Title: Moving On
Author: Anne Taul, annetaul@home.com

Summary: As Mac and Harm explore their feelings for each other, where does that leave Brumby?

Disclaimer: JAG, it¹s characters, the premise and all of it belong exclusively to Belisarius Productions, Paramount and CBS entertainment. This story intends no copyright infringement or disrespect. No profit is being made. It¹s only for fun!

Dedication: This is for my dear friend Leigh, who supports my obsession and encourages my deviant activities.

 

Moving On

"Sarah, do you really want to take this?" Mic Brumby asked his fiancee, as he handed her a rather revealing cotton dress.

"Yeah, it¹s probably going to be hot down there."

"I wish you weren't going."

"Mic," she began impatiently, "I thought you understood. It's work."

"Oh, I understand, but I'm still going to miss you."

This would be the first time they had been apart overnight since Mic Brumby had returned to live in Washington. He had been pleased that she had finally accepted his marriage proposal, but he had thought that they'd be married by now. It had been a month. So far, he couldn't get Mac to really discuss a wedding date.

Mic picked a calendar up from the bed side table and asked her, "Do you want me to order invitations while you're gone? Just name the date, and I'll take care of everything."

"Not now. I'm leaving in a few minutes. We can think about that later."

"Sarah. Why don't you ever want to set a date for our wedding? You do want to get married, don't you?"

She sighed heavily. "Of course, I do. There's just no time for a wedding right now, that'll have to wait."

"Can we discuss this and decide when you get back?"

"Sure, that's a good idea."

She handed him a piece of paper, "Here's the number of the hotel where we're staying. Harm and I are both registered there, if you need to reach me."

"Rabb!" he raved. "Why do you have to go on this assignment with him? Why not Lt. Roberts or Lt Commander Mattoni or any one else besides Rabb."

"Mic, do not go off on that jealous thing. You know that Harm and I work together. That shouldn't threaten you in any way."

He turned and caught her up in his arms. "I want to marry you, and love you forever." He said as his lips descended onto hers for a kiss.

"And you will." She answered, returning his kiss.

This was good. This was comfortable. Mac knew it. Mic Brumby could give her everything she needed to make her life complete: a family, children, stability. These were the things she had longed for all her life. Her marriage to Mic would provide her with all of them. Sometimes she reflected, momentarily that there really wasn't any passion between them. She cared for him, really she did, and she knew that he loved her. That was enough, wasn't it? They didn't need the heart-stopping, swooning kind of feeling. That was for teenagers. Over time, their love would grow. Eventually, she'd feel all that stuff for her husband. These were the thoughts that occupied Mac's mind when she had time to think about her impending union to the handsome Austrailian.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Mic asking if he should take her to the airport.

"No, Harm's picking me up."

"Great!" he thought to himself, but to her he said, "Okay."

Moments later, the doorbell sounded. Mac opened the front door of the apartment she now shared with Mic Brumby to admit Harmon Rabb. "You're eight minutes late," she greeted him.

He ignored her and asked, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah." Came her response. She kissed Brumby and picked up her bag.

"Sarah," Mic called after her, "we'll talk about a date when you get home. I love you."

"Me too. Bye." She yelled back to him.

The plane ride to Camp LeJeune was uneventful. Harm and Mac used the time to review the case they were going to be investigating. Marine Sargeant Dan McCoy was accused of trafficking illegal drugs to high school students  in Jacksonville, North Carolina, the town adjacent to the base. He worked in the Sickbay, and it was thought that this was how he was getting these substances brought in, using medical supplies to hide them. McCoy vehemently denied these allegations, as did his wife,who taught at the high school. The charges had been brought by the medical supervisor, Major Charles Phelps and one of the doctors, Lt. Commander James Sherman.

This type case would normally be handled by local authorities, with assistance from the DEA, but their investigations had turned up little in the way of solid evidence. The case had been given to the Navy, to level charges and find the truth. The potential ramifications of military personnel providing addicting, even lethal drugs to civilian minors were astronomical. So, JAG was sending its two best to North Carolina to get to the bottom of this and defuse an unstable situation.

Given the volatile nature of this case and the civilians involved, it had been decided that the JAG officers would be housed in a local hotel rather than in base housing. The local citizens were more likely to talk freely to officers that didn't have any immediately discernible connection to the ,military base. They could come and go from Camp LeJeuene, but not be directly associated with it.

On arrival, they reported to the base commander and  Major Phelps before checking into the hotel.

The next morning, they kicked their plan into action, and began interviewing potential witnesses.  They discovered that McCoy was responsible for ordering medications and other supplies for the infirmary. He, also, had almost unrestricted access to all the inventory. Apparently, he relied mainly on his memory to keep track of what was there, so there weren't any really good records to indicate what was missing. This was going to be a difficult case.

Major Phelps and Dr. Sherman's steadfast belief in McCoy's guilt came from information they had gathered from several students from the local high school who were dependents living on base. Several of these kids had presented to the clinic with acute overdoses of methamphetamines and morphine. That was of little help to Harm and Mac. They couldn't question the minors without knowing who they were, and Dr, Sherman couldn't tell them because of the doctor-patient confidentiality he owed them. Also, it's tricky interrogating  minors without parental permission, and nobody wants to believe their kids are involved in something like this, so ŠŠ..

After four days, they were still looking for some kind of corroborating evidence to build a case against Sargeant McCoy.

Harm sat in a chair in Mac's hotel room, reading through his case notes. Mac was sitting in the middle of her bed, surrounded by file folders, containing all their information.

"Mac," Harm began, "we don't have enough to charge him. I think we're going to have to drop this one and let him walk."

"But Harm, he's guilty." She returned.

"I know, but we can't prove it."

She looked away into an unseen point in space, as she had done very often during this investigation.

"Mac, are you okay?"

"Sure, I'm fine. Why?"

"You just seem really distracted. You wanna tell me what's going on?"

She avoided looking directly at him. "Mic wants to set a wedding date."

"And you don't want to?" he asked.

"Yeah, I do. I just can't seem to think about that. Weddings are such a hassle."

"I thought girls really liked that kind of stuff."

"Me too. I want everything Mic can give me, it's just Š. Oh, I don't know."

"You don't want him?" Harm guessed.

"Yeah, I guess I do. I just can't get excited about it."

Harm leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. "Is he pressuring you, Mac?"

"Yes. No. I don't know. Sometimes it feels that way."

"Well, don't let him force you into anything you're not ready for."

"But Harm, I am ready for all this ­ the husband, the family. At least I think I am."

Something in Harm melted a little.  He had known Mac for 5 years. She was always tough and in control. But now, she was different. As he looked at her now, he could see some insecurity, some vulnerability. These were qualities that he was somehow sure that a bully like Brumby would try to take advantage of. Harm couldn't explain why he'd never liked the Austrailian who came to JAG as an exchange officer, but he really didn't.

