Title: Negotiating Terms
Author: Anne Taul, anne_taul@gowebway.com

Summary: Mac and Harm try to deal with a new-found relationship, but a dangerous assignment may threaten their very lives.

Disclaimer: Jag, the characters, etc belong to Bellasarius, Paramount, CBS et al. They're not mine, I'm only borrowing them. This is a recreational endeavor; no profit is being sought. No infringement of copyright is intended.

 

Negotiating Terms

As she drifted slowly awake, Mac was aware of two things: the light streaming brightly through the window, and the strong arms that held her tightly. She couldn't help but think how wonderful it was to wake up next to Harm. The strength of his arms, the warmth of his body, and everything else about it made her feel so safe, so happy.

She reflected on the weeks since they had discovered their feelings for each other. They had spent a lot of time together. It was all happy time, they were really enjoying the exploration of this phase of their relationship. Now, sleeping here, in his bed, she was reminded of how special and intimate the relationship had become. In all her life, nothing had even come close to what she shared with Harm. She didn't stay over every night, nor did he stay with her every night, but when they were together, it was purely magical ­ exactly what love was supposed to be.

Their relationship was a secret, one that they were very careful to keep. It wouldn't do for the admiral or their co-workers to find out that they were lovers, so they tried to be very discreet.

She heard him mutter something unintelligible in his sleep. Then he pulled her closer. It felt good. It felt right.

Gradually, he awoke, whispering her name into her hair, and kissing her neck.

"Good morning, Sailor."

"Sarah. I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too. We better start getting up, Harm," she warned, "if we don't hurry, we'll be late for work."

"Let's not go to work today."

"No. C'mon, Flyboy, get the lead out."

He gently turned her to face him, then he initiated a kiss full of passion and desire. "I love you." He confessed.

"Yeah, yeah" she mocked.

He ran his knuckles along her cheek. "Why don't you go ahead and get a shower, and I'll make us some breakfast."

"What are we having?" she asked cautiously.

He got up from the bed, leaning back to kiss her once again. "How about some cheese omelets?"

"Sounds good," she acknowledged, rising and disappearing into the shower all in one motion.

When she joined him in the kitchen, she stood behind him, wrapping both arms around his waist.

He turned and gathered her up close into his embrace.

They just stood like that, in each other's arms, for several minutes. Finally, she pulled his head down, close to her face.. She kissed him tenderly.

"I love you, Harm."

They sat across from each other at the table.

He watched as she took a bite of the omelet. She was so beautiful. He knew that he was one very lucky guy. It had taken him a long time to figure out how he felt about her, he wondered why. Now, it seemed so obvious. She felt so perfect in his arms, her lips were so sweet to kiss. Even though they had wasted a lot of time, they had shared so much and become such good friends.

Mac eyed him carefully while he ate. There was no way to deny that he was an exceptionally handsome man. And he was so gentle and loving. Being with him felt safer than anything she'd ever experienced. She loved him, and everything about him. No man had ever touched her soul this way. And none had ever made love to her the way Harm did. Everything was perfect, especially if she didn't think about what troubled her.

Later, they stood together in front of the admiral's desk. He shot her a quick but tender glance out the corner of his eye. It conveyed far more than she would have liked to explain to anyone else at JAG headquarters.

The admiral was slow to get started on their briefing. He almost seemed reluctant to give them their assignment. Though he stood tall at attention, Mac could tell that Harm was fidgeting just a bit, on the inside.

Finally, Chegwidden began, "What dealing have either of you ever had with the federal Bureau of Prisons?"

"Beyond interviewing witnesses or checking up on incarcerated clients, very little, Sir. Why?" Harm responded in a puzzled tone.

"Because there was an uprising and coup at the U.S. Penitentiary in Marion, Illinois last night." The admiral answered.

"What does that have to do with us, or with JAG, Admiral?" Mac questioned.

"Normally I would say it has nothing to do with us, Major, but considering who's involved, it's going to become our business pretty quickly."

