Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29
Vice Admiral Williams’ Residence
10:15 AM
Harm drove slowly down Park Avenue, trying to decipher which huge and beautiful home belonged to the Vice Admiral and his family. He whistled as he finally found the right address. “Wow, not bad,” Harm said in amazement as he parked his car on the road right in front of the house. He got out of the car, put on his cover, and turned around, letting his gaze wander over the enormous looking property that was surrounded by an iron fence.
The house, a Colonial Country style stone front home with a Farmers Porch lay on a little hill surrounded by tall willowy trees, perfectly manicured bushes, a variety of brightly colored perennials, and a huge, well-kept rich green lawn. A multi-colored, slate footpath was leading up to the doorway of the house while a driveway ended in front of a triple garage. Harm immediately spotted the basketball hoop placed above the garage door, and since the garage was open, he couldn’t help but see the Black Metallic Mercedes 550 ML SUV parked inside as well as a Harley Davidson that made his heart skip a beat, and an older model Black motor scooter, which he determined to be a Vespa.
Harm had just opened the gate when he saw a young, tall man entering the garage. He assumed it was the Vice Admiral’s son who was mentioned in one of the police reports he’d read. The son’s statement had been a dead end for Harm’s defense, since he’d been asleep and couldn’t attest to his father’s condition or whereabouts on the night of the incident. Harm walked up the footpath, his eyes still on the boy who was now sitting on the motor scooter, helmet on and engine running. With a loud roar, the boy raced down the driveway and onto the street, disappearing from Harm’s gaze. Harm chuckled and shook his head at the sound coming from the souped-up Vespa.
When he reached the entryway, Harm used the brass Victorian styled door knocker engraved with the family name to announce his arrival. It took only a few seconds before he heard someone approaching the door.
“Come on, Danny. Don’t tell me…,” Harm could hear the muffled voice of a woman before the door was pulled open. “… you forgot your,” the woman, a brunette in her mid-forties Harm assumed, continued and stopped midway when she saw him standing in the doorway. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she apologized with a heartfelt smile. “I thought you were my son who once again forgot to take his house key with him.”
Harm chuckled. “That’s quite alright, Ma’am.” He could see the questioning look in her eyes and continued, “Mrs. Williams, I’m Commander Harmon Rabb with the Judge Advocate General's Office. I’m your husband’s attorney. I hope I haven’t come at a bad time, but I really need to talk to you.”
“No…of course, Commander. Please come in,” Mrs. Williams said and opened the door wider for him to enter. She closed the door behind him and motioned for him to follow her. “May I offer you coffee or maybe a cup of tea?” she asked as they made their way through the large foyer to the living room. “Please sit down.”
“Thanks, Ma’am, and no, thank you, nothing for me,” he replied smiling and took off his cover as he sat down on the over-sized couch while Mrs. Williams decided to sit on the love sea to his left.
“How can I help you, Commander?” Mrs. Williams asked worriedly as she sat wringing her hands. It was obvious that the events of the last few days had taken its toll on her.
Harm wasn’t sure how much she knew about her husband’s plan, or if she knew anything at all. However, he knew there was no easy way to find out so he decided to come straight to the point. “Mrs. Williams, did your husband tell you that he wants to plead guilty tomorrow?”
She immediately broke their eye contact and looked down at her hands. She nodded slowly and bit on her lower lip. “Yeah, he told me,” she finally confessed quietly without bothering to look up again.
“And did he tell you what brought this change on?” Harm now wanted to know.
This time she didn’t reply and Harm could see how tense her body got. He scooted closer to where she sat and reached over, squeezing her intertwined hands. “Mrs. Williams, do you know why your husband changed his mind of all sudden?”
She shook her head, still not looking at him.
“So I gather he didn’t tell you that the forensics found a trace of cocaine in his car?”
The moment the words were spoken, her head shot up. She looked at him wide-eyed as she covered her mouth, attempting to suppress a gasp. She truly was shocked at what she had just heard. Harm contemplated her reaction, realizing he now had to figure out why the Vice Admiral had withheld such an important piece of information from his wife.
“Mrs.Williams, are you aware that your husband is a drug user?” he gently asked.
Once again she looked down at her hands and shook her head without saying a word. Harm could see the tears that now ran freely down her cheeks. “Do you think the drugs belonged to him?” Harm hoped that this line of questioning would encourage her to talk, but all he got was a shake of her head.
“Mrs. Williams, please, I need to know why your husband is lying. Why he wants to plead guilty. Who is he protecting?”
Mrs. Williams raised her head to look at Harm with confused irritated eyes. “Why do YOU think he’s lying?” she asked. At that moment, Harm was just glad that she had finally decided to talk regardless of what she had to say.
Harm got up from the couch and started to walk around the living room, stopping in front of the fireplace where a painted picture of the Vice Admiral, his wife, and two boys – twins – captured his attention. Harm frowned, wondering why the police only had questioned one of the sons. Wasn’t the other one at home that night? And if not, why? After all, it had been a school night and a seventeen year old teenage should have been home by then. “I think he’s lying because it doesn’t make sense,” Harm answered her, turning his gaze back to Mrs. Williams. “Up until I confronted him with the forensics report, he consistently asserted his innocence. But of all sudden he changed his mind. Why? The blood test confirmed a high level of alcohol, but no trace of drugs whatsoever. Granted, that doesn’t mean the drugs in the car did not belong to him, but it wouldn’t change much when it comes to the charges.”
Harm could see from her body language that Mrs. Williams was trying her best to stay calm, but her shocked expression along with the steady stream of tears was betraying her. She bit her lower lip and swallowed hard. “I’m sorry, Commander, but I don’t know how I can help you or my husband. I’m really sorry,” she sobbed as her shoulders started to shake. “Now if you would excuse me, please,” she stated matter-of-factly and proceeded to leave the room.
Harm knew he had just been excused, and the frustration he felt was enormous. His instinct that something didn’t make sense was stronger than ever. He walked over to the couch to retrieve his cover. “Mrs. Williams, how come your son was never questioned by the police?”
She stopped in the doorway of the
living room and looked back at him. “Danny? They questioned him, but he was
already asleep that night and neither heard nor saw anything.”
Harm nodded. “Yeah, I’ve read his statement, but I meant your other son,” he explained and pointed with his cover to the painting over the fireplace.
Mrs. Williams gasped and once again she put her left hand over her mouth. She took a deep breath, trying to get her emotions in check. “Nathaniel is dead, Commander. He died eight months ago,” she whispered. Harm could clearly see how mentioning her other son had affected her.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Williams.”
“So am I, Commander. So am I,” she said before she was overcome by her emotions and ran out of the room.
Harm knew there was nothing more he could do and let himself out. He walked back to his car and took his cell phone out of his pocket. Quickly he dialed a familiar number, hoping that Singer would be in Mac’s officer. “Lieutenant, there’s a job I have for you,” Harm said and explained the situation to her. Maybe a woman would have better luck talking to Mrs. Williams. At least that’s what he hoped. It was worth a try.
*
The
Garden of the JAG Headquarters
11:02 AM
Lt.
Singer slithered her way into the nearby garden and took a quick glance around
the area. There were a few people scattered around, but none of them were who
she was looking for. She found a
bench and sat down but her nerves were getting the best of her and she
couldn’t sit still. She bounded off the bench and started to pace impatiently
as her eyes continued to dart around in search of the person she was meeting.
Her mind was so completely pre-occupied with devious thoughts, and she
had become so self-absorbed, she didn’t know he had arrived until he wrapped
his arm around her waist. “Hey baby,” he purred into her ear, turning her
around so that he could kiss her.
Loren
was desperate and was a little annoyed at his display of affection but managed
to give him a quick kiss and then stepped away.
“What do you have for me? It better be good,” she said curtly.
“I
told you I’m good at what I do,” he said with a smug grin and gave her an
envelope that she opened in a hurry.
“Well,
well, well… what do we have here,” Singer replied, grinning from ear to ear
as she devoured the document with her eyes. “Not bad, Colin, I guess you
earned yourself a night you’ll never forget,” she purred into his ear.
“Can’t
wait baby,” he huskily replied and was on his way to give her a proper kiss
when she stepped back.
“Not
hear, Colin. You know the rules.”
He
nodded and bit on his lower lip. “Sooo… you said on the phone that you have
some important information for me that will give me the recognition I deserve.”