Now, looking at this beautiful woman sitting on the bed in front of him filled with uncertainty and vulnerability, he could only think of one thing. He had to comfort her, reassure her in some way. His need to connect with her overtook him. It edged out his ability to think rationally. So, when he acted, it was out of basal need and instinct.

He breathed her name, "Mac," as he rose from his seat. In one long stride he was standing in front of her. His hand, acting on its own, found the back of her head. He used it to gently tilt her face upward. His lips brushed against hers, then it happened.

Mac was taken totally by surprise. When his lips descended upon hers, she couldn't help but respond to the kiss. It was full of feelings that he had for her. This was something that she didn't get from Mic Brumby ­ real, unbridled emotion. Mic said that he loved her, but often she couldn't feel anything from him. But now, now she was feeling real emotionality from a man, a man that she knew she loved.

Once he began to sense Mac responding, Harm couldn't keep from deepening the kiss, intensifying the connection between them. He responded in ways that he (even his subconscious) hadn't initially meant to. He couldn 't think, he was just part of this, unable to stop it.

Quickly, the kiss had assumed a life of its own. Neither Harm nor Mac could control what was happening. It was the most intimate and intense connection either of them had ever made with another human being. They were powerless to stop it or to alter its course.

When they finally broke apart for air,  all they could do was stare at each other as they panted. For a few moments they couldn't speak.

Finally, Harm captured her eyes with his and whispered, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ŠŠ"

"Are you?" she questioned in answer. "Are you really?"

There had never been another moment in his life even close to the one he had just experienced, so he had to truthfully answer, "No, maybe not completely."

She scooted over and he sat down beside her on the edge of the bed. They just sat there, side by side, breathing and trying not to think about it until they had recovered..

When his breathing had returned to normal and his heart rate had slowed, he rose to leave. He squeezed her hand gently and said, "I'll see you in the morning."

Harm," she said, meeting his gaze, "we're going to have to talk about this."

"Sometime." He agreed, then left.

Mac lay back on the bed and closed her eyes. She couldn't forget the sensation of something that intense. She knew that she had just shared in something strong from Harm's very heart. She must've dozed off, because she came to hearing the unwelcome sound of the telephone ringing.

"It was Mic. "Do you miss me, Mac?" he was asking.

"Sure I do." She told him. "We'll probably be home tomorrow. Yeah, I'd love to go to The Maisonette for dinner."

There was a soft knocking at the door. "Hold on a minute, Honey." She said into the receiver."

When she opened the door, Harm stood in the hallway. "Are you feeling better?" he inquired softly.

She nodded. Pointing at the phone in her hand she mouthed the name, "Mic."

"Don't tell him what happened." Harm cautioned her. "First we need to figure it out."

She nodded again. Harm shut the door behind him as he left.

The next morning over breakfast, neither Harm nor Mac knew how to approach discussing what had been, for each of them, such an emotional experience.

Mac hadn't slept well. All night she mulled the kiss and the sensations it produced through her mind. It certainly made her feel something, but what? Had Harm felt the same thing?

For her, it was an intense connection. It wasn't sexual, not really. Oh sure, she'd always been a little bit attracted to Harm. This, though, this was something different. She really couldn't be exactly positive what it was, but until she figured it out, it would haunt her ­ of that she was sure.

Harm had been totally surprised not only by what he had done, but also by how Mac had reacted to it. His sleep had been sound and full of dreams. How could he admit that all his dreams were about her? Of course Mac was a good-looking woman, but he'd never allowed himself to think of her that way. Now, it was all he could think about. If that kiss had been any indication, maybe she was thinking about him too.

Finally, he had to know. He asked, "Mac, what happened to us last night?"

"We worked. We slept. What?"

"Oh, great! She didn't even remember. He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"You mean the kiss, don't you?"

"Yeah. It seemed pretty intense. What was going on?"

"Nothing. I missed Mic. You missed Renee ­ what's she been gone now, a month?"

"You mean to tell me, you were thinking of Brumby when you kissed me last night?"

"First of all, Commander,  I didn't kiss you. You kissed me."

"Whatever you were thinking about, it didn't seem like you minded."

"Harm, I didn't mind. And as much as I hate to admit it, I did feel something, something wonderful."

"I knew it. So what do you think that means?"

"Easy. It means that we care deeply for each other."

"Yeah?"

"Of course. We're best friends. We have very special and important feelings between us."

"Then, that was just a friendship kiss? Nothing more?"

"Do you think there was more?" she hoped she didn't sound hopeful. After all she was going to be married soon.

"No. Of course not. It was just a long pent up expression of how much we mean to each other, of how important our friendship is."

An hour later, they were on a flight back to Washington. They hardly talked on the plane at all.

ONE WEEK LATER
JAG HQ
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA


Mac sat at her desk, staring into an unseeable distance. She wasn't getting any work done ­ she couldn't concentrate. Since her return from North Carolina, Mic had been pressuring her to commit to a wedding date. At home, every time she turned around, he was there.  His need for physical intimacy had multiplied, apparently. He had wanted sex every night since she 'd  been back. But she was having an increasingly hard time being with him that way. There had been more than a few headaches in their bedroom recently. When they did make love, it seemed mechanical and detached to her. Something was definitely missing. Even Mic's kisses left Mac cold these days. There was no passion in them. She might never have realized this fully without  having shared that very real kiss with Harm. She thought about it a lot. Of course it hadn't meant anything. It was just a reaction to their friendship. That's what he had said, wasn't it? Still it haunted her. Mac knew that she would never have that kind of passion with Mic Brumby. He simply couldn't give her that feeling of vitality and life that Harm could. It wasn't a big surprise for her to finally figure out that she was in love with Harm. But what could she do about it? Even if Mic couldn't give her all the emotional fulfillment that Harm could, he could give her the home, the children, the stability that she so needed ­ things that Harm just wasn't able to give her right now, at least. She couldn't wait forever. Every day her biological clock ticked a little faster. She was so confused and distraught. How was she ever going to get away from all this long enough to sort it out?

It was into this pandemonium of thought that Gunnery Sargeant Galindez entered. He knocked on the door, then stuck his head in. "Colonel, Admiral Chegwidden wants to see you and Commander Rabb in his office right away."

"Thanks, Gunny." Mac responded. "I'll be right there."

She literally ran into Harm, answering the same summons, in the hallway. "Do you know what this is about?" he inquired.

"No. Do you?"

"Not yet, but we're getting ready to find out." He quipped as they arrived at the admiral's door.

Once inside his office, the admiral offered them each a seat.

"What's going on, Admiral?" Harm asked.

"The McCoy dug case." Chegwidden began.

"Sir, that case was closed. We couldn't find enough evidence against Sargeant McCoy to charge him." Mac supplied.

