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Harm whistled as he walked through the corridors of the hospital. He was in a good mood as was evident by the spring in his step. No, he had to correct himself. This afternoon, he was in a very good mood, seeing as how everything he needed to accomplish that morning worked like a charm. Now he could take Mac home. ‘Home. I like the sound of that,’ Harm thought. Well, it wasn’t her home, but the thought of taking her home with him made him smile nonetheless.
He rounded the corner of Mac’s corridor, and the closer he got to her room, the louder the giggles and laughter became. He recognized them right away, wondering what his grandmother and Mac were up to. Harm raised his eyebrow in wonder and then looked at the nearby nurses station, only to be greeted by several giggling nurses waving at him. He waved back politely, flashing them his typical flyboy grin, which caused even more giggles.
“Hmmm…,” Harm muttered questioningly. “I’m not quite sure I want to know what’s going on here.”
“Oh my,” one of the nurses gushed quietly, but unknown to her it still was loud enough for Harm to hear. “The pictures his grandmother showed us revealed his good looks, but he’s even more gorgeous in person. He’s just so … so… ummm … out of this world,” she stammered while fanning herself with her open hand.
“Yeah,” the other nurse sighed with a dreamy look on her face. “And that picture of him as a little boy with the cowboy outfit on for Halloween … so adorable.”
“I bet his children will be heartbreakers,” the third nurse added before they started to giggle again.
The fourth nurse was a little naughty. She was thinking about the pictures all right, but she was contemplating the one of Harm draped strategically across his grandmother’s lap. As he walked past her now, her eyes immediately zeroed in and focused on his very sexy six, and she couldn’t help musing, ‘I wonder what that butt looks like now? Hmmmm ... must be nice … very nice,’ she thought, grinning appreciatively.
Harm groaned. He knew all too well about the pictures his grandmother always had in her purse. One was of him wearing his dress whites and then there was the mentioned picture from Halloween taken when he was only three years old, and… ‘Oh’ God,’ he thought, ‘she wouldn’t dare show off that one, would she?’
“I think I need to have a serious talk with Grams,” Harm murmured to himself.
“Hello Commander,” a very young looking nurse greeted him, giving him a wink as she walked past him. ‘My, what a cutie,’ she added to herself. ‘The colonel is one lucky Marine! If she wasn’t his … oh well.’
‘Hmmm, probably a student nurse,’ Harm reckoned and gave her a nod. “Hi,” he replied shyly, shaking his head. ‘Just you wait, Grams.’
The young nurse couldn’t resist and before walking around the corner, she quickly turned around to take one last look, remembering the picture. ‘Oh yeah … that backside has developed quite nicely.’
The second look did not go unnoticed by Harm, and he blushed a bright red.
With a last look at the nurses station Harm knocked on the door of Mac’s hospital room while partially opening it and was instantly greeted by their loud laughter.
“Am I interrupting anything?” Harm asked, peeking through the half open door. Mac was sitting upright on the bed while his grandmother sat on the plastic chair she’d been sitting on when he had left them earlier that morning.
“No,” Mac answered through her giggles, placing her unhurt hand over her mouth, trying to get herself under control again.
“Yes,” his grandmother replied at the same time, nearly failing to get that one word out because she was laughing so hard.
Harm chuckled. “Okay, I see,” he said, nodding his head. “I take that as a ‘sure, come on in, Harm’,” he concluded and walked into the room, letting the door close behind him. “So, Grandma, what am I’m interrupting here?” Harm asked, giving first his grandmother a kiss on her cheek before placing one on Mac’s forehead. “Hi.”
“Hi yourself,” Mac softly replied. Harm’s action surprised her. Mac couldn’t suppress the little happy sigh that came to her lips, which was followed by a smile when he sat down right next to her on the bed and took her hand into his much larger one. There it was again. The heat between them, the unmistakable prickling sensation she felt, and the distinctive feeling that overcame her and made her heart jump wildly. She felt as though she had been zapped with a bolt of electricity. ‘If only,’ Mac thought sadly. ‘But … too little, too late. You have to accept that, Marine, and you will.’
“Oh, I was just telling Sarah about your little adventure when you were four years old and thought wearing Superman PJ’s with a red cape meant you had the ability to fly just like him and tried it from the tree-house your grandfather built for you.”
“Please tell me you didn’t, Harm,” Mac said before he could make a comment.
“What? Back then those were the greatest three seconds of my life,” Harm replied confidently, but shuddered slightly when he remembered the somewhat painful outcome. ‘Ouch’.
“You know, Mac, the seed for my wanting to fly was planted in me a very long time ago,” Harm quipped.
That was something she did not need to be told; she knew it only too well. His love for flying was a very major part of what made Harmon Rabb Jr. tick and she would never try to change him. Flying was that elusive part of him that frightened her the most.
“And how was the landing?” Mac wanted to know, as if she was able to read his mind.
Mac’s question made Harm’s grandmother laugh even harder while Harm winced.
“Come on, Harm. Do tell,” Mac begged. “I won’t share the information with anyone if you don’t want me to. Come on, what happened? A broken arm?”
“No,” Harm mumbled while his grandmother continued to laugh.
“Broken leg?”
“No. It was nothing like that.”
“Hmmmm… oh, now I know. You hit your head, Commander, right? That would explain quite a few things,” she joked before joining Grams in laughter.
“Ha ha. Very funny, Marine,” He replied, chuckling before continuing sheepishly, “And nope, not that time.”
His grandmother snorted with laughter at that comment, remembering too well the second time Harm tried to fly. It was only three years after the first incident when his self-made ‘wings’ failed to engage and send him into flight as he jumped from the hayloft in her barn. Luckily for him, his only injury was a mild concussion.
“Holy Jesus. How many times did you try it, Harm? Or dare I ask?” Mac quipped between her laughter. By now she was out of breath and thankful that the painkillers made every possible ache less painful.
Harm shrugged. “Three times is the charm, or so they say.”
“And? Come on. How old were you? What and where did it happen?” Mac asked eagerly.
This new insight encompassing the childhood of her best friend made her forget everything else that had happened in the last few hours and days. Both Harm and his grandmother knew it and therefore continued to keep her occupied with stories. It was good to see her so elated and both knew that sooner or later the memories would come back full force. Harm promised himself that he would be there to support and catch her if she fell – both literally and figuratively.
“I was ten years old. I tore my clothes and scratched my knees a bit, but the rest was totally exhilarating,” Harm explained proudly. “The self-made glider did a wonderful job. I still have it somewhere. I can remember being airborne and the rush was amazing, not unlike soaring in a Tomcat. But then I was only ten.”
Mac sat there keenly listening to him reveling at his excitement, and took pleasure in knowing that even though he was pushing forty, the mischievous little boy in him was still there. She knew that he was sporting his flyboy grin even though she couldn’t see it and it warmed her heart.
“Wow! But your poor mom and grandmother,” Mac said and suddenly remembered. “However, flyboy, you still didn’t tell me what happened with Superman,” she pointed out.
Harm groaned and cursed to himself that she hadn’t forgotten about it. His grandmother, who had just regained some composure, was once again shaking with mirth and dabbing at the tears running down her cheeks from laughing so hard.
“Come on, stickboy, don’t withhold any information. Do tell,” Mac pushed, barely able to hold back a smirk.
“Thorny,” Harm murmured so quietly that Mac and Grams barely heard him.
“Excuse me. You were saying?” Mac inquired.
Harm sighed deeply. “You are truly relentless MacKenzie. I said thorny. The landing was a bit thorny, thanks to the rosebush underneath the tree-house. I ended up with countless thorns in my butt, and it was probably a good thing because I think the walloping I was about to get from Grams would have been far worse. I think you felt sorry for me after having to remove all the thorns, right Grams?”
“I’ll admit, dear, you looked awfully pathetic with that cute little butt of yours all red and raw that I thought it was punishment enough and a lesson well learned,” Grams responded lightheartedly. “Add to that the fact that you couldn’t sit for a few days … well …”
“Ouch,” Mac barely got out before all three burst out laughing.
“You can say THAT again, Marine,” Harm replied and then it finally dawned on him. “Now wait a second. You’re one sneaky Marine, you know that?”
“Me?” Mac asked innocently, biting hard on her lower lip to stop laughing. “What did I do?”
“You really had me going just now, didn’t you?” Harm , knowing that he’d just told Mac a story she already heard from his grandmother.
Mac giggled. “Big time, Sailor. Big time.”
“Oh, just you wait, Marine. Sooner or later when you least expect it, I’ll get back at you,” he warned her and chuckled good naturedly about their playing banter. “You won’t know what hit you.”
“Is that a promise, Harm?”
“You can bet your own cute little butt on it, MacKenzie!”
“Then it’s one I’m holding you to,” Mac countered sweetly.
As soon as they all calmed down a bit, he gave her hand a squeeze and got serious again. “So, did the doc already check out your eyes?” He asked her gently, hoping that her relaxed mood indicated that she had gotten some good news and that he was worrying needlessly.
“Yeah, Dr. Morgan was here forty-three minutes ago,” Mac explained softly and started to chew on her lower lip. “He said everything looks good and is sure that I will get my eyesight back.”
“That’s good news, Mac.” Harm gave her hand another gentle squeeze. Her cheery mood was dissipating, and he knew that she’d hoped to be able to use her eyes again by this time. He had to confess that a part of him had hoped so too. “Remember, Dr. Jacobs said it may take some time and you have to give yourself that time to heal.”
“I know,” Mac quietly agreed. Sarah was fragile and scared. The kick ass Marine Colonel for the time being was nowhere to be found. “I just hoped….”
“I know, Mac, and you will. It will just take some time. We’ll get through it,” he promised her. “Are you cleared to leave the hospital?” Harm wanted to know, hoping that a change of surroundings would help to keep her spirits up.
“Yes, I’m free to go. There’s just one little problem though.”
“Which would be?”
“The only clothes I have are the ones I’m wearing right now and the torn clothes I had on during the explosion.”
“Well, if that’s the only problem you have, I think I can help you out,” Harm said and gave his pleased grandmother a bright smile.
“You don’t want me to wear your pants, now do you?” Mac asked mischievously albeit a bit apprehensive at what his answer might be. ‘Although the implication of being in his pants… ah well … the images … oh God, don’t go there Marine,’ Mac scolded herself.
Harm, who was conjuring up images of his own, chuckled nervously. “No, I don’t think they would suit you. However, the guys at the garage were nice enough to allow me to get your sea bag out of your vette’s trunk. I just hope it has everything you need for now. I guess always being the prepared Marine came in handy.”
“Yes, I should have everything I need in there. Thank you, Harm. You’re my lifesaver,” Mac said. ‘My lifeline.’ She was truly touched by Harm’s thoughtfulness. “Permission to give the Commander a hug?”