"Who is involved?" Harm and Mac both queried.

At that moment, the buzzer on the admiral's intercom sounded. Bud Roberts' voice announced, "Sir, someone from the State Department to see you."

The admiral motioned to the intercom box on his desk, "Mr. Tiner's out sick today, so I'm having to use Lt. Roberts to fill in."

"Nothing serious, I hope, Sir?" Mac responded.

"Serious?" AJ didn't make the connection

"I mean, nothing seriously wrong with Petty Officer Tiner, Sir." She clarified.

"No.No. I think he just has the flu. There's been a lot of that going around." Then into the intercom, "Send him in, Mr. Roberts."

The door opened to admit Clayton Webb.

"Did you brief them on what's going on, Admiral?" he addressed AJ.

"No, Mr. Webb, this is your operation. I thought that you should give them all the details."

Mac and Harm exchanged exasperated looks. It always meant some kind of trouble when Webb was in charge.

The CIA agent, and sometime State Department official took a deep breath and began, "A group of inmates took control of a high security housing unit at the US Penitentiary in Marion last night. They had to have had some help on the outside, but we can't concentrate on that until we're able to negotiate for the release of the hostages."

"Hostages?" Mac sounded concerned.

"Webb, that's a BOP matter, maybe within the jurisdiction of the Marshal's service, but what does it have to do with State, or with us?" Harm asked.

"Well," Webb began again, "the hostage taker has said that he will only negotiate with you, Commander."

"Me? Why me?"

"Because you once played a game with him, and he considers you a worthy adversary."

"Played a game with him? What are you talking about, Webb?"

"Do you remember Carlos Estruga?"

"Well, let's see," Mac began, "Columbian drug lord, bargains using dead marines, and ... your one time kidnapper, I think, Webb." She couldn't help the sarcastic smile that broke out across her face. A little sardonic laugh escaped her as she saw the almost-embarrassed look that spread across Clayton's features.

"Oh yeah," Harm's face showed a glimmer of recognition, as he suppressed a grin, "I do remember that trip."

"Yeah, that's him." Webb acknowledged. "Now, he's taken over his housing unit at Marion, effectively shutting down the prison's operations."

In further briefing, they learned that Estruga was holding two hostages, a veteran male correctional officer and a young female secretary. In return for their release, he wanted his brother, Norberto released from the Federal Detention Center in Miami, where he'd been held for four years.

"Isn't that the same thing he wanted the last time we dealt with him?" Harm reminisced.

"Yeah, the guy's a broken record." Webb answered flippantly.

"So, how does this involve us?" Mac restated the previous question.

"As I said," Clay went on, "Estruga says he'll only negotiate with Harm."

"But I'm not trained in hostage negotiations.." Harm protested. "They have people who do that all the time."

Finally Chegwidden spoke up, "But JAG will not be responsible for failing to do anything that might help save lives .... And build good will, so I'm afraid you'll have to at least put in an appearance, Commander."

Clayton Webb informed them that for right now, they were stalling Estruga with the promise of Harm showing up. A bigger concern for the State Department ­ and the Bureau of Prisons ­ at the moment was the planned move of Norberto Estuga from the facility in Miami to the penitentiary in Atlanta for reclassification, scheduled for next week.. Webb, for one, was sure that Carlos would try to hijack the bus carrying his brother in an attempt to free him. The security on that transport bus was going to have to be extremely tight.

His proposal was to "lend" a few military officers to the BOP for this trip, and to protect State's interests. Mac and Harm looked at each other. They could guess who the officers were that he had in mind.

"We'll let you talk to Carlos via radio while Norberto is being moved, then he'll believe that you are on your way to Illinois. Meantime, on the bus ride, Harm, you can see if Norberto can provide you with any useful information."

"Why would he even know who I am?" Harm wondered..

"Oh, his brother has written him letters telling him about you."

"And how would you know what's in these letters?"

Clay rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "It's standard Bureau of Prisons policy to read all incoming and outgoing correspondence, so security isn't compromised in their institutions." He informed them.