"But now," AJ continued, "apparently several of the teachers at the high school are willing to come forth and offer testimony against him."

"Do they have damaging evidence?" Harm probed.

"Commander Sherman and Major Phelps think so. They want the investigation reopened."

"You're going to send us back to Camp LeJeune, Sir?" Mac asked

"Only one of you. That's all I can spare right now with all these trial dates coming up. Volunteers?"

Mac's head whirled. This could be exactly what she needed ­ a chance to get away from here, from Harm and Mic both. It would give her the opportunity to think more clearly."

Harm spoke up immediately, "Admiral, the Colonel has a fiancee here that she needs to be with . I'm not involved with anybody else. I think I should go."

Chegwidden was about to approve his request, when Mac spoke up, in a rushed tone, "No, Sir, I'd like to go. Really I would."

"Are you sure, Colonel?"

"Yes, Sir. Positive."

"Okay, then talk to Gunnery Sargeant Galindez about making your travel arrangements."

On the way out, Harm asked, "Isn't Brumby going to be upset that you' re gone again so soon?"

"He'll understand." She said, "It's work."

The fact was, however, that he didn't understand. Mic Brumby ranted and raved like a man possessed when she announced that she'd be leaving in the morning.

"You and Rabb going off together again!" he yelled.

"Harm's not going this time." She answered calmly.

"He's not?" Mic was surprised.

"No, I'm probably just going to need to talk to some people, take some statements, stuff like that. It's a one person job this time. I'll only be gone three or four days at the most."

Brumby got hold of his temper and tried to smooth over his outburst, "I'm sorry, Sarah. I just need you here with me so much."

Later that evening, Harm came by to drop off some paperwork she'd need to take with her. He'd been working on it late at the office. He also had advice to give her about how to approach the teachers.  They were obviously engrossed in the case, so Mic went out for a drink. Left alone, Harm told her, "I know you can handle this, but be careful. A lot of people may have a lot at stake, it could get messy."

"I'm a big girl, Harm." She retorted.

"I know." He agreed, "but I worry about you. Just take care of yourself, okay?"

"Okay." She promised.

They both stood, as he prepared to leave.

Harm looked deeply into her eyes. Mac was sure that he could probably see directly into her soul.  He rested a single finger under her chin, then ŠŠ he bent and placed a feather- light kiss on her lips. Her body geared up to respond. But, just as quickly as it had happened, he turned, walked through the door and was gone.

Mac sat down in the middle f her motel room bed and powered up her laptop. Typing the notes from today's interviews shouldn't take long. Immediately, a little icon flashed to alert her that she had mail waiting. She smiled It would be from Harm. In the four days she'd been gone, she'd had three lengthy messages from him. There was a phone call every night from Mic, but that rarely made her smile.

There was certainly great contrast in distant communication with the two men in her life. Each night before going to sleep, she talked to Mic Brumby. The conversations were always the same. He missed her. He needed her. When was she coming home? The messages from Harm were very different. Harm said that he sensed something was wrong when she left. Was she okay? Did she need anything? How could he help her?

The message she read now was no different: "Are you okay, Mac? I' m worried about you? Let me know what I can do for you."

"You're doing it, Harm." She sighed, silently.

Yes, one man had interest in his own needs and desires, and the other seemed only concerned about her.  Now, which one was more attractive?

At about that moment, the phone rang. She knew it would be Mic. She just couldn't listen to him whine right now, so she let it ring. Tomorrow, she'd tell him that she had a late interview. She wouldn't have to specify what time it was. Was this really the man she was going to marry?

She thought about Harm, so concerned, so protective. The passion of that kiss lived in her mind. But that's all it was, fleeting passion. He wasn't the one who could give her what she needed.

Mac opened the door of her apartment and ushered Harm inside, relieving him of part of the stack of paperwork in his arms.

He looked around carefully before accepting the seat on the couch that she offered him. "Where's Brumby?" he asked.

"Not here." She smiled. "He's got a job interview this afternoon."

"Good," Harm commented. "It's about time he started pulling his own weight around here."

"Harm, don't start."

"Well, Mac, he just came to town, moved in here and didn't even offer to support himself."

"He's my fiancee." She told him, with a hint of warning in her voice.

"Mac, are you really going to marry that guy?"

"Yeah, I am. So, be nice."

They proceeded to lay out all the information they had about the McCoy case on the coffee table.

"Tell me you learned something good and helpful on your trip."

"I'd love to, but Š.."

"Nothing?"

"I talked to several people who all had opinions . Some of them even could tell about the drug problem in the high school, but nobody had anything that directly connected McCoy to them."

"Then, we're right back where we started?"

"Pretty much. You know, Harm, if we could just get Mrs, McCoy to talk. I'm convinced that she knows something."

"Spousal privilege. She doesn't have to tell us anything."

"No, but she knows something."

"You don't think she's involved, do you?"

"No, probably not. She might be covering for him, though."

"We better look for another way. She's not going to do or say anything that could incriminate him."

"Yeah." She agreed, a little dejectedly.

They read through her notes from this last trip, carefully comparing them to the information they had collected on the first trip. Nothing was really adding up on this investigation.

"Do you want some more coffee?" she asked.

"No, thanks. I've had plenty."

She lifted her arms over her head and stretched.

Harm reached to grasp her left shoulder and gently massaged.

Mac sighed her approval. Then she looked up into his eyes and stated, "We're not getting anywhere."

Still holding onto her shoulder, Harm leaned to lightly brush his lips against hers. He didn't know why he'd done it. It was just a natural thing that he couldn't help.

As he started to move away, she took his face between her two hands and pulled him closer.  This time the kiss was very mutual ­ and deep. It escalated into a wave of passion.

Mac felt her whole body tingle. This was so right, so perfect. She knew, without any doubt that she had deep feelings for this man. She experienced this in the kiss, but she could never, ever let him know it. In their conversation, after the first kiss, he had made it very clear that all this meant to him was an expression of friendship. He had no other feelings for her. As much as Sarah MacKenzie wanted this and needed this, she wouldn't pursue it. Harm just didn't have it in him to establish a real relationship. No, Mic was her future; she'd have to put Harm out of her mind.

If it was possible, Harm decided, this kiss was more intense than the first one had been. Something from Mac's soul touched him in ways he would never have dreamed. He felt connected to her ­ in very intimate ways. He envied Brumby. She was the kind of woman that could make a man forget everything else, make him want nothing out of life, except her. Rabb knew this, because he was almost to that point. Of course he wouldn't tell her that he was in love with her ­ he wasn't even sure about that himself. She was going to be married soon. She belonged to another man. But, oh, how sweet she tasted!

They were both so confused by this. But they were powerless to stop it. This kiss and the passion it carried were bigger than both of them.