Harm smiled sweetly and as if she was able to see it, Mac returned it with one of her own. “Permission granted, Colonel,” Harm replied and carefully took Mac into his arms. “Come on, let’s get out of here, Marine,” he said right next to her ear. Then unable to hold himself back, placed a kiss on her earlobe.
“Yeah, let’s,” Mac quietly replied, taken aback by Harm’s action. As good as his attention and caress felt to her, she told herself to not read more into it than there was.
“Good. I guess that’s my cue to leave the room,” Harm concluded smirking. “Or do you want me to help you, Marine.”
“In your dreams, Commander,” Mac immediately replied and couldn’t resist thinking, ‘in my dreams too.’
“Get out already.”
Harm laughed, and with a last squeeze he let go of her hand and made his way to the door. “In the meantime, I’ll get your release papers,” he said, stopping in front of the door and turned around to give his grandmother a meaningful look. “And Grams ... please stop showing those explicit pictures of me everywhere, okay? You know, ladies, if everyone thought my thorny little butt was cute way back then, they ought to see my well-matured, toned six now,” Harm leered in a rather suggestive voice, waggling his eyebrows for emphasis.
At that egotistical statement from Harm, Mac and Grams grabbed onto each other, put their heads together, and roared uncontrollably.
He quickly made his exit, knowing his grandmother would help Mac if she needed it.
*
Harm’s Apartment Building
North of Union Station
5:43 PM
Harm manoeuvred his car into its usual spot, turned off the ignition and removed the key. He rubbed his hand across his forehead and sighed, letting his head fall against the headrest. He closed his eyes and shook his head in disbelief. ‘Oh man. What a day.’
He slowly turned his gaze to the passenger seat occupied by the sleeping Marine, better known as his partner and best friend. He couldn’t hold back the smile that adorned his face. ‘She looks so beautiful. Even all the bruises and scratches can’t hide her beauty,’ Harm thought and then offered a silent prayer, thanking God that she was finally able to calm down and relax.
“She looks very peaceful, doesn’t she?” Harm’s grandmother whispered from the backseat after watching her grandson admire the woman next to him. Her words brought him out of his reverie.
The scene she was witnessing made her smile. The love her grandson felt for the Marine next to him was more than obvious and it warmed her heart immensely. She knew he had found his soulmate and she hoped, no she prayed, they would realize that fact sooner rather than later and be able to admit it to each other.
“Yeah, she does,” Harm whispered back to his grandmother, giving her a little smile before turning back to the sleeping Mac. He let his thumb run softly over her rosy cheek, getting a little contented sigh from her in response to his touch. He then quietly added, “I just hope we can be there for her when she finally realizes all that has happened. I’m hoping the trained Marine in her will rise to the surface and help the traumatized woman that she is right now to cope with everything.”
So far there was no news from the police as to what had happened. They still didn’t know whether the explosion was an accident or if it was deliberately set. Some of the occupants of the apartment building were still unaccounted for, including Jingo. He knew how concerned she was about her beloved Jingo and hoped that they would get some answers soon.
Harm’s thoughts suddenly went back to the time when she had been stalked by the weirdo Police Detective, Frank Coster. He remembered how she had been terrorized by him and so distraught that she had fallen off the wagon. All her years of sobriety had been put to the test, and she failed. She had been so ashamed; she had all she could do to face him and all their friends.
At that moment, he promised himself that he would be there for her in every way possible. No way in hell he would ever let her go through that pain and suffering again.
Grams raised her left arm and gave her grandson’s shoulder a gentle, supporting squeeze. “Don’t worry, darling. She won’t need to cope with all this on her own, because you’ll be there for her… and so will I.”
Harm once more turned his eyes to his grandmother and smiled. “Thanks, Grams. I love you.”
“I love you too, darling, and I have already fallen in love with this girl. Your mother was right, you know. She’s quite the girl,” Grams replied with a wink and a smile.
Harm chuckled and shook his head without bothering to give her a reply. ‘Typical mom,’ he thought and once again looked at the Marine right next to him, only now he wasn’t seeing the Marine… he was seeing the very vulnerable woman.
Yes, Mac may appear calm and at ease right now - and for that he was thankful. But that was not the case shortly after they’d left the hospital parking lot. She had been terrified. She was a passenger in a moving vehicle who was unable to see what was going on around her. Mac had wrapped her arms tightly around herself in an attempt to somehow shield herself from the unknown. The harder she tried to engage her Marine instincts, the deeper they seemed to bury themselves. She was horrified at feeling so frightened and out of control.
*
Flashback
He threw Mac’s bag into the trunk before walking around the car. “Here you go, Grandma.”
Harm opened the passenger side door for his grandmother, but Grandma Sarah shook her head and had already opened the door to the backseat. “Sorry, dear, but I would rather make myself comfortable here in the backseat. I always get sick riding in the front.”
Harm was bewildered by his grandmother’s comment and totally taken aback, but it was Mac who spoke up first. ”Ummm… Grams… I hope you don’t mind me asking this, but since when? You never said a word when I picked you up at the airport, nor did you appear to be in distress as we drove to Harm’s.”
Grandma Sarah gave her grandson a little wink and started to get into the car. “Oh, I don’t mind your asking, honey.” Then she looked at her grandson and smirked. “Actually, the answer is quite simple. You see, I only get sick when sitting in the front while Harm is driving.” She then gave Mac’s unhurt hand a gentle squeeze and looked at Harm with a raised eyebrow. Slowly Harm began to understand what was going on. “I mean really, you obviously know the way he drives don’t you, Sarah?”
“I sure do,” Mac answered in all seriousness before both burst into a fit of laughter.
“Hey!” Harm yelped, pretending to be annoyed. He knew exactly what his grandmother was up to and was very thankful for it. “You ladies better not be ganging up on me already. I’m not sure an old sailor like me could survive it.” As hard as it was not to, he decided not to mention the fact that Mac was even a worse driver than he was.
“Ooohh, you poor, old, decrepit thing,” Mac replied jokingly giving his arm a little squeeze as she stuck her tongue out at him.
Harm laughed. “Just get in the car, MacKenzie,” he said and helped her to get in before he leaned across to grab and fasten the seatbelt for her. The fact that he leaned in a little closer than necessary did not go unnoticed by Mac. Quite the contrary, it made her tingle from head to toe and wish that she could look into those beautiful eyes of his.
She shivered when she suddenly felt Harm’s hot breath against her right ear. She was about to say something but Harm beat her to it. He whispered sweetly so that only she could hear. “Be aware, Marine, that the next time you stick your tongue out at me like that, you are going to be in for a very big surprise. That’s a promise!”
With that said, he quickly placed a kiss on her earlobe and moved away from her. He closed her door and moved around the car to get in himself. Mac was dumbfounded and couldn’t have uttered a coherent word even if she wanted to. She tried to compose herself by swallowing hard and taking a long, deep breath.
End of flashback
*
It had not taken long for Harm to realize that his grandmother had just made up the lamest excuse he had ever heard not to get into the front seat of his car. He scolded himself for not realizing how scary it must be for Mac - especially where he knew from first hand experience what it was like to loose your eyesight. He would have to thank Grams later for being successful in lightening the tension and allowing Mac to share the front seat with him so that she could take comfort in his close proximity.
From the moment she left her hospital room, she was very aware of her surroundings. Her remaining senses were extremely heightened to make up for her temporary lack of sight. Her nostrils were immediately assaulted by the smell of antiseptics and disinfectants. It wasn’t until Harm and Grams came closer to her that they were able to counteract the offending smells with their pleasant individual scents, which she savoured - especially Harm’s. Once they were outside, the sounds of the city overwhelmed her completely. There were screeching tires, car horns beeping, sirens blaring - even the resonance of people talking around her was more evident. The sounds and smells quickly blurred together in a disconcerting way, making her sway just a little. Harm sensed her discomfort and put his arm around her waist holding on just a little tighter. She leaned into him gratefully, knowing she would be able to rely on his strength to get her through this difficult time.
He’d turned on the CD player, remembering how music used to ease the tension from him when he had suffered his mishap. The sultry music of Nora Jones was filling the car as he reached over the console and took Mac’s cold hand into his own. He squeezed it softly before pillowing their joined hands into Mac’s lap. “Everything will by okay, Sarah,” Harm uttered softly, while continuing to concentrate on the traffic around him and soothingly draw circles on the back of her hand with his thumb.
“Thank you,” Mac quietly replied, holding on to his hand for dear life. It didn’t take long for her to calm down and relax. Between the painkillers she had been given, the soft music and Harm’s gentle ministrations, she was soon sound asleep - her head softly pillowed against the car window.
*
“Mac, we’re home,” Harm prodded gently. He gave her hand, which he was still holding, a little squeeze in an attempt to rouse her from her slumber.
Mac turned her head a little. “Hmmmm… what?” She groggily asked, still more asleep than awake.
“We’re home,” Harm repeated and quickly got out of the car and walked around it to help her while his grandmother exited the car as well. “Here, let me help you.” Harm undid her seatbelt and then took her hand into his, helping her out of the car.
Her legs started to buckle the moment they hit the pavement and Harm immediately intensified his hold on her. “Whoa, are you okay?”
“Yeah… yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry,” Mac replied a bit shakily. She managed a deep breath. “I guess those painkillers are doing their job a little too well. Sorry, but I don’t think we will be dancing tonight,” she teased jokingly, making Harm chuckle at her antics.
“Well, I didn’t realize that was the plan in the first place, but now that you mention it, I definitely think that is something we are going to have to do in the future.”
Mac groaned, shaking her head. “Damn drugs. I guess I put my foot in my mouth this time, didn’t I?”
“Yup, you sure did. But don’t worry, Marine. It will be fun. Just wait and see.” Then Harm got serious again. “Do you want me to carry you upstairs, or do you think you can make it on your own?”
“I think I’ll be fine. Just warn me in time before I walk into a wall or something, okay?”
“Marine, would I really let you walk into a wall or door?” Harm asked, smirking and automatically placed his hand over his chest, feigning to be hurt over her statement.
“You can stop smirking now and you can also remove that hand from your chest, Buster. I might not be able to see, but I haven’t lost my mind and I know you too well, Harmon Rabb. So stuff it and just get me inside… please.”
Mac turned her head towards him and grinned. Harm knew that if he could see through the gauze bandages, her beautiful eyes would be shining brightly.
There were so many things he would like to say or do, but all that he was able to get out for now was, “okay, Marine, lets go.”