“I
said the recognition you were longing for,” Singer corrected him with a smirk.
“And I
definitely deserve it! I’m sick of working for a regional television,” Colin
replied sternly.
“Cool
down, Colin,” she said and smiled. “And be assured that with this
information, you’ll hit the jackpot.”
“What
is it about?”
“You
heard the news about the
“Yeah,
I saw it on the ZNN news earlier.”
“What
would you say if I can give you the name of the Australian Naval officer they
mentioned?”
Singer’s
lover’s eyes widened. “Who is it? Come on, Loren, don’t keep me waiting,”
Colin begged, retrieving his notebook from his jacket pocket.
“Okay,
okay,” she acquiesced holding her hands up in front of her. “The Australian
Naval officer involved in the apartment bombing incident without a doubt is
Michael Brumby.”
“What
makes you so sure? Do you know this guy?”
Loren’s
face lit up like the sky on the fourth of July. “Hell, yeah. Michael Brumby is
the fiancé or I should say ex-fiancé of one Colonel Sarah MacKenzie.”
“The
one and only Colonel Sarah MacKenzie? Well, well, well,” Colin responded,
grinning from ear to ear. “This is perfect. When can I interview her?
Is she here now?”
“Slow
down, baby. I think you should wait until tomorrow for that.
It needs to happen just before the trial so all hell can break loose at
just the right time.” She grinned
mischievously.
“Why?”
Loren
cupped his cheek with her hand. “Be
patient. You will get your interview, but we need to wait a little longer,”
she cooed seductively. “I will
definitely make it up to you,” she whispered into his ear before licking it
and sashaying her way back to headquarters.
“I’ll see you later,” she threw back over her shoulder.
She
couldn’t be happier at this newly found information and the document she got
from Colin. Everything was certainly falling into place she thought.
‘This is turning out perfect. Once the story breaks, I can take over
and claim the spotlight and finally get the accolades do me. This is certainly
turning out to be a wonderful day,’ she mused smugly.
*
At
the same time, Mac and Grams were winding their way through traffic on their
trip to the airport, chatting incessantly when Grams realized that she hadn’t
made plans for someone to pick her up from the airport once she arrived home.
“Sarah,
can I use your cell phone to call Dolores and see if she can pick me up once I
get home?”
“Of
course,” Mac responded pulling her phone out of her purse and handing it to
Grams.
Grams
took the phone and stared at it not sure exactly what to do.
Mac sensed her dilemma and smiled. “Just flip it open and dial.”
Gram’s
smiled back. “Thank you. I guess I’m still living in the dark ages when it
comes to some things.” They both shared a chuckle as Grams dialed the number.
“Oh my,”
Mac heard Gram say into the phone. “When do you think it will be okay?”
Grams continued. “I see.
Well, do you think it would be possible for me to stay with you until I
can get back to the farm?”
“Grams…what’s
going on?” Mac asked concerned over the one-sided conversation she was hearing.
Grams
asked Dolores to hold on a minute while she explained that she wouldn’t be
able to get to the farm because the roads leading to it were completely flooded
due to the severe rain storms in the
“No
problem, Grams. You are not going
anywhere but back home with me until you are able to get back to the farm.”
“Are
you sure? I don’t want to impose.
I’ve already been here for quite some time.”
“Nonsense.
I love having you stay with me,”
Mac coaxed.
Though a
little hesitant at overstaying her welcome especially since her grandson and
this lovely woman sitting next to her had finally gotten it right, in reality
Grams was thrilled to be spending more time with Mac and Harm.
“Dolores,
dear, I won’t be returning just yet after all.
I will call you in a few days. Talk
to you then. Goodbye for now.”
“Good,”
Mac responded. “I’m glad
that’s settled. Now all I need to
do is turn around and head back, but I need to make a little detour at the
pharmacy first. Then I will drop you
off at the house before I head into the office for a little while.”
“Oh!
Is something wrong, dear? Are
you not feeling well? A little
nauseous maybe?”
“Nooooooo.
I need to stop and get Harm something for his cold.”
“Of
course. Whatever you say. Let’s go.”
Mac
shook her head at Grams before taking the next exit.
*
JAG
HEADQUARTERS
12:23 AM
Admiral
Chegwidden was perusing papers on his desk when his phone rang and Tiner
informed him that it was the SECNAV. “Great!” he moaned out loud. Before he
had a chance to acknowledge the SECNAV, Tiner had entered with an envelope
marked ‘IMPORTANT’. “Now what?” he bellowed as he proceeded to tear open
the sealed envelope.
“Good
afternoon Mr. Secretary.”
“Let’s
drop the formalities shall we, AJ. Did
you receive an envelope today?”
“I’m
opening it as we speak, sir.”
The
minute the Admiral saw what was inside he yelled for Tiner. “Get Rabb and
MacKenzie in here ASAP!”
“I
want answers, AJ, and I want them quick. I’m
sure you’ll handle it.”
“Of
course, Sir,” the Admiral responded before ending the call as he continued to
peruse the contents of the envelope strewn over his desk. ‘Oh bloody hell…
can this day possibly get any worse,’ he wondered, throwing his glasses on his
desk before rubbing his hands over his balding head as he heard the light knock
on his door.
“Enter,”
the Admiral barked.
Harm
knew something was wrong the minute he stepped into the office and saw the look
on the Admiral’s face. He approached the desk and stood at attention.
“Reporting as ordered, Sir.”
“At
ease, Commander,” he instructed, shoving the contents of the envelope at Harm.
“What in the hell is the meaning of all this and let me just warn you
Commander… this better be good. And
where is the Colonel. I sent for
both of you.”
“Sorry,
Sir, but she hasn’t arrived yet. Achooo…
shhh…shhhe…achooo. Sorry,
she should be here momentarily,” Harm stated distractedly, extracting a
handkerchief from his pocket before taking the papers from the Admiral and began
reading.
“Should
you even be here? You’re not
looking too well.”
“I’m
fine, Sir. Just a little cold,”
Harm responded nasally.
“Well…
I’m waiting Commander.”
Harm
paled immediately upon looking over what the Admiral had handed him. The context
of the letter hit him full force. He had all he could do to keep himself upright.
“Sir, this is preposterous. Mac…ah…Colonel
MacKenzie and I had nothing to do with this. The accusation are a pack of lies.
We did nothing wrong.”
“And
this?” The Admiral asked handing Harm the two photos that had been in the
envelope.
Harm’s
jaw dropped upon seeing the picture of Mac and him kissing in front of her
house, he was in his uniform while Mac was wearing her bathrobe. “Admiral…
Sir… this isn’t what it looks like.”
“Oh…it
doesn’t look like you and the Colonel kissing?”
“Well,
yes it is M… the Colonel and I kissing, but it was…,” he began to stammer
when the Admiral cut him off.
“Commander,
what you and the Colonel do in your private time is your business.
Just keep it out of my damn office and for heaven sake please try and be
a little more discreet!”
“Yes,
sir. Thank you, sir.”
“Oh,
for Pete’s sake, stop ‘sir’-ing me and tell me what in the hell is going
on. Is all this true? And, who and why would anyone implicate the both of you in
what Brumby has done? I’m having a
hard time comprehending any of this.”
“Unfortunately,
it’s true when it comes to Brumby and I don’t know who would implicate us,
Sir,” Harm stated, rubbing his hand over his jaw, trying to get a handle on
everything.
“What
about the Colonel? She was involved
with Brumby. She almost married the
arrogant SOB.”
“Yes,
she almost did. Sir, all I can tell you is that Mic indeed did work for the
mafia. He got himself deep into debt gambling and tried to get himself out by
working for the mafia. But Mac was
never involved. After what he did to
her…,” Harm started and stopped, realizing that it was not up to him to tell
the Admiral what had transpired between Brumby and Mac.
“All I can say is that Mac would never betray her friends or her
country for that matter. I think we
both know that.”
“What
did he do to her?” the Admiral asked softly, standing up and walking around
his desk towards Harm.
“Sir,
with all do respect, I should not have said anything.
The Colonel should be the one to tell you what happened.”