When it finally ended, after what seemed like forever, they slowly backed away, but their eyes remained locked on each other. They just stared into the eyes, not able to break that contact.

Mac began to blush. The crimson color moved from her cheeks all the way down her neck. Not able to miss this, Harm softly touched her cheek. Now, she finally broke the eye contact by looking down.

"Harm, IŠŠIŠ.uh Š.."

"Yeah, " he answered, "I know."

She reached for the legal pad where they'd been making notes on the McCoy case. "We're going to have to stop this." She indicated the pad.

"I know it." Harm confirmed. There's just not enough evidence to charge him with anything."

She smiled, slightly. They both knew that there were several conversations going on here.

"I'm sorry, Mac. I really don't want to cause you any trouble."

"Well, it's not your fault. At least not entirely." She assured him.

A noise in the hallway stopped them cold. As they listened, the sound of a key turning in the front door lock greeted them.

"Mic." Mac whispered.

"He might kill me." Harm responded.

"No." she shot back, "He'll just hurt you really badly."

"Gee, thanks."

They instinctively scooted apart to opposite ends of the couch.

The door opened slowly and a very drunk Brumby half walked/ half fell in.

Mac moved quickly over to help him up, but he pushed her away and staggered toward the bedroom.

"Do you want to call it a night?" Harm asked. "I guess I should be going."

"No." Mac stopped him. "We have to figure out something to tell the admiral about this case in the morning."

"Let's just tell him to drop it."

"Harm, we can't do that. We both know this creep's guilty. We have got to find a way to prove it."

"Okay. We can't get anything else done here tonight," he pointed toward the bedroom, where Mic had launched into a vocal rendition of Broadway show tunes, at the top of his lungs, "so let's go get a cup of coffee."

They picked up their work and left.

The idea of drinking coffee fell by the wayside. Instead, they drove all over the city, talking.

They talked about the case, how they were going to gather evidence and what, exactly, they were going to tell the admiral. They talked about Mic Brumby, and Harm asked her again, "Are you really going to marry that guy?"

"Yeah, after he sobers up." She retorted.

Eventually, the discussion came back around to the kiss. "I don't mean to take advantage of you, Mac. But there seems to be something happening in those kisses."

"I feel it too. You're not taking advantage of anything that's not screaming to be taken advantage of." She concluded.

By this time, he had pulled the car into a deserted parking area on a small bluff, overlooking he city. The view was great.

Mac moved closer to him and took his hand between her two hands. As she absently played with his fingers, her mind reeled ­ What was happening to them??

He leaned forward and gently kissed her forehead. That only served to tease her.  She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer for a real kiss.

Harm responded. He could do nothing else.

She moved her hands to begin running them over his chest, unbuttoning his shirt as she went.

Harm sighed heavily, then pushed her away. "No." he said firmly. "We can't do that."

Well, he had certainly confirmed what she already knew about his feeling being nothing other than friendship, she reflected.

She did the only thing she could do. She moved her hands back up to cup his face and reinitiated the kissing. To this, he was again receptive.

They eventually had to come up for air. As they sat looking at each other, she yawned. The last trip had been exhausting and she'd had no time to catch up on her rest since she returned.

Harm looked at her sympathetically, "Tired?"

"Yeah, I guess a little."

He pulled her tight into his arms. "Then just rest for a couple of minutes, before we have to get back to work."

"That feels good." She observed, sinking farther into his embrace.

After he kissed her once more, her head came to rest on his shoulder. She was asleep almost immediately.

Harm reflected that nothing in his life had ever felt so good or so right as holding Sarah MacKenzie in his arms while she slept. He was happy. Soon the feeling of "all's right with the world" lulled him to sleep as well.

A beam of unwelcome light shone across Mac's face. Even though she was asleep, her hand came up automatically to block it. The arms that held her tightened slightly as the man felt her stir.

"Hmmm." She moaned.

Now awake Harm kissed her cheek and proclaimed, "Good morning."

"Harm? Harm? Is that you? What are you doing ŠŠ.. What's happening?"

"We fell asleep." He supplied. "It's morning."

"Oh no!" she exclaimed.

"Brumby's going to hit the roof, isn't he?"

"Well, can you blame him? If your fiancee spent the night in another man's arms you'd be upset too."

The only image his tired mind could conjure up was of her in Brumby's arms, and t did upset him. "I guess I would." He agreed.

"Take me home." She ordered, moving away from him.

"Yes, ma'am." He responded. Then he thought better of it and leaned toward her. "Just one more." He coaxed.

She couldn't disagree. She reached for him and kissed him deeply and soundly.

On the way home, she asked, "Why is this happening?"

"Maybe it's some kind of sign to us." he suggested.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, there's a lot of passion between us. I just can't believe that you have that kind of chemistry and passion with Brumby."

"It's different, but, Harm, I'm going to marry him."

"Why?"

"Harm, don't do this to me right now! I've got to think what I'm going to tell him when I get home."

He was pretty wasted. Maybe he'll still be asleep."

But he wasn't.

When they were still about a block away from her building, Mac had suggested that Harm drop her off.

He'd have none of that, "Mac," he addressed her, "I'm not going to desert you. I'll walk you to the door."

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Harm. Why not just let me go? I'll call you later."

"None of this is your fault. We both fell asleep, and we've been willing participants in what's going on between us, we should face up to it together."

"Harm, what is going on between us?"

"We'll talk more about it, but not right now." As he said these words, he stopped the car in a space in front of her building.

They entered the apartment and everything was quiet ­ at least for a minute. A half-dressed Mic Brumby came lumbering from the bedroom. "Where the hell have you been?" he demanded.

"Working." She replied.

"You've been with him all night!" he pointed an accusing finger at Harm. It was obvious that Brumby had been drinking again this morning.

Harm took a cautious step toward the Austrailian and said,

We worked and we fell asleep. Nothing happened, Mic."

"You're a bloody liar, Rabb!" Brumby lurched toward Harm, pushing him against the wall.

"Stop it Mic!" Mac ordered him.

"Shut up, Sarah. This is between me and him." Brumby announced.

When Mac moved to stop him, he pushed her. With quick reflexes, she maintained her balance and caught him off guard. He slumped against the wall.

"You're a tramp!" he spat at her, rising.

Harm grabbed Mac's hand. "C'mon, let's get out of here."

"Don't worry. I can handle him." She shot back.

"But you shouldn't have to. You've done nothing wrong, so you just shouldn't have to."

Brumby continued to yell at them, call them names and accuse them of all manner of wrong doing.

As thy finally did prepare to leave, he hollered, "Well, you were the lousiest sex I ever had anyway."

Getting back into the car, Harm took her hand and squeezed it gently. "Don't let him get to you."

She ran her hand across his arm, and smiled. It was a beautiful smile ­ the kind that could melt his heart.