While Grams was waiting for them, she witnessed the entire scene from the entrance to Harm’s apartment building. She was impressed by how well they knew each other. Mac was able to judge Harm’s reactions, and Harm knew what Mac needed before she needed it. ‘Oh yeah,’ she mused. ‘Definitely soulmates. How can they not see it?’ she wondered.
“Hey you two,” Grandma Sarah hollered. “Are you going to stand out here all night and chit chat? This old woman is hungry and would like to get off her feet and relax. Hurry up!”
“We’re coming,” Harm yelled back chuckling. “Why don’t you let me at least lead you, Marine?” He asked and once again took her hand into his.
“That would be nice, but I was serious. I warn you. If you let me run into a wall while leading me, it will cost you a fortune,” Mac joked, her wide grin still in place.
“I wouldn’t dare. I know better.”
“Yeah right,” Mac replied, to which Harm gave a great big belly laugh and Mac joined in.
Together they slowly, and without any incidents, made their way up to Grandma Sarah and followed her into the apartment building.
What Harm, Mac, and Grandma Sarah failed to see where a pair of angry eyes staring at their every move from the dark shadows.
*
May 12, 2001
Harm’s Apartment
North of Union Station, DC
5:56 PM
Harm opened the elevator door and removed the security bars. Carefully, he led the obviously exhausted Mac down the hallway to his apartment door. All her strength had been zapped just in getting there - evident in the fact that she was clinging to him. Undeniably, he was worried about her.
“Here we are,” he said softly, opening his apartment door. He immediately placed Mac’s bag next to the door as he entered, then quickly stepped out of the way so that his grandmother could follow them into the apartment. “Do you want to sit down on the sofa, Mac, or would you rather go lay down for a while?”
“Would you guys mind very much if I lay down for a little while?” Mac asked so quietly that he had to strain to hear her. She sounded so tired and worn out to him, and he had doubts that the painkillers she’d taken earlier were the only reason for it.
“Of course we don’t mind. Come on; let’s get you up the stairs and into a nice comfortable bed, Marine. Then you can get some shut eye while Grams and I figure out what’s for dinner, okay?”
“’kay,” Mac murmured against Harm’s shoulder as he led her up the stairs to his bedroom. “But you two really don’t have to wait for me to have dinner. I’m really not hungry, Harm.”
‘Not hungry… this is not good,’ he thought to himself. If there was one thing he knew for sure, it was that his Marine was always hungry and could eat anything, anywhere, anytime. He couldn’t remember her ever turning down food. Okay, his meatless meatloaf she would refuse in a heartbeat, but other than that… food was one of her passions. It was a pleasure she could indulge in without feeling guilty or fear that her clothes wouldn’t fit afterwards. Harm had always admired the way she could eat like a truck driver and never put an ounce of fat on that beautiful body of hers.
“Let’s wait and see, Marine,” he replied firmly. “For all we know, your stomach will be screaming for food as soon as you wake up,” Harm quipped and added jokingly, “then you’ll be cranky as hell and just as intolerable.”
“Maybe,” Mac whispered tiredly as Harm helped her down on to his bed. That’s when she became fully aware of her surroundings. “Oh, Harm, I shouldn’t be taking your bed.” She started to get up again. “Just help me back to the living room and I can sleep on the couch, really.”
Harm immediately put his hand on her shoulders to keep her down. “No way in hell, Mac. You can just forget it. You are not sleeping on my little couch,” he said. Mac immediately started to protest, but Harm was quick to add. “This is one thing that is not negotiable. Hear me, Marine?”
As much as she would have liked to, Mac was in no condition to argue. She was just too weary. “Yes, Sir,” was her slow reply. “But where will you sleep? Your couch is way too short for you, Sailor.”
“Don’t you worry your pretty head about me. You and Grams will take the bed and I’ll use the inflatable bed I borrowed from Harriet and Bud,” Harm explained as he knelt down in front of her to remove her shoes.
“Objection, counselor,” Grams added from the doorway. She moved into the bedroom and set Mac’s bag down on the bed. “I’m sorry to correct you, Harm, but YOU and Mac will have to take the bed and I will use the inflatable.”
“Graaams,” Harm squealed, trying to object but being immediately over-ruled by his persistent grandmother.
“Don’t Grams me, Harmon! We are all adults here and MY decision is non-negotiable.”
Harm gazed at his grandmother with raised eyebrows.
“You know damn well what a deep sleeper I am, Harm. The odds are that, even though we were in the same room, I wouldn’t hear Mac when she needed help. Heck, I doubt that I’d hear a freight train if it passed through the room,” Grams joked, squeezing Mac’s shoulder gently.
Harm chuckled. “Yeah, you do have a point,” he said, knowing exactly how soundly his grandmother slept. He remembered visiting on the farm at Christmas when he was a little boy and trying to wake her up after Santa had arrived and left his presents.
Harm placed his hands on the outside of Mac’s thighs, squeezing them ever so gently. “What do you think, Jarhead? Feel like sharing this bed with a friendly sailor?”
Mac managed a little smile. “I think I can do that and survive as long as you aren’t too friendly,” she answered jokingly. “It’s not like we haven’t slept together before.”
Harms eyes immediately widened as he shot a nervous look at Grams. “Whoa... not slept together, Marine… just shared sleeping space,” Harm was quick to correct.
“Yeah… yeah whatever you say, Harm. As long as you keep your hands and everything else to yourself, we’ll be just fine.” Mac finished, grinning widely.
Grams loved their playfulness and devotion and knew there was so much more between them. She just had to try and find a way to make them see it for themselves.
Harm laughed good-naturedly and gave Mac a quick peck on her forehead before he got up from is knees. “You just remember that yourself, Marine. I don’t want to feel those hands of yours all over me in the middle of the night.”
Mac laughed. “In your dreams, Flyboy,” she retorted.
“Touché, Marine. Now get some sleep. I’m sure Grams will be glad to help you change and get ready,” he said. He got a nod from his grandmother in response as she proceeded to open Mac’s bag.
Harm couldn’t stop the astounding vision that immediately assaulted him. They were in Russia searching for his father, and Mac was in a sexy white slip of a nightgown. “Ah… you brought your pajamas with you this time, right?” He stammered nervously.
Mac giggled, giving him a smirk. She wasn’t sure if it was fear or a hint of expectation she depicted in his voice when he asked. “What pajamas?” She teasingly replied as she elicited a groan from him in response.
“Well there are no pajamas in here,” Grams uttered, continuing their playful banter and getting a quick turn of the head from her grandson before she continued. “I’m sure this t-shirt will do though,” she said, holding it up for Harm to see.
Harm let out a belly laugh while Mac turned bright red. She didn’t need to see what Grams was referring to because she knew exactly what she was talking about. It was the one that she always wore to bed when Harm was away or one of them was out of town on a case. She felt as though he was with her when she wore it.
“Well, well… nice choice of dress, Jarhead,” Harm teased her in between his laughter. “Now I know where one of my favorite t-shirts disappeared to,” he said, remembering how long he’d searched for the shirt with the Tomcat on the front and the word ‘NAVY’ on the back. He had finally given up, thinking he’d left it behind while away on a case.
Mac shrugged her shoulders. “I didn’t think you’d mind,” she responded, not wanting to admit that she’d stolen it from him while they had been working on an out of town case. It was shortly before he left JAG to go back to flying. She had desperately needed something to hold on to because at the time, in her mind, he had left her behind.
“I don’t mind,” Harm replied softly. “Not at all, and I’m pretty sure it looks a whole lot better on you than it does on me.” With that said, he thought it was time to change the subject. “Grams, how would you like Chinese food for dinner?”
“Sounds good to me,” Grandma Sarah replied.
“Great. Sweet dreams, Mac. Oh, and later… you get to tell me just exactly how you ended up in possession of my t-shirt.”
Giving her no chance for a rebuttal, Harm walked out of the bedroom, leaving grams to help Mac get ready. He knew his grandmother would take excellent care of his partner.
“Oh, and Mac, this time I promise to make you breakfast in the morning,” Harm threw back over his shoulder with an enormous grin on his handsome face, as he remembered the night they spent in the Appalachian Mountains.
*
He made quick work of calling the Chinese restaurant around the corner and ordered Chop Suey for his grandmother, Chow Mein with shrimp for himself and – in the hope that Mac would indeed be hungry when she woke – some chicken soup for her. Then he got his keys from the shelf and went to get the inflatable bed from his car.
*
6:41 PM
Harm was on the phone talking to a member of the Washington Police Department trying to find out more information about the explosion at Mac’s apartment building. While inflating what was to be his grandmother’s bed for the foreseeable future, there was a knock on the door.
Before he could react, Grams - who was coming out of the bedroom - had taken the initiative and opened the door. She retrieved the Chinese food and paid the delivery boy. She then walked over to the sofa and took a seat next to her grandson, placing the food on the table in front of them.
“Yes, Sir, thank you. Good night,” Harm said into the phone before hanging up with a sigh.
“Were they able to give you any more news?” Grandma Sarah asked as she took her food from the table. The sad expression she saw on her grandson’s face was enough to tell her that the news wasn’t good.
“Is Mac asleep?” Harm asked softly, reaching for his food as well. He didn’t want her to hear him. Right now she didn’t need the added grief of knowing just how disastrous the explosion had been.
“Yeah, she’s asleep. But she is obviously in a lot of pain, Harm, and I don’t mind telling you that I am worried about her. She is moaning and groaning constantly. I tried to give her some more painkillers, but she adamantly refused to take any.”
Harm took a bite of his Chow Mein, contemplating how to respond. “Actually, that doesn’t surprise me. I knew it was just a matter of time before she would refuse to take them. She doesn’t like to take stuff like that,” He stated vaguely, not wanting to betray Mac’s trust in him.
“I know,” Grandma Sarah responded, swallowing a piece of her Chop Suey and gave her grandson a sympathetic nod. “I tried to talk her into taking another pill to help her sleep and that’s when she told me about her past and her addiction to alcohol. She is afraid of becoming addicted to the pills.”
Harm gave her a knowing nod. The knowledge that Mac felt comfortable enough to open up to his grandmother about her past warmed him immensely, especially seeing as how Mac rarely let anyone in. “I have some ibuprofen in the medicine cupboard. Maybe we can get her to take some if the pain becomes too much for her,” Harm offered.
With a deep sigh, he put his food on the table and fell back against the couch. He closed his weary eyes, rubbing them with his hands. He no longer had an appetite as fatigue had taken the place of hunger.
Grandma Sarah watched Harm closely, noting that he was close to collapsing. “I take it the news you got wasn’t good, was it?” Grams asked worriedly, placing her hand on Harm’s arm and squeezing it in support. “What the hell happened, Harm?”