“Understood,
Commander. And I agree with you totally this whole thing has to be collaborated
by someone wanting revenge on either you or the Colonel or both of you. We need
to get to the bottom of this quickly because the SECNAV was sent all of this as
well and he is breathing down my neck as you can well imagine. Let’s try and
keep her away from as much publicity as we can. I‘m going to put you in charge
of that one. It’s a direct order Commander. Whatever you have to do… do
it.”
“Aye,
aye, Sir.” Harm responded
before heading for the door.
“Harm?”
Harm
turned around, his hand on the doorknob, surprised at the use of his given name.
“Take
good care of her.”
“I
will, Sir.”
*
Mac had
gotten Grams settled back in at the house and was going to call Harm and tell
him about the change in plans, but she needed to go into HQ anyway so she
decided to wait and tell him the good news when she got there.
She bid
Grams goodbye with a kiss to her cheek, saying she and Harm would see her later
on for dinner.
*
Mac
entered the bullpen and as her sixth sense kicked in telling her something was
amiss, she saw Tiner making a bee line towards her.
“The
Admiral would like to see you immediately if not sooner, Colonel.”
“Thank you, Tiner. On my way.” ‘Off to the lions den,’ she thought to herself as she quickly made her way to the Admiral’s office. From the look on Tiner’s face, she knew something was definitely going on and that she was about to find out exactly what it was.
*
Mac’s hand was poised ready to knock on the Admiral’s door when it opened abruptly, throwing her off balance and smack into Harm. He quickly grabbed her by the elbow to steady her. “Woah, you okay, Mac? Sorry, I didn’t expect you to be standing out here.”
Mac took a deep breath and quickly composed herself. “Yeah, I’m fine, thanks.”
She looked up into his face and immediately sensed that something was wrong, very wrong. She glanced quickly over his shoulder at the Admiral before looking back at Harm. “What’s wrong, Harm?” she asked in a shaky whisper.
Any response from Harm was thwarted as the Admiral spoke first. “Mac, please come in,” he offered, completely surprising her with the use of her nickname versus her rank.
Mac was still rooted to the spot looking into Harm’s eyes. The worry reflected in them told her that something had happened and whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t something good.
Harm squeezed her upper arm gently while the corners of his mouth turned upward in a little smile. “Everything will be okay, don’t worry,” Harm whispered for her ears only before stepping aside to let her enter as he began to make his way out of the office.
“Harm, why don’t you stay, I’m sure Mac won’t mind,” the Admiral added matter-of-factly. Mac gave Harm a bewildered look. The Admiral was still uncharacteristically using their given names instead of their ranks. She had no clue what was going on, but it certainly felt eerie.
“No, of course not,” she replied relieved that Harm had been invited to stay and stepped further into the Admiral’s office with Harm on her heels after shutting the office door. “Sir, you wanted to see me,” Mac said, standing at attention in front of his desk.
“Yes, please sit down,” he suggested, taking the envelope off his desk and handing it over to her. “The SECNAV and I both got this today. Of course it was sent anonymously.”
“What is this?” Mac questioned, taking the papers out of the envelope. “Oh my God,” she gasped rather loudly as the picture of her and Harm fell on to her lap. She picked it up, studied it for a minute then looked over at Harm who was now seated right beside her.
The Admiral was watching her intently and spoke the moment he saw her distress. “It’s okay Colonel. I already told the Commander that your private life is just that, private. What you do on your own time is your business until it needs to become mine. Just keep it out of this office. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Sir, of course,” Mac responded immediately. She was still uncomfortable, knowing that there had to be more. Her eyes then fell to the letter. She unfolded it and started reading. She put her hand to her mouth and gulped hard before turning her gaze first to Harm then to the Admiral. “The SECNAV got the same letter, Sir?”
“Affirmative,” the Admiral responded, crossing his arms. “He called me immediately, not too happy I might add, looking for answers. Mac, what is this all about? I asked Harm, but he felt you should be the one to give me answers. I have no doubt that these accusations against the two of you are completely unsubstantiated.”
“Sir, this is totally ridiculous.” Mac was quickly getting irritated as was evident by her raised voice. “I had absolutely nothing to do with this and the insinuation that Harm is in anyway involved is completely preposterous. I mean, I was engaged to Mic, so making accusations against me is somewhat understandable, but to say that Ha.., I mean Commander Rabb, and Mic….’
The Admiral jumped to his feet immediately, rounding his desk with his hands held up in front of him, attempting to calm her down. He hated being the one to add any more to her already full plate, given the fact that she was still recovering both emotionally and physically from the injuries related to this whole ordeal. “I know, it's alright, Mac,” he interrupted. “I never believed any of it. But please, I need to know what the heck is going on here. The SECNAV is coming down hard on me over this one, and I don’t like it. Now, what the hell is all this about?”
Mac looked over at Harm, seeking support which was given with a simple nod of his head. It may have been a simple gesture, but to her it spoke volumes. His undeniable strength cocooned her, giving her the resolve and encouragement to go on, letting her know that he was there for her and he would stand beside her now and always. It seemed like she had been leaning on him an awful lot lately. At one time, she would have considered it a sign of weakness on her part. But after everything that had happened, and all the time she was spending with Harm, all that had changed. She could now clearly see and appreciate that he never saw her as being anything but strong, and she was finally allowing herself to let go and feel good about having him by her side to rely and depend on. Now, she not only trusted him with her life but she knew she could trust him with her heart.
A cough from Harm brought her out of her reverie and back to what needed to be said. They both knew that the Admiral needed to know the truth; no he deserved to know the truth. He was not only their commanding officer and their boss, but over the years they had come to see him as a father figure.
Mac was chewing on her bottom lip as she looked back to the Admiral, thinking about where she should begin. “Sir, the accusations against Mic in this letter are true,” she began, telling him everything she knew about Mic and his cooperation with the Lombardi family. She then regretfully told him how Mic completely betrayed her.
By the time Mac was done, the Admiral was glad he had decided to sit back in his chair. He pressed himself further into the back of it in utter frustration, rubbing his hands over his face. He took a deep breath in an attempt to choke down his ungracious retort, but it was to no avail. “That no good, low-life, son of a bitch,” he muttered to himself, not realizing that he had said it loud enough for Mac and Harm to hear every word quite clearly.
They couldn’t help but smile at the Admiral’s choice of words, not because he had said something funny, but because he had just repeated the exact same words they had used to describe Mic while they were in the park several days prior.
The Admiral stood up, and walked over to look out the window hands now firmly placed on his hips. Silence encompassed the room for several minutes before he spoke again. “I don’t believe this,” he addressed them. “How did he let himself get in so deep and let it get so out of control? How in the hell did he fall so damn low? He may not have been one of my favorite people, but I really thought he had more sense than that.”
Mac had never been forthcoming about talking about her alcoholism so she hesitated before continuing. “He was addicted, Sir, and speaking from personal experience I know how out of control a person can get. The addiction consumes you. It takes over your life, sucking the energy right out of it. You are no longer rational. You just can’t stop yourself no matter how much you hurt the people around you, people you love and care about… including yourself,” Mac explained, never raising her eyes from her hands that were clenching the letter on her lap.
She realized that what she had said sounded like she was defending Mic, but she wasn’t. She was justifying how the gambling became an addiction that he wasn’t strong enough to overcome and it eventually drove him over the edge. No one knew that better than she did, and there wasn’t a day that went by that she didn’t think about how her alcohol dependency could have completely destroyed her. If it weren’t for her Uncle Matt and the Marine Corp. she would not be sitting here today. It would always be an ongoing battle for her, and there still were days when she would give anything for a drink. Only now, she had more control over her alcoholic urges, giving her the ability to maintain her sobriety.
“Maybe so,” the Admiral responded, walking back to sit in his chair. He put his arms on his desk and crossed them before looking at the two people sitting in front of him. Not only were they two of his best officers, but he had come to consider them family. “Do either one of you have any idea who could have sent this letter and why?”
“I have no clue, Sir,” Mac spoke first, releasing the now slightly crumpled letter to lay it back on the Admiral’s desk.
Harm coughed, attempting to clear his throat. “Sorry to say I have no idea either, Sir,” Harm responded rather hoarsely before he looked over at Mac who was giving him a concerned look at hearing the distress and weariness in his voice. “One thing for sure is that the sender definitely knows Mac well and most likely hates her enough to come up with such a lie that has the potential of completely destroying not only her career, but her life.”