They pulled onto the Beltway. He asked softly, "Tell me again why it is that you're going to marry that guy?"

"He's the only person who can give me everything I want ­ and need. And basically, he's a good man."

"Yeah, right." Harm commented, then he let it drop.

In the late afternoon, just as Mac was beginning to get the work on her desk caught up (a miracle in and of itself), Harm stuck his head into her office. "The admiral wants to see us both, right now." He informed her.

"Great." She sighed, glancing at the stack of reports she hadn't gotten to yet. "Do you know what it's about?"

"No, but shake a leg; he's waiting."

She pushed the chair back and stood up. Harm was grinning that amazing way that always got to her.

Mac tried to smile back, but she just couldn't seem to be with him right now, without thinking about her desire for more between them. She was going to have to stop this, she told herself. It was beginning to get in the way of their working relationship, not to mention their friendship.

Admiral Chegwidden rose from his seat as they entered and came around to sit on the corner of his desk.

Mac and Harm took the leather chairs in front of the desk and waited for him to begin.

"This McCoy investigation isn't going away." AJ announced.

"But Sir, we haven't found any real evidence to incriminate the sergeant." Harm replied.

"You may have something new to go on now." The admiral continued.

"What?" Mac asked.

"A provost marshal from North Carolina delivered this packet of information for you this morning, Colonel. It's from the local law enforcement office near Camp LeJeune. I haven't looked at it, but supposedly it contains new evidence that you will need to charge McCoy."

"I wonder what that could be." Harm commented.

"You're going to have the chance to find out, Commander."

"Sir?"

"This case has already taken a lot of JAG time. I want the two of you to evaluate this new evidence to see if it lives up to its claims. We need to get this wrapped up ­ at least our part of it. Can you get it done soon?"

"Sir, the commander and I both have full court schedules right now. I Œm not sure how we can fit anything else into our work day."

"I understand that. That's why I'm prepared to grant you as much comp time as it takes for you to get it done outside regular business hours, if necessary."

"Well, Mac, how about dinner tonight at my place. I'll cook."

"Sure, we can have a working dinner, but I'll bring some take-out."

"You have no faith in my culinary abilities."

"Can you blame me?"

"You two work this out on your own." Chegwidden suggested, as he dismissed them.

They agreed that Mac would arrive at 1800 with Chinese food.

When she called Brumby to tell him that she was going to be working all evening, he was angry, but he didn't throw the fit she had expected.

THAT EVENING
1800 HOURS
HARM'S APARTMENT


"Want something else while I'm up?" Harm asked, walking toward the kitchen.

"No, I don't think so." She responded. Mac picked up the legal pad he'd been writing on and sighed, "Do you think there's something here we 're missing?"

"Mac, there's got to be. No way could this guy be doing all this and there be no evidence."

"But what, Harm? When I was down there on the last trip, nobody was talking still. If he's guilty, surely somebody would know something. We'd be able to find at least some corroborating testimony. Maybe there's nothing here."

"Oh, he's guilty." Harm stated firmly. "The wife has to know something. Are you positive that she's not willing to come forward?"

"She said that she has nothing to tell."

"You couldn't convince her?"

"I don't think we can count on anything from her at all."

"How about the other teachers?"

"Nobody's talking."

Harm sat back down next to her and turned to face her, "So what's our best bet?"

"This new evidence from the Jacksonville police doesn't really shed any new light. I'm afraid we're going to have to tell the admiral that we still don't have enough to make a case against McCoy."

Something in her eyes sparkled at him and he lost his concentration. Apparently he mumbled something incoherent, because she asked, "Harm, are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." He answered, coming back to himself a little. But he continued to stare at her. Finally, he was captured by her close proximity and the strong pull she had over him.

He didn't mean to (at least he didn't think he did), but he leaned in closer and lay his palm tenderly along side her cheek.

She reached up to cover his hand with hers, then they found themselves, once again, locked in a passionate kiss.

The heat of the moment overtook them, and he slowly lowered her backward onto the couch.

Mac reacted immediately, splaying her hands across his massive chest. She silently urged him to do likewise.

Instead, he massaged her shoulders, then held her close in a tight embrace. The kisses not only continued, but became more passionate. Then, a crashing sound in the hallway brought them back to reality.

The noise was followed by a loud voice calling out her name, "Sarah! Sarah!" The thick accent left no doubt that Mic Brumby was on his way.

Harm and Mac got quickly up off the couch, straightening their clothes. Harm brushed his fingers through her hair, trying to keep it from looking like she'd been lying on it. At the same time, she reached to wipe the lipstick off his neck.

" I better let him in." Harm suggested.

"I guess so," she agreed. "Harm, what's going on? I'm going to marry Mic, but you and I  keep ending up like this."

"I don't know," he said, "but we better be figuring it out. Now, let him in."

She opened the apartment door and Brumby came all but tumbling in. The smell of liquor permeated his clothing and filled the air around him.

He reached for Mac roughly, but she managed to sidestep his arm.

Mic continued yelling, "You bitch! What are you doing with him? You don't love me! You're screwing Rabb!"

Mac tried to calm him and quiet him, but he pushed her and refused to be silenced.

Harm couldn't help moving to Mac's side when she reeled from a shove by the intoxicated Austrailian.

Soon Brumby had moved from his fiancee to inanimate objects. He threw a lamp against the wall, shattering it. The coffee table was overturned, followed by his desk.  The dishes from dinner as well as a couple of glasses hit the wall. All the time Brumby yelled, as he did a remarkable impression of a bull in a china shop.

Finally, after realizing that Mac was not injured, Harm moved behind him. He subdued the uninvited guest in a wrestling hold and escorted him to the door. Once Brumby was out, the door was shut and locked.

Harm looked at Mac. "You okay?"

"Of course. You?"

"I'm fine."

"Harm, I'm sorry. I'll clean this mess up."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. Just sit down. That'll wait."

She sat down in a chair, one of the few remaining things in the living room that hadn't been broken or overturned by the wrath of  her roommate.

Mac was very quiet as Harm went to look out the window. "He 's gone," he announced, turning around.

It was then that he noticed that she was crying. Large tears streaked down her face and her eyes were puffy and bloodshot.  "Aw, Mac!" he exclaimed, moving toward her.

"I'm okay." She insisted.

He sat beside her and opened his arms. She slid easily into his embrace. As soon as her head contacted his shoulder, she began to sob.

He held her tightly. "What is it?" he wondered.

"Nothing," she responded. "I guess I'm just tired."

"after that long trip, then this, of course you are." He acknowledged.

Harm let her release her tension in his arms for a few more minutes, then he gently lifted her and carried her to his bed.

Harm covered her up and tucked her in. When he rose to leave, she held tightly to his arm. He could tell that she was almost asleep. So, he walked to the other side of the bed and lay down beside her.