Harm let out his breath slowly. “No, it’s not good. They’re still trying to find survivors, but so far they have only recovered dead bodies. Twelve of them and all are unidentifiable. The police said the hope of finding any survivors is dim,” he finished in a whisper. “I asked about Jingo, but so far no animals have been found.”
“Do they know what caused the explosion?”
Harm shook his head. “No, I don’t think so - or he just wasn’t ready to tell me. He said they are still investigating and analyzing everything. They want to be absolutely sure before going public with their findings.”
“So there is still the possibility that the explosion was set intentionally and was not an accident?” Grandma Sarah questioned.
“Yeah, it would seem that way,” Harm ventured. Grams could hear the worry and fear in his voice.
“Do you think that if it was intentional, it was deliberately aimed at Mac?” Grams asked hesitantly, not wanting to make him any more distraught than he already was.
Harm shrugged his shoulders, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees as his gaze fell to the floor. “I just don’t know, Grams,” he answered in resignation. “It could be. She’s military, and definitely has a few enemies running around out there. The odds that it could have been a move against her are in my eyes... very high.”
“Is that the reason why you’re so worried?”
Harm chuckled, still looking down and avoiding his grandmother’s eyes. “No. I mean if that was the only problem, I would be worried about her – yes, but deep down I know she could definitely take care of herself. As much as I hate to admit it, Mac is a marine, and a damn good one. She IS able to take care of herself. She doesn’t need me or anyone else for that matter to do it for her.”
“But I’m sure she appreciates what you do, and are doing for her… to know that you care about her,” Grandma Sarah threw in. “At least the woman in her always will.” She paused, taking a deep breath before she spoke again. “Harm, if it’s not the explosion that has you so worried, what is it that concerns you?”
Harm inhaled deeply and rubbed his face dejectedly. “Mac has had a rough couple of days,” he again answered vaguely.
That was all he had to say for Grams to take the initiative and ask the question that had been sitting on the tip of her tongue for a while now. “Harm, can I assume that the terrible bruise on her back has something to do with it?”
Harm’s head shot up and he gazed directly into his grandmother’s eyes. “You saw it, didn’t you?” He asked quietly.
Grandma Sarah held his gaze and nodded her head in the affirmative. “Yeah, it was hard not to notice. You don’t need a medical degree to recognize that the bruise did not fit into the scope of the other injuries on her back. Obviously, you saw it as well?”
“Yeah, I saw it at the hospital today. Like you said, it’s hard not to see it.”
“Do you have any idea what happened?” Grams asked softly. She thought about asking Mac when she discovered the bruise, but thought better of it. Mac wasn’t in any condition to talk about something significant, at least not yet.
Harm snorted. “Yeah, I do know. Bugme happened.”
Before Grandma Sarah had a chance to comment on Harm’s answer, a large crash came from Harm’s bedroom.
“MAACCC!” Harm yelled out and quickly got up from the couch to run into his bedroom.
*
“MAAACC!” Harm cried out, concern evident in his shaky voice as he quickly made his way into the bedroom. With every step he took, his heart raced and his mind spun. When he found his bed empty, panic seized him, rendering him paralyzed for a short moment.
“Mac?” he called again, she still didn’t respond. Where the hell was she?
After taking a deep breath and telling himself to calm down, he all but willed his feet to move so that he could make his way toward the left side of his bed. That’s when he heard the faint groan coming from his bathroom. He quickly darted around the corner only to stop dead in his tracks when he took in the alarming scene in front of him.
“Oh my God! MAC!” Harm shrieked, jumping over the two steps into his bathroom and kneeling down next to Mac’s prone body. “Mac, honey, can you hear me?” he coaxed so full of fear that his words were barely audible. Gently, so as not to hurt her, he ran his fingertips over her head, afraid to move her in any way. “Mac? Please say something, honey.”
Harm let out a sigh of relief when he
heard her groan again as she slowly started to move her head. “Slow is good,
Mac. Come on, Sleeping Beauty, it’s time to wake up now.”
“Oh my God, what happened, Harm?” Grandma Sarah breathed out, holding her hand over her mouth in shock. She leaned against the bathroom doorframe - wide-eyed at what she was seeing in front of her. Harm was kneeling on the tile floor next to Mac who was also on the floor, lying on her side, tangled up with an oversized Ficus tree – its porcelain pot had shattered into a thousand pieces, which were now scattered all over the bathroom floor. The clotheshorse had been knocked over and laid next to Mac’s head while her broken hand was literally hanging on one of the lines.
The array of clothes that had been drying on the rack were now strewn all around and on top of Mac. She was in the midst of t-shirts, navy issue boxer shorts, a pile of socks as well as other miscellaneous items.
“I don’t know, Grams,” Harm answered concerned, never having taken his eyes of the awakening Mac. “But I’m sure Mac can tell us more.”
“Damn it,” Mac groaned through her teeth, trying to extricate her broken hand from the line it was twisted in. Slowly, but deliberately, she started to untangle herself from the Ficus tree so that she could finally sit up. Mac moaned when the movement sent a gripping surge of pain through her already throbbing head. “What is this stupid thing anyway?” Mac asked heatedly, attempting to shake the leaves off of her.
“It’s a Ficus tree, Mac,” Harm replied sheepishly. Secretly he was glad it had been trashed, but sorry that had Mac paid the price for him to get rid of it. He had already had several of his own encounters with the stupid thing, and wondered why he still had it there.
The sudden motion caused Mac to feel dizzy and she swayed backwards. Harm quickly moved behind to catch her before she hit the floor again, and she was able to lean against his chest. “Easy, Mac. Take it slow.”
“I’m okay. I’m okay,” she replied, trying to convince herself. It was obvious to Harm and his grandmother that she was everything but okay.
“The hell you are, Mac,” Harm answered brusquely as something in him finally snapped. The panic and fear he had been harboring from earlier were now replaced by an all out anger. “Why are you out of bed anyway?”
“Harm, please,” his grandmother tried intervening with a hand on his arm, knowing that he was merely unleashing all that he had been bottling up since this whole tragedy had taken place.
Harm was on such a roll that he hadn’t even heard her or felt her hand on his arm. He just continued to lash out, his voice getting louder with every word. “Do you realize that you could have been seriously hurt here, Mac! What the hell were you thinking? Are you crazy, attempting to make such a move without help?”
“Stop yelling at me!” Mac hollered back as Grandma Sarah watched the tears run down her cheeks. Harm’s outburst had reached its target, hurting Mac deeply, and with everything else that had happened in the past few hours, Mac was finally at the end of her rope. “I’m sorry, okay!” she stammered. “I just needed to go to the bathroom and thought I would salvage as much dignity as I could and attempt it on my own. But I forgot you had steps leading to your bathroom and stumbled. I tried to hold onto something, but all I managed to do was get caught on this… this monstrous thing… whatever the hell it is.” Mac sniffed, waving with her casted hand at the plant right next to her. “I’m assuming that was not the only thing I took down with me,” she continued in a whisper. “I’m sorry.”
Immediately after Mac’s outburst, Harm’s grandmother could see the change in her grandson’s demeanor. All the anger had vanished and was replaced with worry for his partner’s well-being and shame for having given in to his little temper tantrum towards her. Grams gave him a nod and a smile before retreating to the living room, knowing that everything was under control and would be okay.
Harm could feel Mac trembling against him, and he also knew that she was crying. Part of it was most likely do to shock from her fall, and the other more important part had to do with him yelling at her. He was ashamed for having lost control and reacting so harshly, but he had been terrified. Carefully, so as not to hurt her, he took her in his arms and placed a gentle kiss on the back of her head. “I’m so sorry, Mac,” he whispered against her hair. “I didn’t mean to yell at you, honestly. You just scared me half to death and took ten years off my life, Marine. I guess I just lost it. I’m sorry.”
Mac snuggled closer to him, absorbing his warmth and strength. Suddenly she was transported back to another time when they were in a very similar situation. They were on the cramped submarine USS Watertown. They had been investigating an international incident, which turned into something else entirely. The subs doctor, Chief Hodge, had attacked Harm, rendering him speechless and then temporarily blinded Mac. They had sought each other out, fearing for the other’s life and found themselves in the same position, on the floor, in each other’s arms - holding on for dear life and thanking God that they had both survived. They knew then that they would be lost without each other.
Mac sighed in relief and attempted to get even closer to Harm, if it was possible. It felt so good to feel safe and secure. “It’s okay, Harm,” she told him softly. “It’s my fault. I should have asked for help.”
“Yeah, you should have. Just remember it for the next time, okay? I know how much you like to be independent, Mac, but you really need someone right now, and I want to be there for you. The same goes for my grandmother, so please let us help you when you need it.”
“I promise, I will.”
“Good. Now tell me, are you hurt?” Harm asked extremely worried.
Mac inhaled deeply. “Other than my pride and my pounding head, I’m fine.”
“Did you hit your head?” Harm asked as he moved closer to take a better look at Mac.
“I’m not sure,” Mac answered quietly. She only knew that her head hurt more now than it had before the mishap.
“Well, I’m sure,” Harm replied, seeing the little cut on her forehead, directly beneath her hairline. The blood was already drying. “You have a little cut right here,” he told her, delicately touching the wound with his fingertip. Mac hissed the minute his finger touched the cut. “It doesn’t look like it needs stitches, but I better get it cleaned up before it gets infected. He quickly rose and went to get the first aid kit from the cabinet under the bathroom sink.
“’kay,” Mac said, frowning as she shifted her weight, causing her left hand to come in contact with something that was on the floor and quite silky. “Ummm… Harm?”
“Yeah?” Harm replied, turning around to look back at her, blushing immediately when he say what she was holding up at him.
Mac giggled. “I didn’t know you liked to wear silk, Commander.”
“I don’t,” Harm murmured, shutting the cabinet door louder than he intended to. “It’s not mine,” he continued in a whisper so that Mac almost didn’t hear him. The minute the words were out of his mouth, he chastised himself for not going along and letting her think that the garment was indeed his.
“Oh… ah okay, never mind,” she uttered and, with a shudder, disgustedly discarded the piece of silk cloth by throwing it away from her. ‘Renee,’ Mac thought, conjuring up all sorts of images of Harm with his girlfriend in and out of that piece of silk cloth. She scolded herself for forgetting about Renee and couldn’t help but wonder where she was and if she knew about her being here… with Harm, taking advantage of all his free time. Mac promised herself to get out of their way as soon as possible; she had no right to interfere in their relationship.
Harm’s thoughts were in sync with Mac’s… he, too, was scolding himself over his lack of thought concerning Renee. Harm was feeling more guilty than Mac. Just yesterday morning, he found Renee’s silk teddy in between his clothes when he removed them from the washing machine. As he put it on the clotheshorse to dry along with his things, he was filled with pure angst with their clothes together and it frightened him. Renee, at the moment, was a huge part of his life and that thought was overwhelming.