The Admiral and Mac looked questioningly at him and he delved a little more into his assumption. “Look, the only people who really know all about this were the police, Mic, Mac, and myself. As I was driving back from Vice Admiral Williams, there was a news report stating that a reliable source had confirmed that an Australian Naval officer would be testifying against the mafia family accused of setting the explosion.”
The Admiral narrowed his eyes. “And only someone who knows Mac would know that she was engaged to an Australian Naval Officer,” he concluded.
“Exactly,” Harm agreed. “Without any background information, it would have taken a hell of a lot longer to put two and two together here and come up with Mac and Mic. Obviously someone has been keeping close tabs on Mac. I mean add the incriminating picture to the accusations, and well I could be wrong, Sir, but it definitely looks like someone has a vendetta against Mac and is looking to ruin her career.”
“And yours too,” Mac quickly added. “Don’t forget that whoever is accusing me is also accusing you.”
“Well it’s quite obvious that you two have an enemy out there who wants to damage your careers as well as your reputations, and if this certain someone decides to go public with what they have…”
“… we’ll be ruined, Sir,” Mac concluded.
“Then we better make quick work of finding out who this person is,” Admiral Chegwidden replied. “Any ideas at all people?”
“No, Sir,” Mac responded looking at Harm.
He shrugged, shuffled his feet and adjusted his position on the chair before he spoke. “No, unless…”
“Unless what? Commander?”
“Unless it’s another prank from Palmer,” Harm concluded disconcertedly. “Aaachoooo.”
“Bless you,” Mac and the Admiral said simultaneously. “Commander you sure you’re okay? You appear to be a bit under the weather,” the Admiral stated after taking a long serious look at his officer.
“Yes, Sir, I’m fine,” Harm replied before sneezing again.
“Okay, Commander, I think we’ve done enough talking for now. I want you to take the rest of the day off and get some rest so that you will fill fit for court tomorrow. If you’re not feeling well enough by then, I want Lieutenant Singer to take over Vice Admiral Williams’ case. Is that understood, Commander?”
Harm rubbed his hand over his eyes before responding, “yes, Sir,” rather reluctantly.
“Good, in the meantime, we better find out who sent this letter. If Palmer has anything to do…”
“We’ll find out, Sir,” Mac spoke up before taking a deep breath. “Sir, I think… perhaps it would be best if I took myself off the Williams’ case. When this information goes public, it may influence the trial.”
“I don’t think you need to worry, Colonel. As I told the Commander earlier, it is important to keep you away from as much publicity as possible at the moment. As far as the case goes, you are doing background work which doesn’t interfere with the actual trial. I suggest you keep working on the case, Colonel.”
“Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir.”
“Aaacchhooo.”
The Admiral looked sternly at Harm. “Commander, go home. I don’t want you infecting my entire staff with your germs.”
“Yes, Sir,” Harm croaked, knowing there was no point in arguing with his CO. He got up, and came to attention before walking out of the Admiral’s office with Mac right behind him.
*
“Phew, that went rather…” Mac started to say as they stood outside the Admiral’s office.
“…well,” Harm chimed in finishing her sentence. "Yeah, don’t worry. Everything will work out.”
“How can you be so sure?” Mac asked, looking intently at Harm.
Harm smiled that smile that always made her weak in the knees and rubbed his hand up and down her arm before continuing. “Because we’re Batman and Robin. They always get the villain. Don’t worry. It will be a piece of cake. You’ll see,” he stated completely self-assured.
Mac returned the smile. “I wish I had your optimism, Harm. By the way, did he just approve of our relationship?” she asked, extending her thumb towards the office they had just left.
Harm’s smile immediately turned into a cocky grin. “He sure di…di…did…AAACHHHOOO.”
Mac gently put the back of her hand to his forehead. “Not good sailor. It’s time for you to get out of here. You’re burning up.”
“I’m okay, Mac. How many times do I have to tell you not to worry. I’m going to go and grab some papers from my office and then I am out of here. I promise,” he said as they started walking through the bullpen before they came to a sudden stop.
Mac swallowed hard. “What’s going on?” she whispered to Harm. “Why is everyone staring at me?”
“I have no idea,” Harm whispered back, wondering himself what had happened while they were in the Admiral’s office.
Harriet had been within earshot of
the couple and had over-heard their conversation. She immediately approached
them. “Sir, Ma’am, there has been another report on ZNN. It was about the
explosion. They are reporting that a
“Oh God,” Mac sighed, swaying slightly, suddenly feeling sick to her stomach.
Harm wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms and hold her close, but that was impossible so instead he settled on taking her hand and squeezing it supportively as he turned to Harriet. It was obvious she knew exactly what was going on. “Harriet, did they mention the Marine’s name or where she’s working?”
“No, Sir, but I doubt it will take them much longer to figure it out.”
Harm looked back at Mac. The stunned expression still firmly planted on her face. “Mac, why don’t you go home and I will follow very soon. Everything will be okay. You’ll see. Trust me.”
“You’re saying that an awful lot lately.”
“And I mean it every time.”
Without saying more, Mac nodded her agreement and quickly said her goodbye to Harriet before bolting towards the bullpen door. She could still feel the intensity of their eyes as she walked out and the door closed behind her. She was certain that everyone in the room knew exactly who the Australian Naval Officer was and in knowing that it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who the Marine was.
Harm and Harriet’s eyes followed Mac’s retreating form until she was out of sight. Harriet then turned to Harm. “Sir, please tell me what this is all about? Is she okay? I’m so worried about her.”
“No, Harriet, at the moment she is not okay, but she is strong and has good friends. She will be fine,” Harm responded but anything else he may have wanted to say was cut short as he saw Singer strutting across the bullpen towards them.
“Sir, where did the Colonel go? I thought she was going to work on the case and I have some more details I wanted to show her.”
Harm swore he could see the smirk on the Lieutenant’s face, knowing she had all the details of the latest news report all figured out. “She forgot she had to take care of something, Lieutenant, but don’t worry, I’ll see that she is kept well informed. How did your meeting with the Vice Admiral’s wife go?” he asked, wanting to change the subject.
Singer was definitely not happy about the change of subject. “Not very well, Sir. She wasn’t very forthcoming. It’s obvious that she believes her husband is guilty.”
“Hmmm…” Harm groaned to himself, not the least bit surprised by Singer’s answer. “Okay. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get some notes from my office before I call it a day.”
“You’re leaving already, Sir? What about…,” she started to ask when she was stopped by Harm’s sneeze.
“I’m taking the rest of the day off, but I plan on working on the case from home. I trust you will not have a problem with that, Lieutenant.”
“No, Sir, of course not, I just wondered about the start of the trial tomorrow. I mean, are you sure you’ll be okay by then?” she asked, barely able to suppress a smirk.
“Not to worry, Lieutenant. I’ll be there. Now, if you ladies will excuse me,” he said, turning and making his way to his office.
“Of course,” Singer responded dryly while Harriet added a "hope you feel better soon, Commander.”
“Thanks, Harriet,” Harm acknowledged disappearing into his office to get his things before making his exit.
“Well, now that’s odd,” Singer concluded, but Harriet was not about to encourage her and decided to stop her right there.
“What’s so odd, Lieutenant? The Commander is not feeling well and is simply taking the rest of the day off.”
“Oh, and I suppose the Colonel is sick as well?” Singer asked smirking.
“I don’t see how that is any of your business,” the Admiral replied from behind. He then turned his gaze to Harriet. “Do you have a minute for me, Lieutenant?”
“Of course, Sir,” Harriet answered following the Admiral to his office. Singer stood there smirking as she watched them leave.
“Like I said, we’ll see who has the last laugh,” Singer said to herself before walking into Mac’s office cloaked in self-satisfaction. She needed to call Colin. She was furious at him for not waiting until tomorrow to leak the news about Mic Brumby, but then again going public today didn’t seem to do any damage. She was well on her way to getting the attention she longed for and she would make sure to savor every minute of it.
*
Harm exited headquarters, head down as he made his way to his car. He really did feel awful and couldn’t wait to crawl into his bed.
“Give me your keys.” His head immediately snapped up to see Mac leaning against his car.
“What are you still doing here? I thought you were long gone,” Harm rasped. His voice was all but gone.
“You didn’t think I would let you drive in your condition did you? I’m taking you home.”
“Mac you don’t…,”
“I know, but I want to. Come on, Sailor, it’s time to get you to bed.”