Quickly she turned to face him. He kissed her forehead, but that didn't satisfy her. She pulled his lips to hers and initiated a deeper kiss.

He kissed her, then gently pushed her away, urging her to sleep.

Harm fell asleep himself, but was soon awakened to the feel of hands on his chest, and roaming lower.

Mac was exploring his trunk and encouraging his hands to reciprocate the gesture.

It felt good. Harm wondered if, perhaps, this was the kind of relationship they were supposed to have. If so, that would explain the unexpected  emotions that surfaced in him when he kissed her. But no, this was Mac, he reminded himself.

He pushed her hands and whispered in her ear, "No. We can't."

"Yes." She protested in a groggy voice. Then she reached for him again.

He caught her hands and put them back under the blanket, on her side of the bed. "Go to sleep, Sarah." He instructed her.

THE NEXT DAY
LATE AFTERNOON
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA


Mac glanced over the stack of depositions for the Spencer case that Bud had brought into her office. It had been a wasted day at work; she couldn't concentrate at all. All she had to do was close her eyes and she could feel again how wonderful it had felt to wake up this morning in Harm's arms. The sensation was just so  natural and comfortable that she could have stayed there forever. She had awakened first, and couldn't help lying there and watching him sleep.

After he was awake, they didn't have much time to think about it, so they hadn't even talked about it at all. They'd shared a quick cup of coffee, then she had to rush home to get ready for work. She remembered her anxiety at the thought of going home and having to face Mic. But Š he wasn't even there when she got home. What a blessing!

Then again, she and Harm hadn't done anything wrong. Why was she worried about Mic? He'd been so drunk and so worked up the night before.

Her daydreams were interrupted by a knock on her door. Mac quickly regained her bearings and motioned in Lt. Singer.

"Excuse me, Colonel, the young blonde attorney addressed her, "do you have the file on the Phillips court-martial?"

"Let me see." Mac responded. "I remember discussing it with Lt. Roberts earlier. Yes, here it is. Do you have a court date yet?"

"No, Ma'am, but the judge wants the pre-trial motions by 1500 tomorrow."

"If I can help, let me know." Mac offered, making an extra effort to be gracious to the young officer, who wasn't a favorite of hers.

"Thank you. Ma'am." Singe replied, with an equally affected smile.

A few minutes later, Harm, without knocking, stuck his head in the door. "Say Mac, what do say to ordering in some dinner and working on the Hamilton appeal before we leave?"

"Yeah," she agreed. "We really need to get that done as soon as possible, the hearing is day after tomorrow."

"Great!" Harm flashed her one of his killer smiles. "I'll call for delivery. What'll it be, Chinese? Joe's sushi bar?"

"Pizza." She said, without hesitation.

"Okay, pizza it is. The usual toppings?"

"Sure."

People were beginning to leave the office for the day. The Gunny came by to ask her if she needed anything before he left. She just thanked him and motioned him to go on.

The next time she looked up, the bullpen was deserted. When Harm came in , carrying a stack of folders and the pizza, they were all alone in the office.

"Is everybody gone?" she asked, surprised that there weren't the usual few stragglers left around.

"Yeah," he answered. "I guess Friday nights aren't a popular work time."

They ate their dinner before they started to work.

"What did Brumby say when you got home this morning?"

"Nothing."

"It didn't bother him that you were gone all night?"

"He wasn't there."

"That's lucky."

"No, Harm, it's not. He wasn't there this morning, he hasn't called all day, something's wrong. He was so wasted last night. Something could have happened to him. I'm worried."

"Try to call him now."

She picked up the phone and dialed, but there was no answer.

Soon they had the appeal aid out. They began talking about some of the other cases they were working on.

She looked up from the brief she was studying and inquired, "Why haven't we talked about last night?"

"Do you want to talk about last night? You were pretty upset. I thought maybe you'd just want to forget it."

"Maybe that is best." She conceded. If it wasn't important to him, she sure wasn't going to let on that she was thinking about it.

"Is there anything new on the McCoy drug case?" Harm asked.

"No, and I just don't see anyway that we're going o be able to get anyplace with that. I recommended to the admiral that we just drop it."

"What did he say?"

"That we'll turn it back over to local law enforcement, but continue to monitor it. If a break comes in the case, he wants us to be ready to represent the Nay's interests."

"Sounds fair enough. Do you really think there's going to be any break in that case?"

"Not unless a witness comes forward. In the two trips I've made down there, it didn't seem likely."

Gradually the conversation shifted to non-work related matters. They talked and laughed the way only good friends can.

It was a couple of hours later when Harm observed that it was getting really late and that maybe they should think about calling it a night.

As if on cue, Mac yawned.

"Mac, you get this stuff gathered up. We'll work on putting a report together in the morning. I'm going to go to my office and pick up a few things, then we can head out."

She nodded her agreement.

He was gone and she did put the files back together. Then she glanced toward his office. He hadn't come out yet. So, she headed that way.

Harm looked up from where he was seated at his desk to see her standing in the doorway.

She cleared her throat, then announced, "Harm, I do want to talk about last night."

"Okay, what?"

"Well, I want to apologize for what happened, the way Mic acted. I'm really sorry."

"It wasn't  your fault, Mac. You have nothing to be sorry for."

"If it weren't for me, he wouldn't have been there tearing the place up."

"You didn't get him drunk."

"StillŠŠ" she began, then changed her mind. "and I wanted to thank you for being so understanding, and comforting me. And for letting me spend the night."

"No problem." He responded. "That's what friends are for."

"It meant a lot to me that you held me and stayed with me all night."

"My pleasure."

She walked over to the front of his desk.

He stood and reached for something at the same time she moved and they almost butted heads. Instead, his hand went up to massage her cheek, and he kissed her.

She sighed and leaned into the kiss, covering his hand with hers.

When they broke apart, she looked into his eyes. "That's another thing we need to talk about." She informed him.

He raised his eyebrows in question.

"We keep doing this. We kiss and we hold each other, then nothing. Last night I tried to move a little farther, but you pushed me away. Harm, why don't you want me? Am I not attractive enough?"

"Sarah, you are beautiful." He whispered.

ŒThen, why?

By this time, he had sat back down in his desk chair. Mac moved around the desk and boldly sat down in his lap. They continued kissing. She began unbuttoning his shirt. Her hands met the warm flesh of his chest.

Harm stood up, causing her to come to her feet as well.

"No." he said, firmly.

"We're here all alone, why not?"

"Mac, we just can't. I can't."

He rebuttoned his shirt, picked up his briefcase and urged her to leave.

They got onto the elevator together to head home.

SATURDAY MORNING
MAC'S APARTMENT


An unidentified sound rouse Mac from a fitful sleep. She turned on her side and listened intently. Nothing. The pillow beside her obviously hadn't been slept on.  "Mic?" she called softly.