Harm went back to Mac and gently picked her up of the floor and moved her to sit on the toilet seat. He opened the first aid box and removed the antiseptic and some cotton balls. “How bad is the headache? If you want, you can take some ibuprofen. They’re not as strong as the painkillers you got from the hospital, but I’m sure they will ease the pain a little.”
“Yeah, my head is killing me. I think I’ll take a couple, thanks.”
Just the simple fact that Mac didn’t refuse his offer made it obvious that she really was in pain. “Okay, but first let’s get this little cut cleaned up,” he stated as he put a few drops of the antiseptic on a cotton ball. “This may burn a little.”
Mac bit her lip, unable to suppress the groan as the burning pain pierced her entire body. She jumped, pushing his hand out of the way as he attempted to swab the cut again. “What the heck is that stuff, battery acid?”
Harm chuckled loudly. “No. Not quite. Suck it up, Marine!”
“Shut up, Squid,” Mac bellowed, landing a lucky punch to his arm.
“Ouuccchhh,” Harm yelped loudly.
“Oohhh shut up,” Mac murmured only to get another chuckle from Harm in response.
“Okay, then I guess I’m all done here.” Harm closed the bottle of antiseptic and put it back into the first aid box before putting a band-aid on the cut. “Now, perhaps I should get Grandma Sarah so she can help you with the rest of what you need to do.” Remembering that she said she needed to go to the bathroom. “Maybe you would like to take a bath,” Harm offered. “I think I should get this room cleaned up first though before someone else gets hurt from all this mess, and then I’ll run you a nice warm bath if you want,” Harm stated as he went for the broom and dustpan, and started sweeping up all the debris left from the plant.
Mac gave him a wonderful, big smile. “A bath would be lovely. By the way, when the hell did you get a Ficus tree? I wouldn’t have pegged you for the type.” Before Harm could open his mouth to answer, Mac had figured it out for herself… Renee. “Never mind, Harm… it’s okay, I really don’t want to know.”
“Good. Then a bath it is,” Harm replied, ignoring her last comments, and without a second thought placed a kiss on Mac’s forehead. “Now, let me get Grams.” Quickly, he walked to the bathtub to turn the water on, and then looked for the bubble bath that Renee usually kept handy and poured some into the tub before turning to leave the room.
The scent of the bubble bath reached Mac’s nostrils and she took a deep breath. It was the relaxing scent of lavender. ‘Must be Renee’s,’ she thought, but at this point she didn’t really care. All she wanted to do was get into the nice warm water, soak and unwind.
“Harm?” Mac called after him, making him stop suddenly.
Harm had made it to his bathroom doorway and turned his gaze back to her. “Yeah?”
“Thank you,” Mac softly said. “For everything.”
Harm gave her a warm little smile, wishing she could see it and what it conveyed. “That’s what friends are for, Mac,” he said before turning around to get his grandmother.
‘Friends,’ Mac thought, feeling both sad and happy at the same time. Sad, because it was too little too late for them. She had lost him to Renee. She was happy because at least it appeared that they were working their way back to the friendship they once had. She re-instituted her earlier promise to fight for their friendship like a lioness protecting her young.
*
8:41 PM
Harm was sitting at the kitchen counter, taking a big gulp of his steaming coffee when his grandmother came out of his bedroom to join him. “How did it go?”
Grandma Sarah chuckled. “Oh, your girl enjoyed the bath immensely. She insisted I stay and keep her company, and at times it was like watching a little child. The bath was a great idea.”
Harm grinned widely, but preferred not to comment on the ‘your girl’ statement from his grandmother. Rather, he wanted to know if Mac had any problems while taking her bath. “Was she in a lot of pain?”
“No, not for long. Her scratches burned like hell as soon as they touched the hot water, but the pain subsided after a few minutes. Now she is exhausted and I’m sure with the ibuprofen you gave her earlier, she’ll be out like a light very soon.”
Harm sighed in relief, bringing his now empty coffee cup to the sink. “That’s good. Guess we should probably take care of her back before she’s asleep again,” Harm said, walking over to his desk to retrieve the ointment that the doctor had prescribed for Mac.
He and his grandmother walked back into his bedroom to find Mac already lying on her side in the bed, ready for the night. “Hey, Mac, before you fall asleep again, I think it’s time to get some ointment onto your back.”
“Okay,” Mac murmured, slowly sitting up more asleep than awake.
Harm looked at Mac and then at his grandmother. “I think, under the circumstances, it would probably be best if Grams does the honors.”
“Sorry, dear, but that’s not such a good idea,” Grandma Sarah said, shaking her head.
‘Here we go again.’ Harm looked at his grandmother wide-eyed. This so wasn’t going like he’d planned. “Why not?” Harm asked bewildered.
‘What in the world is she up to now?’ he wondered. Is she playing some sort of matchmaker game here? First, there was their drive home from the hospital and she couldn’t sit in the front. Then, there was the question of who’s sharing his bed with Mac because she might not hear her. All these “can’t do” comments made some sort of sense, but were they for real? He couldn’t wait to see what the objection was going to be this time. This smelled more and more like a set-up.
“Honey, I thought you knew,” Grandma Sarah said smiling.
“No, obviously I don’t.”
“Well, okay. There are two reasons - Zinc Oxide and Menthol. I’m allergic to them, and I am willing to bet that this ointment has at least one, if not both of them, in it,” Harm’s grandmother explained smugly. “You don’t want me to swell up like a balloon, and sound all raspy and wheezy like Darth Vader now, do you?”
Harm snorted, looking quickly at the contents of the Derma Cut and Burn Ointment. “Yeah, I guess you’re right, Grams,” he said reluctantly, knowing damn well that she had probably read the contents earlier while he wasn’t paying attention. ‘What a sneaky, conniving and wonderful grandmother I have,’ he mused smiling.
“I’m sure Mac won’t mind you taking over this job, Harm,” Grandma Sarah continued innocently, winking at Harm before she turned her gaze to Mac, who was still sitting silently on the bed. “Right, Sarah?”
“It’s okay by me,” Mac replied quietly and both Harm and Grandma Sarah could see that she was too tired to really care who administered the ointment.
Harm sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “Okay, then. I guess I’m it. I’ll wash my hands while Grams helps you to get comfy on the bed. I’ll be right back.”
*
Harm waited impatiently in his bathroom, making sure everything was tidy and out of the way until his grandmother told him that Mac was ready. He quickly splashed cold water on his face and grabbed a towel to dry it off, trying his hardest not to think about a half-naked Mac lying in his bed. “Here goes nothing,” he murmured to himself.
He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. With an enormous sigh he turned off the light in the bathroom and made his way to his bedroom. He stopped abruptly at the last step - unable to take his eyes off of Mac. She was lying on her stomach, her arms outstretched right next to her head, nude to her waist. Harm gulped deeply. If he had harbored any doubts about his ability to apply the ointment on to her back while she was lying half-naked in front of him, they all vanished in a heartbeat – he was dying to touch her.
He drank in the image of Sarah Mackenzie, thinking if it were another time, another place and different circumstances, he would want to be doing more than just standing there. Right now, he was here to be her friend, her caregiver, and her protector. Though he knew the Marine in her would definitely protest, he hoped the woman in her would be relieved that she could lean on him.
The room was dimly lit with the only light coming from the little lamp on the nightstand next to the bed. But it was bright enough that he could see all the different shades of bruising, as well as the cuts and scratches on Mac’s back. To him, they looked worse than they had in the hospital. He cooled down immediately at the sight. “Oh, Mac,” he uttered quietly into the room and slowly made his way over to her.
As soon as he approached her, he could see that she was already asleep and all he could do was watch her as he stood next to her. He felt as though he was invading her privacy, yet he was mesmerized and unable to turn away. He simply could not take his eyes away from the dark blue bruise near her spine and right above her derriere. Once again, his deep-rooted anger towards Mic reared its ugly head and seized his body. Harm took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down and get himself back under control.
Without even thinking about it, Harm bent down and reverently placed a soft kiss on the bruise. Then slowly, so as not to wake her, he cautiously straddled Mac’s hips. He opened the tube of ointment and placed it on the bed while he rubbed his hands together, trying to warm them up before they touched her skin.
Gradually and as careful as possible, he started to rub the ointment onto her bruised back. Mac occasionally responded with a moan or a groan, telling Harm that she was still in a lot of pain. He also thought that she may be having a nightmare. He lingered, taking his time to apply the ointment evenly on her back. He also whispered soothing words when the moans and groans got louder, disturbing the pleasant silence in the room.
Suddenly, that silence was pierced by a loud, angry yell from the doorway of the room. “What the hell is going on here?”
*
The yelling startled Harm and caused him to jump, stopping his ministration mid-way. Leaving his hands securely on Mac’s back, he quickly jerked his head around and found himself staring into a pair of angry, glaring eyes. His sigh was quite audible as was his curse, knowing what he was in for.
Taking his hands off Mac and putting them up in front of him protectively, he signaled for her to lower her voice. “Renee, please calm down, okay?” Harm said warningly, knowing that his girlfriend was about to start another argument with him and cause a scene. It was something that she had become quite good at. Their most recent argument occurred immediately after leaving the engagement party at the Admiral’s as a matter of fact. Harm’s ears were still ringing from all the screaming and bashing that night.
“Let’s take this in the other room,” Harm coaxed, getting up off the bed and taking a last look at Mac as he walked towards the door. Renee, however, was not moving. Her heels were definitely dug into the spot where she was currently standing.
“Now THIS is rich!” Renee screeched with her hands on her hips. “Wasn’t it enough to spend the entire fucking engagement party all sweet, cozy and glued to each other, like you two were the ones getting married? Nooooo,” Renee continued with a spitefully laughter, pointing her index finger at Harm. “You two had to continue and carry on as soon as I was out of your bloody sight! How long has this snug little tête-à-tête been going on anyway?”
“Renee,” Harm attempted once again, walking back into the center of the room, but Renee immediately stamped her foot and held up her hand, signaling for him to shut up.
“Oh, don’t you dare ‘Renee’ me. Give it a rest, Harm, and if you know what’s good for you, you will shut up. I have had enough of your lame excuses and blatant lies,” Renee cried, shaking her head. “God, I need a good, stiff drink,” she decided and didn’t wait for Harm’s reply as she turned and stomped out of the room.
Harm closed his eyes, taking a deep cleansing breath and exhaling it slowly. ‘Could this day possibly get any worse?’ He snorted. ‘Can pigs fly?’
After Renee left the room, Harm walked back over to the bed and sat down, rubbing his hand over Mac’s bare shoulder.