“I like the sound of that. It’s just too bad I’m too sick at the moment to do anything but sleep.”
“It’s okay, flyboy. I’ll take a rain check.” Mac responded batting her big brown eyes at him as she helped him into the car.
*
Harm rubbed his hand over his flushed face as he slowly opened his eyes. “Aachoooo… I thought you were bringing me home, Mac,” Harm sniveled through his hands once he realized that they were parked in front of Mac’s house.
“I did… and that’s where we are, Squid,” Mac responded as she turned of the ignition before getting out of the car and circling around to help him out. He carefully swung his feet to the ground before grabbing the doorframe to boost himself up. The minute he stood up, his body swayed forward. “Whoa, you need to find your land legs, Sailor,” Mac coached as she grabbed him around the waist to steady him. Then she reached up to feel his forehead. “Oh my God, Harm, you’re burning up.”
“It’s not that bad, Mac,” he uttered hoarsely, swiping her hand away as they made their way slowly up the walk towards the house. Mac was still holding on to Harm, fearing that he would fall flat on his face if she let him go. He, in turn, had his arm around her shoulder for support, not that he would ever admit it of course.
Grams who had heard the car pull up, was watching them from the window. The minute she realized something was amiss, she opened the door and was waiting for them. A worried look was planted firmly on her face. “Oh, dear, what happened?” she queried.
“Grams?” Harm asked through blurry eyes, wondering if he was hallucinating or if she was really there. He felt confused. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe it really is that bad,” he murmured to Mac. “I think I need to go in and sit down for a while.”
“Never mind sitting down, Harm, we are going straight upstairs. You are getting out of your uniform, taking some medicine, and getting into bed.”
Even in his weakened state, he chuckled. “Are you propositioning me, Mac?” he asked, trying to lighten the mood, but failed miserably. He then shakily attempted to place a kiss on her head, but his aim was way off and he ended up kissing the air.
Mac swatted his backside and instructed him to keep walking before looking over at Grams who was standing there with one arm crossed over her stomach and the other hand on her chin while watching her grandson intently. Mac sensed her concern. “Don’t worry, Grams, he’ll be fine. He just has a bad case of the flu. He should feel better once he takes some of the medicine I picked up and gets a little rest.”
“Mac, I can’t go to sleep now. I need to work on the Williams case. It’s going to trial tomorrow. I need to be ready,” he slurred slightly.
“Sorry, Harm, it’s going to have to wait. You are totally disoriented and having trouble with your vision not to mention your equilibrium. Do you really think you are going to be able to think coherently? You will sleep now… work later. End of discussion.”
Harm continued to ascend the stairs slowly, completely supported by Mac on one side and holding on to the railing on the other. He knew she was still babbling on, rather loudly he thought about, “you should have listened to me… taken better care of yourself, not pushing” and a bunch of other things that weren’t quite registering. All he knew was that she was in full Marine mode and on a mission and that was to get him straight to bed.
“Maaaccccc, can you power the whole Marine thing down just a little. Sailor with a throbbing head here,” Harm said as they entered her bedroom.
“Well, duh,” was her exasperated response as she helped him remove his jacket before lowering him to a sitting position on the bed.
His fever was spiking, evident by his pink cheeks and sweaty brow. Feeling rather warm, he feebly reached up to wipe his brow, removing the moisture he found there. He had all he could do to unbutton the top button of his shirt as he sat forlornly looking at his feet, wishing he could remove his shoes just by looking at them. He started to bend over wanly when Mac, fearing he would fall over, intervened, removing his shoes and socks for him.
Mac raised her head, taking a really good look at him. “You really do look awful, Harm.”
“Thanks,” he croaked.
“Okay, Squid, lets get you up and out of these pants,” Mac commanded, pulling him up and reaching for his belt buckle.
“Ah… ah,” Harm chided, swatting at her hand. “I think you’re having way too much fun here,” he continued, pointing his index finger at her. “You just want to see my sexy six.” His look then went from giddy to sheepish. “Sorry, Mac, I don’t know about the getting ‘up’ part though. I really do feel like crap and I don’t think that the little sailor is feeling very cooperative, but I do think I can manage to get out of my pants. You wanna watch me?” He grinned devilishly.
Mac stood there with her mouth open, not believing her ears before chuckling at his innuendo. “Yeah, that’s it… you caught me. I just wanted to see you in the buff,” she bantered back, shaking her head as she attempted to get at his belt again.
“Oh no, you don’t,” Harm stated, staggering backwards as he evaded her groping hand. “Tsk…tsk..,” he told her, shaking his finger at her as he struggled to unbuckle his belt. Once that feat was accomplished, he smiled and slowly started to unzip his fly, feigning a strip tease routine, gyrating seductively as he hummed a tune that Mac thought sounded a lot like Let Me Entertain You.
‘Nah,’ she thought standing there hands on her hips and shaking her head. She was completely stunned at his antics. Harm wasn’t shy or inhibitive, but he was not the demonstrative type either so the way he was acting was totally out of character. She concluded his behavior had to definitely be attributed to the fever that was raging through his body.
“Harm,” Mac bellowed to get his attention as she again attempted to help him out. Her hand had nearly reached his waist, but never landed as Harm firmly swatted it away.
“No, you don’t, Jarhead,” he chuckled. “This is my show,” he stated, swaying to his own music.
“HARM!” she shouted this time. “Let me help you before you fall down and hurt yourself.”
“NO!” he replied sternly as he pulled his pants down and over his hips, letting them fall down his legs and pool around his ankles. He put his hands on his hips and looked down completely puzzled over what to do in order to remove the material gathered around his legs. ‘I can do this,’ he thought pouting as he stood there in his uniform shirt and white Navy issue boxers. He was completely perplexed.
Harm was quite the sight and if Mac wasn’t so concerned about him, she would have laughed at his comical predicament. He looked like a petulant little boy learning how to undress himself. “Are you ready to let me help you now, Harm?” Mac asked. When he didn’t answer, she took that to mean ‘yes’. She walked over to him and stooped down to hold on to his pant legs while he held on to her shoulders and lifted his feet out of them. She then made quick work of unbuttoning his shirt and removing it, leaving him in his t-shirt and boxers. “Okay, Flyboy, it’s time to land… show’s over… let’s get you into bed now.”
Mac threw his clothes on the chair before turning down the bed. She helped in and pulled the covers back up over him. He shivered as he settled deep into the covers. “Hold on a minute, Harm, you need to take something for that fever before you get too comfortable.”
“’kay,” he slurred, the struggle in him totally gone.
Mac quickly ran to the bathroom and returned with a glass of water so that he could take the two pills she was holding in her hand. She also took the extra minute and wet a washcloth. She returned and sat on the bed, helping Harm sit up just enough to swallow the pills with a gulp of water. She helped him lay back down and then ran the wet towel over his fevered brow and face in an attempt to cool him down a little.
“Mmmmmm… feels good,” were his last words before closing his eyes.
Mac sat and watched him for a few minutes, thanking God that the delirium abated and he had settled down, although she had to admit she rather enjoyed the ‘show’. She wondered if he would remember it when he woke up, and thought of all the fun she could have teasing him about it once he felt better. ‘A definite bargaining chip,’ she mused. She watched as he continued to toss and turn fitfully as the fever continued to rampage his body. He was on his side facing away from her so she placed her hand on his back and started to rub tiny circles up and down his spine. He seemed to calm to her touch so she continued until he completely settled.
Feeling better that he had now fallen asleep, she gently stood and was about to turn away when she noticed his letter, the one with her answer. It had gone unnoticed and managed to get wedged in between the pillows. Mac smiled, retrieving it. She held it in her hand, debating where to put it when suddenly an idea took root and she went in search of her briefcase, which she remembered placing by the dresser.
*
‘My dearest Harm,
It is I who am sitting here this time watching you sleep even though I would much prefer to be lying beside you. You were restless, tossing and turning but finally you succumbed to the sleep that your body so desperately needs. Right now, I’m afraid if I were to climb into bed, I would disturb and wake you, and that is the last thing I want to do so here I sit keeping watch over you, my love.
I am writing this now, not because I can’t say the words… I can, but because I fear that real life will interfere and not give me the time to say all that it is I want to say without being rushed.
