy, and his body screamed in protest. Mac's voice…in a dream, …No, here…now!…

All at once, Harm was alarmed and fully awake. His eyes flew open, and he froze. Oh, my God! Did she see this?

From where she stood, Mac felt a jolt of pure shock reverberate down her spine as she realized that Harm had not been having a nightmare. Those hadn't been the sounds of agitation, but moans of pleasure…sexual pleasure, from the looks of his position, face down, with his lower body slowly moving against…Oh my God! Am I seeing this?

"Uh, I think I'll just step out now…" Mac said carefully, as she backed through the opening. Her cheeks were flushed, and she was at a loss at what to think or say. How incredibly awkward! She had walked in on Harm having an erotic dream! Mac couldn't believe she had invaded his privacy in that way.

Inside the shelter, Harm groaned and rolled onto his back, slamming his eyes shut and shaking his head in disbelief. It was obvious that she saw enough to know….Oh, man, this was embarrassing! With a heavy sense of shame, Harm dragged his hands over his head. How was he ever going to face Mac after she'd seen him….Harm cringed at the thought of what Mac witnessed and must have heard. Okay, it is not that bad, he tried to reassure himself. It was perfectly normal to have sexual fantasies; Mac must understand that. On second thought, it WAS that bad…because it was Mac! He had to get out of the shelter.

Harm flew around the corner and passed Mac on the way down to the beach. Abruptly, he turned into the trees and disappeared.

Mac looked after him, and perceived how upset he was. She wondered what was going through his mind. He was probably just as embarrassed as she was. Understandably, he needed time alone to sort things out.

Harm walked up the hill and finally sat down on a rock under the shade. He took a deep cleansing breath, still reeling from what had just happened with Mac. He felt so exposed. Well, it could have been worse, he reasoned. She could have walked in on him 30 seconds later. No, he didn't even want to think about that! It reminded Harm of the time that his mom had interrupted him with one of his first girl friends in high school. They had been fooling around on the living room couch late one Saturday night, and she entered the kitchen for a glass of water, only to be shocked to her toes at the sight of her teenage son all over some half-naked girl. He had been mortified, and completely ashamed in front of her. His mother said nothing, just left the room. Soon after that, he went searching for his dad in Vietnam. It was all a part of growing pains, he speculated in hindsight.

Now, with Mac, there was no place to hide.

Harm groaned from his chest and dug a stick in the sand. Time to grin and get over it.

He was a healthy male, and these things happened from time to time. Mac ought to know that already. The truth was, he had just been too long without a woman. Being tempted by Heather and seeing Mac everyday wearing next to nothing didn't help. He'd have to get a grip on his hormones if he was going to survive being inundated with her sexual allure for weeks on end.

Gathering his fortitude, Harm stood and headed back to camp. When he arrived, Mac was wading in the water trying to fish for breakfast. As usual, she looked so captivating, with her long, tanned legs gracefully emerging from the water. Mac bent down to adjust her line, and then cocked her head to look back at his approach. She gauged his mood and seemed to be waiting for him to say something, but Harm thought it best to just offer her a bashful smile. It couldn't hurt. He wasn't afraid to make eye contact with her. She straightened up and smiled back, allowing the silence to speak for itself. Some things are better left unsaid. Harm felt a little unsure of how to proceed, but finally forged ahead with a brilliant ice breaker.

"Good morning."

"Same to you..."

"Think you can catch us some pancakes?"

"Think you can scare up some maple syrup?"

They laughed softly together and with that, found their way back to their enduring friendship, letting awkward moment number 342 fall by the wayside.