Mac didn’t have to say anything for him to know she was awake. He had literally felt it under his fingertips. Her entire body suddenly tensed at hearing the altercation that had just taken place and she knew exactly who was responsible for it.
“Harm?” Mac murmured questioningly still half asleep as she attempted to turn around.
“No, it’s
okay, stay where you are,” Harm said softly against her neck, while his hand
rested on her shoulder. “I’ll take care of it.”
“But we really should explain it to her,” Mac interjected while trying to rouse herself from sleep. Her tone was raspy and muffled as she spoke into the pillow beneath her head. “She’s got it all wrong, Harm, and we have to tell her that it really isn’t the way it looks.”
Harm moved forward a little so he could whisper directly in her ear. She shivered in response to his lips barely touching her skin. “No, it’s okay, Mac. Don’t worry about it.” Gently, he placed a kiss on her shoulder blade as though it were the most natural thing in the world to do. “I’ll take care of Renee. You go back to sleep, Marine. Everything will be okay. I promise.”
“Okay,” Mac whispered, not really having enough strength to argue, as she once again succumbed to sleep.
Harm took the hair that had fallen onto her face and put it gently behind her ear. He then rose from the bed slowly, taking the blanket from the end of the bed to cover Mac’s battered half- naked body. He took another minute to gaze at her peacefully sleeping form, then took a deep breath and steeled himself for what was to come.
*
The minute Harm left the bedroom but before he descended the steps, Renee continued her tirade from where she’d left off. She was standing at the kitchen sink with her back to him, drowning her sorrows in a glass of Jack Daniels. She was looking out the window, not really seeing anything as her eyes were not focusing on what was outside. She was only concerned with what was going on inside right under her nose, and it was safe to say that she was fuming.
“You know, Harm,” she retorted, setting her half empty glass on the counter more forcefully than necessary. It was amazing the glass didn’t shatter on contact. “I really started to believe you and all your oh so honorable, eloquent words. God, how could I be so stupid?” she finished by fitfully banging her hands on the counter.
The Jack Daniels boosted her courage and heightened her vocal pitch. Harm was nervously pacing around the living room, glancing often up at his bedroom, hoping that the sound of Renee’s voice would not wake Mac up and give her cause to get out of bed.
“Renee, could you please calm down and lower your voice? Mac needs…,” Harm’s words were immediately silenced as he was interrupted by the sound of her glass shattering as it hit the floor. She had pushed it aside so vehemently that it slid right off the counter.
“I really don’t care about that bitch or what she needs!” Renee screamed, turning around in a rage.
Harm was greeted by pure anger searing from her eyes, and he felt guilty because he knew he was the one who put it there. He had not only disappointed her; he had also hurt her.
He was about to say something when his grandmother made her presence known. “I forbid that tone, young lady,” Grandma Sarah said sternly, getting up from the couch. She had sat on the couch upon leaving Harm and Mac in the bedroom and dozed off - waiting for Harm to come out after tending to Mac. She had been rudely awakened by Renee’s outburst and kept silent until now.
Renee was taken aback as she turned her gaze to Harm’s grandmother. “And you are?” she asked, obviously seeing Grandma Sarah for the first time since she’d entered the apartment.
Harm looked curiously at his grandmother and then at Renee, wondering why she hadn’t seen his grandmother when she entered the apartment. ‘What’s going on here?’ he wondered, realizing that Renee had obviously been pissed off at him even before she walked into the apartment and saw him with Mac.
“I don’t know how important it really is, but I’m Harm’s grandmother,” she explained and being the gracious woman that she was, she held out her hand for Renee to take. “I’m here for a little visit,” she continued.
Renee was just about to take Gram’s outstretched hand when her words sunk in. Quickly she turned her gaze back to Harm, who immediately knew he was doomed. ‘Uh oh,’ he thought.
“Renee, I’m sorry…,” he attempted to apologize, but was instantly cut off by Renee’s cutting words.
“How could you? You never even thought to tell me that your grandmother was coming to visit?” Renee questioned, turning her gaze from Harm to Grams. Her voice had lowered considerably, her anger now replaced by the incredible disappointment and hurt that was once again coursing through her. All she could do was stand there, looking down at her designer clad feet.
“Why don’t we take a walk,” Harm suggested, taking Renee by the arm and leading her towards the apartment door.
“Stop pushing me around, damn it!” Renee yelled, yanking Harm’s hand from her arm. Then, without so much as a look back at either of them, she opened the door and walked out.
Harm sighed loudly, rubbing his hands over his tired eyes. ‘What a mess,’ he thought, knowing it was time to settle a few things. As he proceeded to follow Renee out the door, he once again glanced over to the doorway of his bedroom. Then he looked at his very confused grandmother. He knew an explanation was definitely in order, but right now he needed to deal with Renee. “Grams, I’m really sorry for all this,” he apologized.
Grandma Sarah shook her head understandingly. “Don’t worry about me, dear. Go, take care of her,” she said, pointing her head towards the apartment door.
Harm gave her a little smile. “Will do,” he answered. “Could you take a look in on Mac for me? I don’t want her to worry or try and get out of bed on her own again.”
“Don’t worry, I will make sure she is alright,” his grandmother promised with a warm smile.
“Thanks,” Harm replied and then left his apartment to follow Renee.
*
Harm had caught up to Renee, waiting for the elevator. They rode down in complete silence as both their eyes were glued to the elevator door, willing it to open so that they could both somehow disappear. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. The minute the door opened, Renee exited, never missing a beat as they walked the hall to the main door. Harm pushed the door open for Renee and placed his hand on the small of her back. She powerfully pushed it away. “Don’t touch me!” she spat.
“Renee, I’m sorry,” Harm stated for the millionth time, and now he felt like he was beating a dead horse. At this moment, all he wanted to do was crawl in his bed and hide under the covers for God knows how long.
“No, you’re not,” Renee laughed mockingly. “You are not the least bit sorry.”
“Yes, I am,” Harm insisted, attempting to hold back his own anger. “Listen Renee, Mac’s apartment was destroyed by an explosion and she was hurt. She was allowed to leave the hospital with the understanding that someone would be able to take care of her.”
“And you had to be that someone?” Renee questioned and then added with a smirk, “of course, who else? Always the knight in shining armor… coming to rescue the damsel in distress. Only why is that damsel always Mac?” Renee concluded, waving her arms around.
“Yes!” Harm answered defiantly. “And it has nothing to do with being the hero, Renee. I’m her friend and that’s what friends do! Do you really hate her that much that you don’t feel the least bit sorry about what happened to her?”
Renee chuckled, shaking her head and chose to ignore his last statement for the time being. “Harm, she has a fiancé. He is the one who should be taking care of her, not you!” Renee quite frankly pointed out. “And just why isn’t Mic taking care of her anyway?”
Harm merely shrugged his shoulders. The last thing he wanted to do right now was talk about the arrogant bastard Aussie and certainly not with Renee. “Out of town,” he simply replied.
Renee raised her eyebrow. “He doesn’t know she’s with you, does he?”
“I don’t know and I certainly don’t care,” Harm answered annoyingly. “Besides, it isn’t important anyway.”
“Ah, that’s where you’re wrong, Harm. It IS important!” She stepped closer to him and looked him straight in the eye. “Harm, when will you finally admit to yourself, to her and everyone around you, that she is the most important thing in your life?” Renee paused long enough to take a deep breath before exhaling it slowly. “Or have you done it already?”
“Renee, what are you talking about?”
“You really don’t get it, do you?”
“Get what?” Harm yelped, totally exasperated at where this conversation was going.
“That she’s everything to you. That you’re able to forget everything and everyone around you as soon as she crooks her little finger… because you go running to her. You even forget your own girlfriend.”
“That’s not fair, Renee,” Harm pointed out in frustration.
“Not fair? I’m not fair? Well, just who is calling the kettle black here?” Renee noted sarcastically. “Harm, we had a date tonight,” she reminded him and the tell-tale look in his eyes told her he had totally forgotten about it. “We were going to meet at the theatre, remember? I was there waiting for you, but you never came… nor did you call.”
“Renee, I’m…,” Harm started, but was immediately interrupted by her.
“No, Harm, please don’t say you’re sorry again. I know you are. I know you well enough to know that if nothing else, you are an honorable man, Harmon Rabb Jr. But be honest with me. For just once in your life, be HONEST! You easily forget me whenever Mac is around or needs something. The fact that you didn’t tell me that your grandmother was coming for a visit tells me even more… it says that I am not important to you at all. I am not a part of your life now and probably never have been.”
“I don’t know what to say, Renee,” Harm said in a whisper, running his hands through his hair. He really didn’t know what to say because deep down, he knew everything she just said was true. He hadn’t only forgotten their date; he had forgotten her. Hell, the knowledge of her existence only came back to him when Mac waved her silk teddy in his face. ‘What kind of man am I?’ he wondered. ‘How important could she be if I never thought of telling her about my grandmother coming to town? They were practically living together for crying out loud.’
“I want the truth, Harm,” Renee said much calmer now. Her anger had vanished. She was too tired and too defeated to fight anymore. “Have you always thought about her when you were with me? Not too long ago, you called out her name while I was sitting in front of you on your bed dressed only in a towel. I remember asking you then if she was your dream girl. You denied that she was. I wanted to believe you so badly. I really did. But I knew that no matter what you said, I could never take her place in your heart. Was I merely a substitute for her? Was all our time together, both in and out of bed, spent thinking and imagining that you were with her - making love to her?”
“No!” Harm called out emphatically. “You have to believe me, Renee. I always knew it was you. I like being with you. I just don’t…”
“…You just don’t love me the way you love her,” Renee finished for him, as the tears she had been fighting to hold back streamed down her face.
“I’m so sorry, Renee,” Harm whispered as he reached up to wipe her tears with his thumb, wishing he could take away the pain he’d caused.
“I know,” Renee admitted quietly with a teary smile. “I know you’re sorry. And I knew that I would always be second in your heart. I thought I could learn to accept and live with that. I guess that I hoped in time, I could make you love ME like that. But I can’t live with that, Harm. I can’t be with someone who is looking at me and seeing someone else; someone who is kissing me and tasting someone else’s lips; someone who is touching me but feeling someone else’s body; someone who takes me to his bed, but is making love to someone else. I need someone who sees, wants, and loves only me - totally and completely. I think I deserve that.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Harm admitted, totally lost for words at her heartfelt admission. After a deep breath, Harm put his hand over his heart and spoke steadily. “I will say one thing Renee. You are one hundred percent right. You do deserve someone who loves you and only you. I know how much you wanted it to be me and I’m so sorry it can’t be.”
“I just have one more question, Harm,” Renee said. This was a question that had been on her mind for a very long time. “While you were with me – and away on cases with Mac… have you ever… you know… acted on the feelings you two share?”