I can’t help but think of your love letter. It was beautiful. I don’t know if I told you, but it made me cry. I know… I know… it wasn’t your intention. I’m very well aware of how much you hate to see me cry. God knows you’ve wiped the tears from my face way too many times, but these were different. These were happy tears, tears because you need me, tears because you want me, but most of all tears because you love me… me Sarah Mackenzie. Those are things that I never thought someone like me would ever be lucky enough to have, especially from someone like you.
You are the type of guy that all the other girls would be lucky to get, but not me. I always ended up with the drunks, the losers, the control freaks and those who wanted to smother the life out of me. But you are none of those things. You love me for what and who I am. You don’t want to turn me into someone or something else. I have found myself wondering constantly what I could have possibly done to get so lucky.
It scares me sometimes… how well you know me. You were right. I did build a wall around me… a very thick wall. I hid behind the Marine and tried so hard not to let the woman that resided in me out. In the beginning with you that was easy. I thought you were so full of yourself, you were drop dead gorgeous (and still are by the way) and had that grin that stopped women in their tracks (you know the one I like to call your flyboy grin). I kept you at arms length. I refused to let you in. I couldn’t risk it. I was tired of being disappointed of not getting what I wanted.
I thought I had it all figured out. I was convinced that I wasn’t about to let your ‘officer and a gentleman’ persona or your beautiful smile get to me. I wasn’t kidding anyone but myself, because you wormed and charmed your way into my heart and into my life. The layers of brick and mortar surrounding me began to chip and fall away more and more as time went by and we spent more and more time together as partners but most of all as friends. You became and still are my best friend. When things go wrong and I need someone… it’s you that I run to. You are always there to support me, to encourage me, to back me, to push me, and to help me pick up the broken pieces of my tumultuous life.
Have I ever thanked you for all of that? If not, I am now. Although thank you seems so inadequate for all you have done for me...
You are not the only one who could have and should have. I too should have told you how I felt a long time ago, but I didn’t… couldn’t for reasons that at the time I thought were all the right ones, but now no longer seem significant.
That day… in your office when we were saying goodbye, we talked about being in love and you said what does love have to do with anything, I should have told you that I loved you and that love was everything. Instead I babbled on about watering your non-existent plants, and so much I wanted to say and couldn’t find the words.
I knew the words, but couldn’t say them.
When we were in Russia, I watched a piece of you die when you found out about your father. I should have taken you in my arms, comforted you and told you how much I loved you, but instead I stood there and watched you grieve as I grieved about not being able to tell you.
That night on the ferry in Sydney, I blindsided you by offering myself to you like some cheap floozy instead of telling you how I felt. I should have known that your integrity would never allow you to accept a one-night stand - especially with me. I should have made you understand that it was not a one-night thing and it had nothing to do with being on another continent. I should have understood when you said not yet, but instead I ran… ran straight into Mic’s arms.
When I was being stalked, and Costner asked if there was anyone else in my life that might be at risk because of the way I felt about them. I naturally told him no, but I should have told you that I feared for you because I loved you.
The night of my engagement party when we were on the Admiral’s porch reminiscing I too evaded, ducked, and dodged. I was a coward. I was afraid to tell you how I felt. I feared if I did and you didn’t feel the same way, I would have lost Mic who did love me. At the time I wanted all the things a woman wants… my career, a good man, a nice home, family, and lots and lots of comfortable shoes. What I failed to realize was that I could never have that with anyone else but you.
That night on the dock, when I followed you to Norfolk wearing Harriet’s Navy uniform and you looked at me before kissing me I thought you were seeing Diane, but when you finally kissed me… I knew you were kissing me.
Through all our failed conversations and miscommunications, our paths always found a way of intersecting. My heart now beats in the same rhythm as yours, and our souls have become one. When we make love, we are not only mating physically, our entire beings are uniting and intertwining in one essence, wrapping us up in a cocoon of love. At last, a love that will last until the end of time and beyond.
For eternity,
Sarah
PS: So it is now I who asks you.
Seeing as how I have agreed to be your girlfriend… would you like to move in here with me, Jingo, and Snowball because we would really love to have you here with us all the time.’
Mac reread the letter then folded it along with his and put them on the nightstand with his letter on top so that her answer to his question was clearly visible. She walked around to the other side of the bed so that she could see Harm and feel his forehead. She was pleasantly surprised that his skin felt somewhat cooler than it had been. Satisfied that for the moment he was sleeping peacefully, she left the room, closing the bedroom door behind her, and went downstairs to join Grams. Unbeknownst to her, the draft from closing the door had caused the letters to float to the floor.
*
Mac searched downstairs for Grams, but didn’t see her. A bark from the yard got her attention so she went out to the backyard and that is where she found Grams sitting with Snowball comfortably curled up in her lap and Jingo prowling around barking at the birds. “How is he?” Grams inquired.
“He was quite out of it for a while there. I have to admit I was a little scared. He was really burning up and acting strange, but he is sleeping peacefully for now and I think the fever has gone down already.”
“I’m glad he is sleeping now, but what happened that was so strange? What was he doing?” Grams insisted on knowing.
“Well,” Mac hesitated, “he is not going to be happy about my embellishing on what he will undoubtedly say he did not do. But it really is too funny not to tell.”
“Then, by all means… do tell,” Grams said with a huge grin. “We can keep it just between us girls.”
“Oh, I don’t know. When you hear this one, you might change your mind and not want to keep it to ourselves,” Mac stated, laughing again.
“Spill it, Sarah,” Grams issued slightly impatient.
“I brought him upstairs and wanted to help him get his clothes off. He refused my help and accused me of just wanting to see him naked. He then proceeded to attempt a sexy striptease for me. He got to the part of dropping his uniform pants before forgetting what he should do next. You should have seen the look on his face as he stood there with his pants around his ankles, hands on his hips, and totally baffled trying to figure out what should come next. It was priceless.” Mac was picturing the scene that had taken place, wanting to remember all the details. “Oh, and he was humming and strutting his stuff like a peacock.” At that point, she no longer could contain herself and laughed with tears.
“He did not.” Grams laughed.
“Oh, yes, he most certainly did,” Mac confirmed.
“That doesn’t sound like my Harmon. He must have been totally out of it,” she said concerned that he obviously was so ill he had no idea what he was doing. “But, you’re right… this is too good to keep to ourselves,” she concluded with a great big belly laugh.
They laughed so loud and hard that poor Snowball woke up and started to meow incessantly not knowing what was going on which had Jingo running to her aid.
“Oh… ssshhh… it’s okay,” Grams soothed, patting the little kitten’s head with one hand while she wiped her eyes with the other. “Everything is okay little one.”
Mac was starting to feel a little awkward about having told Grams about what Harm had done, seeing as how he was so vulnerable at the time. She looked over at Grams who understood the look and winked. “It’s okay, dear. I won’t tell if you don’t.”
Mac was satisfied that Grams would keep their little secret for now anyway.
Grams rose from where she was sitting, putting Snowball down on the ground to play with Jingo. “I should make some chicken soup. It cures anything and everything,” she said thoughtfully.
“That sounds perfect. Let’s go take inventory and I will run and pick up what we don’t have on hand,” Mac said as they made their way to the kitchen to make their list before Mac was off to the grocery store.
*
In Mac’s absence, Grams headed upstairs with Snowball under her arm and Jingo tagging happily behind, to check on her grandson. She entered the bedroom to find Harm sleeping, on his back, in the center of Mac’s bed. She leaned over to touch Harm’s cheek just as Snowball jumped from her grasp and made herself comfortable curled up next to Harm. “Love you, Mac,” he whispered as he felt the cool hand on his warm cheek.
Grams smiled and replied. “She loves you too, dear, very much.”
Jingo decided he would not let his new friend enjoy the comfort of the nice soft bed without him so he jumped up to take his place on the other side of Harm. Grams turned quickly when Jingo jumped up, hoping that he hadn’t woken Harm in the process. He didn’t. Harm was still sleeping soundly evident by his soft snoring. Grams turned to sit vigil in the chair when something on the floor caught her eye. She walked over to retrieve what ended up being two pieces of paper. She didn’t mean to snoop, but her eyes were drawn to what she recognized as her grandson’s writing. She didn’t read much. She didn’t have to. Grams knew what the rest would say and it was beautiful. She returned the letters to the nightstand with tears in her eyes then sat in the chair to keep watch over her grandson until Mac’s return.