There was no answer.

Mac was seriously worried. This was two nights in a roll that Mic hadn't come home ­ and he'd been so drunk the last time she'd seen him. Who knew where he could be or what could have happened to him.

She really thought that she should look for him, or call the police, or something.

As she got out of bed and prepared to walk the patiently waiting dog, she knew what she would do.

She'd call Harm. Harm always knew what to do. Besides something in her really needed to hear his voice.

Mac lifted the phone and dialed.

SATURDAY MORNING
HARM'S APARTMENT


Harm drifted slowly into unwanted consciousness. His head hurt and he felt awful. What was wrong?

He reached for Mac, but she wasn't there.  "No," his weary mind reminded him, "that was just a one time thing. Mac wouldn't be here anymore. She didn't belong here."

There was something deep inside him that didn't really believe that was true.

Why was he waking up so exhausted.

Then, he remembered. It had been after 3 am when he'd gotten in from work this morning. Looking at the bedside clock, he knew hat this really wasn't enough sleep to completely refresh him. But there were too many things he needed to get done today. He'd just have to wake himself up.

Harm pulled on his running shoes and a pair of shorts with a T-shirt. The idea was to get his blood pumping and adrenaline flowing.   He headed out to the neighborhood park.

If he had called Mac, she would have come with him. It was always fun to run with her. But he hadn't called. It was too early and she hadn't had enough sleep either.

The first two laps around the trail he ran hard and fast, trying to rev himself up. By the third lap, he was still going hard, but had slowed just a bit.

Now he found himself thinking about Mac. He had been aware of how good she felt in his arms, of how sweet her kisses were.  It had been the hardest thing he'd ever done to push her away when she offered him more.  He wondered if deep down she knew that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. She'd have to, how could she miss it?

His thought turned to other problems. It had been very late when Mac got home last night. How had Brumby reacted? Harm now knew that he was capable of violence. Could he have taken out his anger on Mac again?

Harm fumed at the very thought.

When he nearly ran into a jogger, he decided he wasn't in any frame of mind to be out here. He'd go home.

He sprinted back toward his building. On the way, he concluded that, as soon as he cleaned up, he would go to Mac's. What ever she was dealing with, he should help her. Afterall, it had been his idea to work so late last night.

On his way into the building, Harm saw the admiral getting out of his car. He slowed to greet him. "Good morning, Sir. What brings you out so early?"

AJ smiled at the sweat pouring off Commander Rabb's body. "Good run?" he asked.

"Yes, Sir. Not bad. What can I do for you, Admiral?"

"There's been a development in the McCoy drug case. I tried to call Colonel MacKenzie, but didn't get any answer, then got a busy signal. Since I was on my way to meet Sydney for breakfast, I thought I'd try finding you, instead. I just came to drop off this information."

"What's happened, Sir?"

"I don't want to influence your interpretation of the facts, Mr. Rabb. You can just read the evidence for yourself and draw your own conclusions. I trust you'll share all this with Colonel MacKenzie?"

"Of course, Sir."

Harm invited Chegwidden in for coffee, but he declined, needing to meet Dr. Walden.

Harm pulled the documents out of their folder in the elevator on the way up to his apartment. By the time he unlocked the door, he couldn't believe what was revealed.

Inside the living room, he was greeted by a blinking light on his answering machine. He fingered the button and heard Mac's voice.

Her message was simple: she was afraid something had happened to Mic; he hadn't been home for two days. She wanted Harm's help to try to find him.

He took a quick shower and headed to Mac's place.

MAC'S APARTMENT


She was really glad to see Harm when he finally knocked on the door.

He had important evidence to tell her about, but she was too distraught to hear it right now.

Harm wanted to comfort her, and she fell easily into his arms. After a little while they had a plan.

They used the telephone. They called all the places Mac could think of that Mic had ever gone ­ mostly bars. They called all his friends and acquaintances ­ mostly JAG personnel.

There was no sign of him.

"Tell me your news, now." Mac finally stated.

Harm looked at her to make sure that she looked like she could move on to something else. She had begun to look calm and collected.

"The admiral came by my place this morning to bring me some new evidence in the McCoy case."

"What evidence?" she questioned.

"We've got him. Mac. His wife knows everything. She gave a statement to the local police."

"That's great. But Harm, she can't testify. She's his wife."

"No, she doesn't have to testify, but she can ­ and she will."

"Then we can file charges on Monday."

"First thing. We could get together this weekend and plan out our strategy. We'll need to know exactly what we want to do."

"We can start now. You want a cup of coffee? It's fresh."

"Sure."

She walked into the kitchen and he followed. When she poured the coffee, he wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her close. Then he began to kiss her neck, softly.

Mac turned in his embrace, to face him. She draped her arms around his neck and they shared a passionate kiss.

"Harm, what are we doing?" she whispered, when it had ended.

"I'm sorry, Sarah. It's something that we both want, but we really shouldn't be doing this."

Not satisfied by that, she tried to kiss him again. He pushed her away.

As much as he hated to do it, he knew that if he didn't do it then, he might never be able to.

She looked confused.

He picked up the cups and headed back into the living room. "Let's get to work." He suggested, as a way to focus their attention on something else.

She followed him. What else could she do? "Harm, if Mrs. McCoy comes forward, do they think that other teachers from the school are likely to offer testimony as well?"

"I think we have to hope so. The admiral will probably want to send us back down there to question them again."

"Probably" She agreed, " but the trial will most likely be here, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I think so."

She watched as he made a list of all the points they needed to clarify in order to draft the charges.

"Don't forget that we still have to find out how he was distributing the drugs."

"Right." Harm said, making an extra note.

They were interrupted by the door opening and Mic Brumby entering. He had obviously been drinking, but wasn't nearly as wasted as he' d been the last time they had seen him.

Mac moved over to his side. "Mic, are you okay?  Where have you been?"

"I might ask you the same question, Sarah. I'm surprised you even knew I was gone. You were out with your, well, what is he? You're just Rabb' s whore, but what is he? And he's here now, how convenient."

Harm only had to hear him question Mac's virtue before he was on his feet and closing the distance between him and his partner's fiancee. "Don't talk to her that way, and don't insult her. She's been very worried about you."

"Yeah, I'll just bet." Brumby slurred. "Why can't you stay away from her, Rabb?"

This time Mac spoke up, "We're working. That's all. We got a break in an important case."

Mic Brumby wasn't listening to her. Instead he was getting angry.  He turned on Harm and shouted, "Get out of my house ­ Now!"

Harm looked at Mac and shrugged his shoulders. "We can finish this in the office on Monday." He said. "I'll be going now. Call if you need anything, Mac."

She nodded.

Brumby yelled, "She won't need anything from you, Mate!"