“Excellent question - and I for one would be very interested in the answer,” someone slurred from a few feet away.
Harm groaned loudly, knowing exactly whom that voice belonged to, then murmured mostly to himself, “pigs can’t fly, and this day is getting worse by the second.”
*
Outside Harm’s Apartment Building
North of Union Station, DC
9:41 PM
“Yeah, Rabb, do tell. How long have you and my lovely fiancée been screwing each other behind our backs?” Mic asked as he staggered towards where Harm and Renee were standing.
Harm was tired, upset and aggravated. “You know, Brumby - that is a crude phrase to use for one of life’s greatest pleasures, especially when you are using it in reference to someone you supposedly love.”
Mic merely snickered at his words. “It’s always been you, Rabb. I know it and so does everyone else. Hell, even she knows it,” he said pointing at Renee. “Don’t you, Love? I could never compete with the great and honorable Harmon Rabb Jr.,” he continued, talking directly to Renee now. “Not in Sarah’s eyes, not in anyone’s eyes. I once accused Rabb here and all the other bloody men at JAG - including the Admiral - of being a little bit in love with Sarah,” Mic concluded smugly, his eyes returning once again to Harm. “I was right… wasn’t I, mate?” he slobbered.
Renee looked questioningly at Harm, wondering what in the hell was going on. Mic’s tone of voice obviously told her that he was pissed off about something as well as being very drunk. Harm pulled Renee towards him while shaking his head at her, implying for her not to ask. Not knowing what was about to happen, he wanted to make sure that he stood between her and Mic.
“To the best of my knowledge, Bugme, she is not your fiancée anymore,” Harm countered annoyingly, totally ignoring the rest of his comments.
“She’s not?” Renee whispered into Harm’s ear a bit confused, never taking her eyes off Mic. She knew that something was definitely going on, and the fact that Harm’s move was meant to protect her did not go unnoticed. She just wondered sadly if and when he planned on telling her about their obvious broken engagement.
Harm’s simply response was “no.” Any other words were unnecessary.
“I see.” Harm’s answer startled her, but it really wasn’t a surprise. “Why are you trying to protect ME?” she asked. Obviously, the last thing she wanted to do was to goad Mic even more.
“Just stay out of this and whatever you do, do not and I repeat do not get in between him and me, Renee,” Harm told her sternly. “The last person who tried had to eat soup through a straw for weeks.”
“Ouch, okay. My teeth were way too expensive to sacrifice them… even for you. Sorry, Harm,” Renee concluded and gave his shoulder a friendly squeeze. “You’re on your own, Sailor,” Renee replied, stepping back and over to the side.
Harm chuckled. He knew that in time he and Renee would be okay, and maybe even remain friends. “Why, thank you. That’s very gracious of you,” he bowed.
“Yeah, that’s good ol’ Renee,” she replied grinning. At the moment, she was enjoying their banter. “You’re more than welcome.”
“What’s wrong, Rabb? Thinking about the right answer?” Mic’s question interrupted their little bantering session.
He wobbled his way over and was now standing directly in front of Harm, toe to toe so that their noses were almost touching. Harm immediately waved his hand in front of his nose. “Eeewww, Dingo. Looks like you took the wrong way home and landed in a bar rather than in Australia. Did your navigational system fail? You should have asked someone for directions, Aussie.”
“Oh, you think you’re funny, don’t ya, mate?” Mic slurred while thrusting a finger into Harm’s chest angrily then looked up glaringly into his face.
Harm knew Mic was picking a fight, but he wasn’t taking the bait. He simply shrugged it off. “I have my moments,” Harm told him smirking. He couldn’t say why any of this felt so good. Maybe he was just too tired and worn out to even care whether or not he was acting childishly. He just couldn’t take this Aussie kangaroo seriously anymore. Not that he could in the first place.
Meanwhile, Renee had been vigorously rummaging through her designer handbag. “Harm,” she called out to get his attention before she threw something at him. “These might help.”
Harm caught the projectile and smiled. “Thanks. Definitely can’t hurt,” Harm responded, holding a pack of Tic Tac mints in his hand.
“You’re welcome,” Renee responded, walking up next to Harm. “I’m glad I had them. See, now you know why I carry such big bags… I can carry so much more in them.”
“Yeah… I know, Renee, big is one thing, but your bags can hold enough food for a family of four,” he chortled.
Harm gave her a quick smile before he held the mints out in front of Mic. “Here ya go, mate.”
Mic had enough of Harm’s conversation and pushed the hand that was in front of his nose with the mints in it away. Harm knew that Mic was ready to explode and reacted immediately, pushing Renee even further out of the way. Just in time too, because as soon as she was totally out of the way, Mic grabbed Harm by his shirt collar. “No more games, Rabb. Why don’t you tell me and your girlfriend here how long my fiancée has been spreading her legs for you? Come on!” he was goading. “Give me a reason to give you a bloody nose.”
“She never cheated on you, you fool,” Harm answered calmly, making Mic even angrier.
Mic gave a great big belly laugh. “Yeah, right, and I’m the Easter bunny.”
“I don’t care if you believe me or not, and I also don’t care if you’re the Easter bunny, Santa Claus or Jumping Jack Flash,” Harm replied still cool and calm, looking deep into Mic’s eyes. “And now, let go of me,” he said, pulling his arm away because this game was getting old and needed to come to an end.
“Or what? You’ll beat the shit out of me, mate?” Mic laughed loudly. “I have news for you, Rabb. You hit like a girl.”
Harm snorted, moving his head so that their noses were almost touching. “And I have some news for you, Dingo. You’re not worth getting my hands dirty.”
“Is that so,” Mic responded, totally loosing it, and even though Harm saw it coming, the punch still got him full force.
“HARM!” Renee shrieked, holding her hand over her mouth in shock. Her worry was short lived because Harm was still standing upright - not really affected by Mic’s attack. She was relieved. ‘He’s gonna have one hell of a shiner,’ she mused as she could see the cut under Harm’s eye already swelling.
“Come on, mate. Let’s end what we started in Sydney. You’re not a sissy, are you?” Mic questioned sassily. Again, he was trying to push Harm to the breaking point, but it was to no avail. Harm would not be goaded or pushed into doing anything stupid.
“Give it up, Bugme,” Harm retorted, shaking his head. “I told you I won’t hit you.”
Mic laughed, turning his gaze to Renee. “Tell me, Love. What is it that you see in him?” he asked, pointing at Harm. “He’s such a yellow-belly, it’s hilarious. If you want to have fun with a real man, I have a hotel room nearby.”
“Thanks, Brumby, but I don’t really have a thing for the Easter bunny,” Renee told him drily, “or a kangaroo for that matter.”
Harm laughed at Renee’s comment, making Mic extremely angry. He turned around quickly, ready for another punch. Harm saw it coming and blocked it this time and responded by grabbing Mic’s arm, twisting it behind his back. He then pushed him up against the wall of his apartment building. His next action was to whisper into Mic’s ear words meant only for him. “Listen and listen carefully, Bugme, because I am only going to say it one more time, seeing as how you obviously didn’t hear me the first time. I want you out of this city, and out of this country. And so help me God - should you ever get near Mac again or touch her again, I swear I’ll….”
“…you’ll what?” Mic interrupted Harm, his voice muffled by Harm’s forearm against his throat. “Are you threatening me, Rabb?”
Before Harm could give him an answer, they were distracted by someone clearing their throat behind them, in an attempt to get their attention. “Gentlemen, are we having a problem here?”
Harm peered over his shoulder, at the two police officers standing right next to Renee. They were intently watching the scene in front of them very carefully. The older officer was totally prepared with one hand placed on his weapon.
“Sir, are we having a problem here?” Upon not getting a response, he asked the question again, only this time he addressed Harm directly. “We received a call from an elderly woman in the building. She reported that a man – obviously drunk and disorderly – was bothering another man and a woman. Is that correct, Sir?”
Harm released Mic’s arm and turned around to look directly at the officers. The older one aimed his flashlight at the pair, letting the light roam over Harm’s body and face. Harm had to close his eyes, groaning against the brightness. “That shiner tells me that you were the one attacked. Am I correct in my assumption?”
“That would be correct, Officer,” Renee jumped in to answer for Harm, relieved that someone was finally able to separate the two men before any more damage was done.
“I see,” the older officer said. Then he once again skimmed the flashlight over them, this time making an effort to check out Mic. He immediately noted that he was the one who was drunk and looking for trouble. The officer turned his gaze back to Harm and Renee. “Do you want to report the attack, Sir, Ma’am?” he asked.
Harm took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. He would like nothing more than to say ‘yes’ and finally give the Aussie what he deserved, but Harm knew it would have been the wrong decision. This wasn’t about him. No, it was about Mac and only Mac – and the last thing she needed right now was a lawsuit against her ex-fiancé. “No, no… I don’t want to press charges, but there’s one condition - he finally leaves the country like he planned to. I want him to go back to Australia where he belongs, getting out of Sarah MacKenzie’s life… once and for all.” The last words were spoken directly to Mic.
“Go to hell, Rabb!” Mic slurred, not realizing the kind of trouble he was in at the moment. The alcohol was really taking over now, and he was leaning quite heavily against the wall of Harm’s apartment building.
“If I were you, Sir,” the younger police officer addressed Mic, “I would be careful right about now. You’re lucky no charges are being filed against you. Let’s keep it that way. Shall we?”
The other officer nodded his head and then looked at Renee. “I assume you’re Sarah MacKenzie?”
“I wish,” Renee murmured, wondering if she would live to see the day when two men would be fighting over her. It had to be a nice feeling. “No, Officer. My name is Renee Peterson. I’m the… ah… I’m a friend of the Commander.”
“Commander? So you’re Navy?” the police officer asked surprised, looking at Harm.
“Yes, Sir. Commander Harmon Rabb. I’m with JAG,” Harm introduced himself, extending his hand.
“I see, a lawyer,” the officer concluded, shaking his hand with a hint of a smile. “Very well. Why don’t we take Mister…,”
“… Brumby, Mic Brumby,” Harm threw in.
“Why don’t we take Mr. Brumby here into protective custody for the night for his own good? He can sleep it off and sober up. I’m sure by tomorrow he’ll know what’s best for him.”
“Whatever,” Mic murmured as the younger police officer started to lead him to the police car, helping him in.
“Thank you, Officer,” Harm said gently, knowing that the ‘Mic’- era was finally coming to an end.
“Ms. Peterson.” The older police officer gave her a nod and tapped on his cover before he followed his partner to the car.
“What a night,” Renee said softly. Even in her wildest dreams she could never imagine anything like this happening, and she was glad it was over. ‘No telling how much damage those two would have done to each other,’ she mused.