*
Mac had calculated being gone forty-seven minutes as she pulled into the driveway. ‘I hope Harm is still sleeping,’ she thought as she carried the two bags into the house. “I’m back,” she called as she entered the house. When she didn’t get an answer she put the bags on the counter and went up to her bedroom. She opened the door slowly and peeked inside before entering. Jingo immediately lifted his head off the bed when he heard her approach, gave a little snort, and put his head back down.
“How is he?” she asked Grams.
Grams took her gaze away from her grandson to look at Mac. “He’s still sleeping, but he appears to be getting a little restless.”
“Mac?” Harm murmured.
She immediately went over to sit on the bed. “I’m here,” she responded, reaching out to him.
Meanwhile Grams made her way to the bathroom to wet the cloth again. Once done, she brought it back to Mac, who immediately started to wipe him down.
“I think I will go down and get started on that soup.”
Mac looked up at the older woman appreciatively. “Thanks, Grams, I will be down in a couple of minutes.”
Grams patted her on the shoulder. “No rush.” She then made her way down to the kitchen to make her infamous chicken soup that consisted of one part chicken and two parts love.
Mac sat there watching Harm, running her hand through his damp hair. “So cold,” he whispered before starting to cough. Mac picked up Snowball and put her on the other side near Jingo before crawling under the covers and taking Harm into her arms. She kissed his head and comforted him with soothing words. He snuggled deep into her, absorbing her warmth. Mac gathered him as close as humanly possible and succumbed to an exhausted sleep.
*
Grams hadn’t heard anything coming from upstairs in a while so went up to investigate, hoping all was well. She quietly knocked on the door and receiving no answer. Gently she turned the knob to poke her head inside. What she saw warmed her heart. Mac was lying there with Harm’s head comfortably resting on her chest while both her arms were wrapped protectively around him.
“Don’t think they will be having any soup for a while,” she whispered into the silent room before closing the door and making her way back downstairs.
*
Mac didn’t know how long she had slept when she woke to Harm’s coughing fit. He wasn’t lying beside her anymore; he was sitting up closer to the foot of the bed. She crawled down to him and threw her arms around him, laying her cheek against his shoulder blade. “Hey, you’re feeling better?”
“Yeah, I am,” he responded weakly.
“Haarrrrmmmm, your coughing your head off and your voice is practically gone. How can you be feeling better? Not to mention that you are still burning up. You need to take some more medicine, and you need to put that work away.”
She hopped off the bed to retrieve the cold pills, while Harm started talking about the case. “Mac,” he whispered. “If I don’t come up with something by tomorrow, an innocent man is going to jail because that is what he wants to do. I can’t let him,” was all he was able to get out before he was hit with another bout of coughing.
“Have you talked to William’s wife about what her husband is doing?” Mac inquired as she handed the pills to him with a glass of water, which he downed immediately.
“I spoke with her this morning, and though she wouldn’t talk and when she did she was evasive, I think she knows something.”
“Would you like me to try and talk with her? Maybe if we talk woman to woman she might reveal something.”
“Singer already tried, Mac, and got nowhere.”
“I’m not Singer and I would very much like to try. Court doesn’t convene until one o’clock tomorrow so we have all morning to work on it. If we don’t come up with anything, you can always ask for a postponement. Face it, Harm, you’re sick and should not be sitting here working. You are not going to do the Vice Admiral any good if you don’t get better.”
Harm gave her a faint smile. “Why is it that you can always make me do what you want me to do?”
“Because I’m good and I am usually right.”
“Whoa… let’s not get carried away, Mac.”
They both shared a laugh and Mac told him that Grams made him a pot of chicken soup, and she was going to go down to get them some.
“Sounds good, thanks.”
Mac made her way down to the kitchen to heat up some of the soup for them. She put the pot on the stove and checked in on Grams who was fast asleep. Deciding that the soup would take a little time to heat up she returned to the bedroom to find Harm missing. She was just about to call out when she heard the shower running. She smiled and headed over to the bed to strip the sheets and replaced them with clean ones. She sniffed lightly. ‘Much better,’ she thought and once again left the room.
Harm entered the bedroom feeling much better after showering and getting into clean underwear. He immediately noticed that Mac had put away the files that had been scattered everywhere and had put clean sheets on the bed. He was just about to settle himself under the covers again when he spotted a few piece of papers on the nightstand. The minute he picked up his letter, he saw her answer and he smiled elatedly. That was when he realized that there was also a letter from Mac.
He infolded it carefully and began to read. He stopped halfway through and leaned back against the pillows. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply then exhaled. He opened his eyes and continued to read… this time until the very end. A surge of emotions engulfed him as he sat there looking at the written words… her words. He never felt the tears that ran down his cheeks.
That was how Mac found him when she returned with the soup. “Harm? Hey, why the tears?”
“I’m overwhelmed, Mac.”
“Oh, Harm,” Mac whispered as she put the bowls down on the nightstand and sat down on the bed. He immediately engulfed her in his arms kissing her neck. “So, I guess this means we’re an item now.”
“Yeah,” Mac responded. “I guess we are,” she smiled into his chest.
“I want to kiss you so badly right now, but I don’t want you to catch what I have.”
“If you don’t kiss me, I’ll die from want, Sailor. So, you better get your lips here and on mine in a hurry if you know what’s good for you.”
“Aye, aye, Ma’am,” was all he got the chance to say before their lips fused together.
When the need for air separated them, Harm realized he hadn’t properly answered her question. “Wait, Mac.” He reached for the pen on the nightstand picked up her letter and answered her question… in the affirmative. When he looked up into her eyes, blue melted into brown and they kissed again slowly and lovingly. Then they proceeded to eat their soup and settled down for a good nights sleep. They would not worry or think anymore tonight. Tomorrow would take care of itself.
*
Harm woke slowly, savoring the last vestiges of sleep. He stretched, and though his eyes were still closed, he knew by the freedom of movement and the missing warmth that normally surrounded him that he was alone in the bed. Well, not exactly alone because Jingo and Snowball had comfortably taken up residence at the foot of the bed.
He rubbed his eyes before sitting up and immediately realized that he felt much better. He looked around for Mac, but she was no where around so he let his head fall back to the bed, causing the note Mac left on her pillow to float off and on to his chest.
Good Morning Sailor,
Thought I’d get an early start to the day. You were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t want to wake you. Thought I’d go and see if Mrs. Williams feels like talking today. Hope you feel better and if not, you better not even think about going to work today. You got that, mister? Oh, by the way, I left Grams in charge.
Love you.
Harm laughed. ‘Always the Marine… and leaving Grams in charge, boy she learns quickly. Can’t put anything past that woman,’ he thought. He learned that lesson the hard way back when he was still a toddler. ‘She had a knack of seeing through anything and anyone,’ he continued to muse, sitting up again. ‘Boy do I need a shave,’ he concluded as he ran his hands over his face, down his jaw, and around his chin feeling the two days worth of hair growth.
Jingo and Snowball were immediately roused by his movements and lifted their heads in his direction, hoping they were not about to be read the riot act for sleeping on the bed. “Hey there guys. Did you sleep well, too?” he asked the duo. His only answer was a loud snort and tiny meow. Seeing that Harm wasn’t angry with them, they decided it was okay to scoot a little closer, looking for attention which Harm gave readily.
After patting and petting each of them whole-heartedly he announced that the party was over and it was time for them to get down so that he could get up and attend to his morning routine before going into the office.
He showered and shaved before donning his uniform and headed downstairs where Grams was pouring him a cup of coffee. “Morning Grams,” he greeted, kissing her cheek.
She immediately reached up and felt his forehead. “Good, no more fever,” she announced happily.
“I’m feeling much better today, Grams. I think the worst of it is over. So I am definitely well enough to go to the office,” he concluded with raised eyebrows.
Grams acknowledged that he indeed looked better and since Mac had left her in charge, she deemed him well enough to leave the house. The minute she thought of Mac, his antics of the previous night immediately came to her mind. She had all she could do to contain her laughter and let out a soft giggle.
“Did you say something Grams?” Harm asked, noticing how she appeared to be studying him. “Is there something wrong? And, what’s that twinkle in your eyes all about?” he continued.
She immediately got her thoughts back under control and looked away before answering. “Oh, it’s nothing, dear… just an old lady thinking about the past is all,” she offered.