Before Harm and Mac could object, it was arranged that they should leave the next morning for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Academy in Brunswick, Georgia (actually it's in the smaller town of Glynco). There they would undergo prisoner transportation training along with BOP staff and the US Marshals service. They would only have a few days to learn all that they could and to get set up to help with Norberto Estruga's move.

THAT EVENING
HARM'S APARTMENT


Mac reached up to remove plates from the cabinet while Harm adjusted music on the stereo across the room.

"How's this?" he asked as the soft strains of a romantic ballad wafted lightly through the air.

"That's pretty. Leave it." She answered, over her shoulder from the kitchen.

Coming up behind her, he planted a quick kiss on the back of her neck. Then, checking the pasta pot, he announced, "This is ready."

"Good. I'm starving." She held the colander in the sink while he p oured the contents of the pot through it.

In process, some of the boiling water splashed up onto her hand. "Ooow," she exclaimed, withdrawing it.

Harm quickly wrapped ice in the dish towel and applied it to the offended appendage. He brought her reddened hand slowly to his lips and kissed it. "Oh Sarah, I'm sorry. Honey, I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Of course you didn't. It'll be okay, Harm."

He enveloped her in his arms. "How about we skip to dessert?"

She had, by this time, managed to get the pasta onto the plates. Handing him one, she said, "Eat up, Flyboy."

They moved in to sit at the dining table, eating dinner in companionable silence. It was the kind of experience where there is enough feeling that nothing really needs to be said. Neither of them had ever felt quite so comfortable before.

After dinner, they left the dishes in the sink and carried their coffee into the living room. She lay her head gently against his shoulder, inviting his arms to hold her close. The coffee got cold before they ever got around to it.

After several hours, she rose to leave. Walking her to the door, he said, "Wouldn't you like to stay tonight?"

"Harm, I don't think that would be a good idea tonight. We've got to head to Georgia pretty early tomorrow. I still have to pack. Another time?"

"Sure."

She ran her index finger along his jawline, then stretched up on her toes to give him a quick kiss.

"You don't expect me to be satisfied with that, do you?"

"Well," she began, "What did you have in mind?"

One of his hands pressed into the small of her back, while the other brought her head toward him. His mouth captured hers hungrily. His kiss was deep and passionate. It made her tingle all over.

"Much better," she admitted.

He still held her as she opened the door to leave. "I love you, Sarah."

"Yeah, but what does that mean, Harm?"

"What do you mean, 'what does it mean'?"

"What does it mean that you love me? We never have really talked about where our relationship is ultimately headed."

"Well, then maybe we better." He responded.

"Yeah, we will. Later, Sailor." She was gone.

Harm had trouble sleeping that night. He thought about going to her apartment, but he just couldn't knowing that she apparently had doubts, all of a sudden, about their relationship.

Mac lay awake for a long while, wishing that she had stayed at Harm's place. It always felt so safe to be in his arms. She was missing that secure feeling tonight.

The next morning they, along with Bud Roberts, took a plane to Jacksonville, Florida where they boarded a bus full of other law enforcement trainees for the training center in Georgia.

While at the airport waiting for the bus, they found themselves alone, so that they could talk.

Harm reached for her hand, holding it in his own, "Okay, what did you mean last night when you asked about what 'I love you' means?"

"I just think we need to know what exactly our relationship is, what it means, where it's going. So, what do your feelings mean?"

"Mac, I love you. You're important to me. This relationship is ....perfect. You are perfect. What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know Harm. I just think we're not defining what this is all about very well."

"Are you afraid that it's not real? Is the stress of keeping it a secret getting to you? We can tell people if that's what you want. I'll stand up in public and tell the whole world that I'm in love with you, if that's what you want. Come on, we'll start with Bud."

"No. No, I don't think it's wise to go public. We still need to be careful. I just think that we should define the terms of the relationship between us, so we know where we're going with it."