“Yeah,” Harm agreed, never letting the police car out of his sight, while he rubbed his fingers over the cut below his eye. “Hooroo, Bugme,” he said wistfully as soon as the police car left the parking lot.
*
10:03 PM
Harm was quiet as he pensively watched the police car disappear around the corner of his apartment building. Renee glanced back anxiously at him as she made her way to her car. She had been chomping at the bit and decided she couldn’t wait any longer. “Okay… do you want to tell me what this is all about? Or should I guess? The atmosphere between the two of you was so damn volatile, Harm, that had I lit a match, we all would have burst into flames.”
It had always been obvious to her that Mic and Harm didn’t like each other, and to say that they could never get along was definitely the understatement of the year. The only reason they put up a good front and tried to tolerate each other was because of one Sarah MacKenzie. Still, what she just witnessed between the two men was totally unexpected and scary. Heck, the testosterone level was so high that it could have been cut with a knife. She was tempted to run for cover as the two squared off in their battle of wit and control.
Harm had been in full protection mode, and it had nothing to do with her. He was protecting the woman asleep in his bed as he always did. As for Mic… let’s just say that the Aussie never had a chance with said woman, knew it, but wanted some gratification, and that was in the form of having it out with the person who had always been his rival - Harm.
Harm shrugged his shoulders as he looked at Renee. “He obviously doesn’t know when it’s time to quit and give up… but that’s no surprise,” he added with a smirk. “He always appeared to be a poor loser.”
Renee unlocked her car and opened the door so that it was now between her and Harm. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. The anger in Harm’s voice was clearly evident, which told her she had been right. This was definitely more than a little argument between the two men.
“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what exactly happened between him and Mac? I was a little surprised, to say the least, when you informed the police officers that you were not pressing any charges as long as he went back to Australia as he had planned - leaving Mac alone. That certainly sounds like trouble in paradise to me,” she said.
“That’s putting it mildly,” Harm mumbled to himself, but she had heard him.
“That means they really split,” Renee concluded as she put one and one together and came up with the obvious. ‘There won’t be a wedding… at least not for them,’ she gathered. Harm’s words from earlier came back to her – about Mic being out of town and didn’t know or care if he knew Mac was with him. Renee knew that Mic’s anger was definitely and unequivocally aimed at her boyfriend… make that her ex-boyfriend. But why was Harm so angry at Mic? “What happened?” Renee asked him again, determined to know the whole story.
Harm sighed heavily, placing his hands onto the upper doorframe of Renee’s car. “Mac broke up with the slimy bastard and… let’s just say that he didn’t take it like a gentleman.” It was obvious to Renee that Harm was seething as his grip on the car door became so strong, she could actually see his knuckles turning white even in the dimly lit parking lot.
“Wait a minute… are you, in a roundabout way, telling me that he hit her?” Renee questioned totally flabbergasted. Whenever she was in Mic’s company, he always appeared to be the perfect gentleman as well as fun to be around. ‘Guess my human nature skills could use some work,’ she thought to herself, shaking her head in disbelief.
She couldn’t help but remember the one time they double-dated and the disaster it turned out to be. Mic was all over Mac, talking about their getting married and what type of wedding it would be, while Harm sat there unable to take his eyes of Mac as jealousy and disapproval reared its ugly head. Harm was jealous of Mic and totally disapproved of their marriage while Renee was jealous of Mac because of all the attention Harm was giving her. She had felt like a third wheel that night… seeing as how her boyfriend was more infatuated with his partner than with his own date.
“No. Mac swore that he never hit her. But they did have a fight when she told him that she wanted to call of the wedding and I guess Mic got very angry….”
“I think it is safe to say that you contributed to his anger, seeing how angry he was at you just now,” Renee interrupted knowingly.
Harm nodded in the affirmative. “He blamed me for her decision. Mic seems to think that I persuaded her to call off the marriage at their engagement party since I never liked him, and didn’t think he was good enough for her.”
“Well, what do you think would have given him that idea?” Renee inquired hands on her hips grinning, already knowing the answer. “But really Harm… honestly speaking, is there anyone out there that could ever be good enough in your eyes when it comes to Mac - excluding yourself of course?”
Harm chuckled, shaking his head. “Do you really want me to answer that loaded question, Renee?”
“No,” Renee responded, placing her palm on his cheek. “Your actions and the look in your eyes have said it all. I can only hope that someday, I will find someone who feels about me the way you feel about her,” Renee concluded wistfully.
Harm placed his hand on top of hers and gave it a squeeze. “You will Renee… you will.”
Renee was touched by his tenderness as she bit on her lower lip, not caring about her perfectly applied lipstick. “You know, Harm, you really can’t blame him. Let’s face it. You and Mac spent nearly the entire engagement party out on the Admiral’s porch. Mic, I and the rest of the guests barely got to see you two.”
“No. No, I don’t blame him for feeling left out or abandoned at his own engagement party,” Harm concurred quietly, looking down as he kicked around a pebble that was on the ground. He knew in his heart he was guilty of trying to make Mac realize that marrying Mic was a mistake.
‘Hell.’ Harm thought, remembering that night. ‘I had asked her in no uncertain terms why she had to run to him so quickly, even though I knew my rejecting her on that damn ferry was the main reason. Mic wanted her, and he let her know it. But I did tell her that she had someone who would always love her…’
“Harm… HARM!!!” Renee called again a little louder.
Harm was startled out of his reverie. “I’m sorry… what was I saying? Oh, yeah… we were talking about Mac and Mic splitting up. Anyway, as much as Mac tried to convince him that she, and only she, was the reason for her decision, he refused to believer her. He had gathered his things, wanting to make a clean break. That was when Mac, knowing Mic, became uncomfortable and felt as though something was wrong and that Mic was up to something.”
“And that something had to do with you, I presume,” Renee alluded, putting most of the pieces of the puzzle together.
Harm nodded again. “Yeah, and that’s when I became involved. He told her it was time to put me in my place. Mac knew exactly what he would do and she physically attempted to stop him.”
Renee gave him a knowing smile. “That doesn’t surprise me. The way you two protect each other and count on each other – no matter who or what stands between you is incredible and undeniable. That has always been one of the main reasons for my jealousy of her.”
Harm responded with a smile of his own. “I just wish she had let him leave without playing the hero,” he confessed, feeling guilty that he wasn’t there to be Batman to her Robin. “Mic forcefully grabbed her and pushed her out of the way, causing her to lose her balance. Her foot slid under the ottoman, and she fell backwards, hitting her head against the tabletop and landed hard on the corner of the coffee table. She bruised her back pretty good.”
“I’m sorry for being so insensitive earlier,” Renee confessed. “But, didn’t you also say something about her apartment being destroyed by an explosion, and that she had been at the hospital for treatment? I’m really confused here with all that’s gone on… how badly was she hurt? Will she be okay?”
“Yeah. She will heal physically and, in time, emotionally with the help of her friends. But I am really worried about what the outcome of the explosion will uncover.”
Renee took a minute to digest what had transpired. “I’m assuming she wasn’t hurt that badly, seeing that she didn’t have to stay in the hospital,” Renee said softly. “But somehow I’m getting the feeling that there is more. Am I wrong?”
“She’s blind, Renee,” Harm explained sadly. Renee could tell how shattered and worried he was about Mac just by the sound of his rattled voice. “They hope it’s temporary, but they don’t know for sure. It is a wait and see situation right now, and the sad part is that I really don’t think the seriousness of her condition or the severity of the situation has set in for her yet.”
Renee placed her hand onto Harm’s upper arm, squeezing it gently. “She’ll be okay, Harm,” Renee told him, trying to keep him thinking positively. “But no matter what… I know you will always be there for her. She is one very lucky lady. I only hope she realizes how lucky she is,” Renee concluded.
Harm saw the sadness in Renee’s eyes once again, causing his guilt to return full force. He smiled wearily, raising his right hand and gently caressing Renee’s left cheek. “I’m sorry, so very sorry, Renee. I wish I could…”
Renee placed her hand on Harm’s, turning her head a little to place a kiss onto his palm, giving his hand a quick squeeze before letting it go. “I know, Harm,” she told him quietly. “Somehow I always knew this would happen one day. It was just a matter of time. Your heart never truly belonged to me… it was always hers… all hers,” she continued, looking up at Harm’s dark bedroom window and thinking once again about how lucky Mac was to have someone like Harm care so deeply for her.
“Will you ever be able to forgive me?” Harm asked.
“I already have,” Renee answered softly, taking Harm’s head in her hands, pulling him down to place the sweetest little kiss on his lips. “Be happy, Harmon Rabb Jr. I just hope you have finally realized that the key to that happiness is right up there,” she said, pointing to his apartment. Before Harm had a chance to reply or react, she got into her car and closed the door.
Renee started the car and Harm took a step backwards to let her drive past him when she suddenly rolled down the window. “Just promise me one thing, Harm,” she called over the roaring sound of the engine.
The parking lot was dark except for the glow being cast from one small lamp that was fastened to the wall of the garage. Renee happened to be in the direct path of the lamps illumination. Harm bent down so that he was able to see into her eyes. “What?” he asked, seeing the glimmer of tears in her eyes - tears that she was determined not to shed until she was totally alone. Tears that she knew he would feel responsible for.
“Tell her how you feel, Harm. Let some good come from this tragedy.” With that said, she rolled up the window and drove off before he could respond, letting her tears fall. She loved him deeply, but she had to accept the fact that he wasn’t in love with her. Yeah… he probably had loved her to some degree, in his own way, but never the way she wanted him to.
Harm swiftly jumped out of the way when Renee sped off, leaving rubber in her wake as her vehicle left the parking lot. When the sound of the roaring engine could no longer be heard, Harm looked up to the sky, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath before releasing it slowly.
He was mentally drained and physically exhausted. All he wanted to do at the moment was to march straight up to his apartment and get into his bed. He wanted so badly to hold Mac safely in his arms while they both slept, but he knew this was not the right time. Too much had happened in the past few hours. Heck, the past few days had been like a roller coaster ride for both of them. She needed to get well and heal first, and then they would talk.
Harm opened his eyes and let them wander to his darkened bedroom window, hoping that inside the security of his apartment, she was peacefully asleep and not fighting against the pain from her injuries or the demons in her dreams.
He absent-mindedly ran his hand over his weary face and winced when his fingers came in contact with the cut under his already swollen, blackened eye. “Bloody son of a bitch,” he mumbled to himself, making his way to the entrance of his apartment building. He was curious as to whether Mac would be wondering about Mic and his whereabouts.
‘I guess I’ll find out soon enough,’ he mused before the heavy building door slammed shut behind him.