She wasn’t sure he had bought it, and he hadn’t, but he didn’t have the time to get a confession out of her so he simply crossed his arms over his chest and nodded.
He grabbed his coffee, taking a few quick gulps and headed for the door.
“Hey, how about some breakfast before you go running out to work?”
“Can’t Grams… no time… gotta run… see you later.” And with that said, he picked up his briefcase and cover on his way to the door.
Grams was left standing there hands on her hips and shaking her head as the door closed behind him.
*
Mac spent the drive to the Vice Admiral’s thinking about how she was going to approach Mrs. Williams. She so desperately wanted to help Harm, but she needed a game plan. She thought of several ways to interview the woman, but she didn’t want to push or upset her, but she needed her to open up so in the end she decided to put the Marine aside and just be a woman talking to another woman about her family.
She knocked and was greeted by a young man who she immediately recognized as one of the twins Harm had spoken about. After introducing herself to the teenager, she asked to speak with his mother. He showed her into the living room and left to find his mother. Mac walked around the room, admiring the grace and elegance of the room.
“Colonel,” Mrs. Williams greeted Mac with her hand extended.
“Please, call me Sarah,” Mac responded, shaking hands with her.
“Very well, Sarah. What can I do for you? If you are here to ask me more questions, I already told the Commander and Lieutenant yesterday... I’m sorry but I really can’t help you.”
“Yes, the Commander told me. I thought maybe after talking with him you might have remembered something and that’s why I’m here. Maybe if we just talk a little something might jog your memory,” Mac continued.
Mrs. Williams shook her head and began to pace nervously around the room. Mac sensed her extreme discomfort at the thought of being questioned again so she opted for small talk.
“That is a lovely picture of your family,” Mac stated, pointing to the portrait over the fireplace.
“Thank you. It was the last one taken be.. be… before Nathaniel’s death. It’s so unfair, first I loose my son and now I am loosing my husband,” she concluded sobbing.
“If I may ask, how did he die?”
“He… he…”
“It was all my fault! He died because of me!” Danny suddenly screamed from the doorway before walking into the living room. He had been listening from behind the door and couldn’t bear to see his mother upset and crying any longer.
“Danny, be quiet,” Mrs. Williams pleaded. “You don’t know what you are saying. Go on get out of here, NOW!” Mrs. Williams shrieked, attempting to hush her son and get him out of the room.
But he didn’t listen and walked further into the room. “It was me, Colonel. I was driving the car that night, not my dad! He’s innocent. He doesn’t belong in jail. I do.”
“DANNY, STOP!” Mrs. Williams warned. “Please stop,” she cried. “Please.”
“No, mom, enough is enough. This has to end here and now. I need to take responsibility for what I’ve done. I can’t stand by and watch you and dad suffer any more. You both have endured enough pain because of me already. It has to stop. You can’t lie any more to protect me. It isn’t right and it’s not fair. I can’t let dad go to prison for something I did. I love you both too much for that,” Danny concluded, falling to his knees in anguish.
Mrs. Williams ran to her crying son’s side immediately. She put her arms around him, offering him comfort and giving him her love. “It’s okay, sweetheart. Everything is going to be okay. Your dad and I are here for you,” she soothed.
“I’m so sorry, mom…so sorry,” he repeated over and over.
Mac watched mother and son intently as her heart went out to them. It was such a tragedy for what appeared to be a warm and loving family. It made her think of her own childhood. She wondered. Would her father be willing to go to prison for something she had done? Would her mother stand by her and comfort her the way Mrs. Williams was comforting Danny? She didn’t have to think long…the answer was all too obvious.
She shook her head to clear her thoughts. Why was she even going there?
“I’m really sorry for all your troubles, ma’am, but Danny will have to be taken into custody. You did the right thing, Danny. I know it was a horrible accident and it wasn’t intentional, but you will have to pay the consequences for your actions,” Mac stated solemnly.
Both Danny and Mrs. Willliams nodded acknowledgement.
*
JAG HEADQUARTERS
The Admiral and his people were congregated in the conference room. The staff meeting was well underway when Tiner knocked once and entered. “Excuse me, Sir, but Colonel Mackenzie is on line one for Commander Rabb, and she said it was important.”
Lieutenant Singer immediately made a face, thinking that this was not the time or the place to have a personal conversation. ‘Couldn’t they keep it out of the office?’ she pondered to herself, ‘and why is the Admiral allowing it?’ She didn’t have to think hard or long about it. ‘They were the chosen ones,’ she snickered to herself.
Harm picked up the phone that was on the side desk and listened intently to what Mac was telling him. “What?” he asked wide-eyed, a hand on his hip. “Wait a minute, Mac, I’m sitting in the conference room with the Admiral, Mattoni, Bud, and Singer. Do you mind if I put you on speaker so that they can hear what you have to say as well?”
(“No, that’s fine, Harm.”)
Harm pushed the loudspeaker button on the phone. “Okay, Mac, go ahead everyone is listening.”
“Well, I just left Admiral William’s house. You were right Harm. He’s innocent. His son Danny just confessed to being the one driving the car that night. The authorities should be taking him into custody right about now.”
“How, Mac? How did you get it out of him?” Harm asked.
“I really didn’t do anything. I just asked about Nathaniel and how he died when Danny burst into the room confessing to everything. He just couldn’t watch his parents suffer because of him any longer and admitted to being the one who was behind the wheel that night.”
“Did he go into any details, Mac?” Mattoni asked.
“Well,” Mac sighed. “He had a lot to say actually. Mostly about Nathaniel and how devastated he was over the death of his twin brother. Last year, they found out that Danny had leukemia and Nathaniel was able to be the blood donor. He died short after the procedure by a cardiac. Danny couldn’t cope with the loss and blamed himself, never believing that Nathaniel way ill as well and that his dead had nothing to do with the procedure and helping him. He started to drink and also got into drugs. He was trying to ease his pain in all the wrong ways. He got behind the wheel that night high and drunk. He decided to race another car wildly through the city in an attempt to impress his girlfriend who sat in the car as well when the accident happened. The Vice Admiral at first thought his car had been stolen, and when he realized that Danny had been the culprit; he covered for him.”
“Great job, Colonel,” the Admiral said impressively.
“Thank you, Sir, but… but I think I may have a problem here.”
“What’s going on? Where are you?” Harm asked when Tiner once again rushed into the room.
“Sir, I just saw the Colonel on the news. She is here, outside the building and several reporters and a camera man are badgering her as she is making her way in.” He quickly turned on the television in the room and they all became witnesses to what was taking place outside of headquarters.
Mac came into view with a “no comment” to the reporter, which was also heard over the open phone line. Then the reporter began to question her about Mic Brumby. The Admiral and Harm exchanged knowing glances.
“Hey, I know that guy,” Tiner suddenly shouted. Then he turned his gaze to Singer. “Isn’t that your boyfriend, Lieutenant Singer?”
Harm turned, glaring at Singer. “You?” Why wasn’t he even surprised? He quickly glanced over at the Admiral who was now standing with his hands on his hips, eyes locked on Singer. He was clearly seething.
“Sir, permission to…” Harm started to ask when the Admiral gave him a nod.
“Granted,” the Admiral agreed and Harm quickly left the room in search of Mac.
Before the door shut behind him he heard the Admiral bellow to Lauren. “In my office. Now, Lieutenant!”
Harm was in panic mode and ran to the elevators. It opened the minute he pushed the button. “Thank God,” he mumbled to the empty car. He began pacing around the small quarters, thinking it would never reach the first floor. When it did and the door opened, he saw Mac and his heart skipped a beat as he held the door opened for her. She spotted him and quickened her pace, a “no comment” still ringing in the air.
She ran into the elevator and the minute the doors closed, Harm had her in his arms. She was shaking and held on to him for dear life. “It’s okay, Mac. Everything is going to be okay,” he soothed. “I told you whatever happens, we will get through it together. You and me. There’s nothing we can’t handle together. After all, we make quite a team.”
“Yeah, we do, don’t we?” Mac responded into his shoulder before lifting her head to look into his eyes. In his eyes she saw all the love he had in his heart for her, and she knew without a doubt that she would never be alone again. “Together,” she whispered.
“Together,” Harm agreed before they sealed the deal with a long, loving kiss.
The End… for now