Harm picked up his file folder and headed toward the door.

Brumby hollered, "I don't want to ever see you near Sarah again."

Harrm ignored him, until Brumby's closed fist made contact with the left side of Harm's head, knocking him off balance.

He heard Mac call his name, but he didn't actually see her, as his instincts took over. He lunged in Brumby's direction. Harm's shoulder made contact with Mic's abdomen, sending him reeling against the wall.

Blood was running into Ham's eyes, so he couldn't see well. He asked Mac if she was alright. Hearing her affirmative reply, he moved through the door and headed home.

The Saturday afternoon traffic was heavy. He had to stop twice to mop away the blood oozing from his head wound, so he could see to drive.

He hated the thought of Mac left there with that maniac, but he really didn't think Mic would hurt her ­ he did care about her. Besides, if he tried, she was fully equipped to take care of herself.. He'd call her later.

Back at his place, Harm applied pressure to the side of his head, hoping to stop the bleeding. It was sore, no doubt he'd have a bruise.

The bleeding finally stopped and he jumped into the shower to wash away the blood. When he got out, there was an insistent banging on the front door. Pulling on sweats and a T-shirt, he went to answer it.

There stood Mac.

"I came to see if you were okay." She announced. Without being specifically asked, she came in and began fingering the cut on his head.

"It's not bleeding anymore." Harm informed her.

"I'm so sorry, Harm."

"Not your fault."

She led him to sit on the couch. Where she could examine his head more thoroughly.

Mac sat on the cushion beside him, and Harm reached to gently caress her cheek. "Did he hurt you after I left?"

"No, of course not. He just threw a fit, broke some furniture and left."

"Good, I felt guilty about leaving you there."

"I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

"I know." He conceded, as he pulled her closer for a kiss.

Her hands both came up to either side of his face. That's when he noticed it. The ring, her engagement ring ­ she wasn't wearing it.

He asked where it was.

"I gave it back to him."

"For good?" he sounded hopeful.

"I don't know. We agreed to meet back at home and talk tonight. I' ll decide then. Do you want to give me advice?"

He started to speak, then thought better of it. "No, Mac, you do whatever you want to. I can't tell you what to do."

Harm stood and walked away.

She followed him, trying to drape her arms around his neck.

He pushed her away. "No." was his firm admonition.

"Harm, I need to touch you. Won't you hold me?"

"No," he responded.  "We have no right."

"But we've been touching and kissing for weeks now."

"Well, it was wrong. We had no right. I only did that because I couldn't help myself. Something happened to me that first time I kissed you in North Carolina, Sarah, but it shouldn't have. Now we've got to stop it."

"NoŠ." she protested, but his expression told her that he meant it.

"Go see Mic, decide what you're going to do." He instructed her, as he escorted her to the door. "I'll come by in the morning to check on you."

Mac left, but she didn't feel good about it.

SATURDAY NIGHT
BLUE MOON PUB
GEORGETOWN


Mac had gotten a message from Mic asking to change their discussion to here at the Blue Moon. Part of her was glad; she didn't relish the thought of being alone with him.

Mic Brumby stood as he saw Mac enter the saloon from across the room. He was at a table, and she made her way over to him.

She could tell that he had already had a few drinks, but he was still sober. She was thankful for that, at least.

Mic flagged down a waitress and she ordered her usual ­ tonic water with a twist of lime.

Their encounter, then, began with an apology from Brumby. Mac believed that he genuinely meant it.

The conversation lasted for almost two hours, with both of them trying hard to communicate. Occasionally there was a raised voice, but mostly it was a very civilized discussion.

When they'd talked it all out; and they'd said everything that there was to say, she stood, kissed his cheek and left.

Getting into her car in the parking lot, it finally hit her; she was a failure at relationships yet again. "There is something seriously wrong with you, Sarah." She murmured under her breath.

She couldn't bring herself to go home ­ back to their home, so she drove around the city, aimlessly. The streets were almost deserted at this time of night.

Mac didn't want to be with anybody, but she couldn't quite bear to be alone. She needed a friendly shoulder, but one that was comfortable and uncomplicated.

She ended up knocking on Harm's door.

He was still pulling on his clothes (she must have gotten him out of bed) when he let her in.

"What happened?" he asked.

"We decided that it was never meant to be." She sobbed.

"And this is a ŠŠbad thing?"

"I know you never liked him. But, Harm, I did. I loved him, or thought I did. He was supposed to be the man who could give me everything I need."

"Like what?"

"I want security, stability, a home, a family, the white picket fence. I want it all, dammit."

"Then you will have it all."

"There's nobody else out there who can give me all those things."

"Don't be too sure." He instructed her.

Then he moved nearer and offered her his generous embrace. "But right now, we need to get past this hurt."

She lay her head on his shoulder and let him hold her.

"Harm?"

"Hmmm?"

"Thank you. Thank you for everything."

"My pleasure."

He led her over to the couch and they sat down.

Mac ran her long, lean fingers through his hair, as she kissed him deeply.

There were several more kisses, then her hands moved to his massive chest. She began undoing buttons and waiting for him to make her stop.

But he didn't. This time, he seemed to be enjoying it.

His hands began to wander down her back, caressing as he went.

One of his hands gently slipped beneath her blouse and she felt the electrifying sensation of him touching her bare flesh. It made her shiver.

Harm pushed her back on the couch and looked into her eyes, "Are you sure this is what you really want?"

She nodded and whispered, "I want you so much."

With that, he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.

Their love was beautiful. It was slow, sensuous and satisfying. Nothing had ever felt more natural to either of them.

Afterward they shared a long passionate kiss, then they both fell into an exhausted sleep. Events of the past few days had taken a toll.

They woke up tangled in each other. Mac opened her eyes to see Harm staring down into her face, his steady heartbeat against her cheek.

"Hi." She whispered.

"Hi, yourself." He responded, then kissed her temple.

She turned, slightly, draping her arms around his broad shoulders. When their lips met, there was electricity in the air.

Harm pulled her closer and whispered in her ear, "By the way, did you know that I'm in love with you?"

Mac snuggled up closer to him, in his arms. There was a pause before she asked, "You love me?"

"Yes, of course I do. I have for a long time."

"Oh, Harm!" she exclaimed, tightening her arms around his neck.

He kissed her again, as his hands began caressing the soft flesh of her neck.

"I love you, Harm. I always have."

He smiled. "What are you going to tell Brumby when he comes to try to win you back one last time?"

"Do you think he will?"

"Sarah, Darling, I know he will. Any man would come back for one last chance with a woman like you. He'll be back. What are you going to tell him when he begs for another chance?"

She considered for a moment. "WellŠŠ I'll just tell him that it's too late. I'm moving on."

In the passion of the kiss that followed, they both knew that they had moved on to something that would change them forever.