He squeezed her hand and looked deeply into her big brown eyes, "I don't know what to say. I don't think it's possible to define what love means. But I feel so close to you. Do you want me to tell you what's going to happen in the future? Because, I'm not sure that I can do that."

"Here comes Bud. We'll talk later."

Harm squeezed her hand affectionately once more before he reluctantly released it.

LATER


Harm looked around his motel room. He'd stayed in worse places ­ it would do. They had been housed in this motor court motel located just adjacent to the training base. He was in the middle room, with Bud on one side, Mac on the other. Dinner had been uneventful, so they had decided to make it an early night. They'd begin their training classes in the morning. He carefully laid out the Bureau of Prisons uniform that he'd been issued to wear during this training. The white cotton shirt and gray polyester slacks did not look very comfortable, but it was only for a couple of days.

He showered and lay across the bed. He was tired, but he knew already that sleep wouldn't come easily. He scolded himself when he caught himself staring at the wall between his and Mac's rooms. What had happened? Everything had been going along so well, now she hardly wanted to speak to him. What did she mean by asking him what he meant when he said that he loved her? He was definitely confused, but he knew that his feelings for her, even if he couldn't define them exactly, were real and strong. This wasn't going to just go away.

Next door, Mac settled in under the covers with the paperback novel she had picked up at the airport. It would be nice to just relax and read for a while. Soon, though, her mind wandered. As usual, she was thinking about Harm. Why couldn't he talk about their relationship? Did it really mean so little to him? She wasn't looking for a lifetime commitment, she only needed to understand what the boundaries were, how important it actually was. Should she have not pushed him about it? She knew that it had upset him. It wouldn't have mattered if she just didn't love him so much.

These thoughts crowded her mind, and she was almost at the point of dozing off when the knock came at the door ­ very softly.

She wrapped a robe around her shoulders, covering her clingy nightgown and glanced through the peephole. Undoing the security chain and unlocking the door, she admitted Harm.

"It's late, Harm. Whatever it is, couldn't it wait until morning?"

"No, Mac, this just can't wait."

"Okay, what is it?"

"Sarah, I couldn't just leave things the way they were." As he said it, he reached for her and pulled her close against his chest..

She resisted, but only a little.

Her arms found their way around his neck. She reached up at the same time that he leaned down, and their lips met in a full, passionate kiss.

When they parted, she whispered, "Oh, Harm...."

"Yes, Darling?"

"I'm glad you came."

"Me too. You mean you're not mad?"

"No, I'm not mad. We are going to have to talk about this sometime, but not tonight."

She led him over to the bed, where they both sat down.

Her hand massaged his cheek, gently, "I didn't know how I was going to sleep without you tonight, Sailor.""

"well, Ma'am, you won't have to."

"You're going to stay?"

"Only if you want me to."

"Oh, yeah, I want you to, but we'll have to be careful and make sure nobody sees you coming or going."

His arms tightly circled her lithe figure, and he kissed her again.

As he drifted reluctantly into consciousness, Harm was aware of a slight pressure on his chest. The ceiling didn't look familiar. But, then, he noticed the comforting presence of a familiar form beside him. Mac. Her head was lying on his chest ­ the weight. When he turned his head, he could look down into her sleeping face. She was so peaceful. He was definitely one lucky guy. His heart swelled with love.

Within a few minutes, she stirred. As she woke, he just held her close.

She addressed him, "Good morning, Sailor."

He just smiled, gazing deeply into her eyes.

"What?" she asked.

"You are just so beautiful," he answered.

"Gee, thanks."

Instantly, he was glad that he'd said what he did, instead of telling her how much he loved her. That would only have stated the whole "What do you mean?" thing again. Right now, he was too happy. He didn't want to fight with her.

They were eating breakfast in the base cafeteria when Bud joined them. "Good morning Ma'am, Sir."

"Good morning, Bud." They both managed to say.

"Sir," Bud began, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Bud."

"Commander, did you go out last night? I mean for a walk or something?"

"Why would you think that, Bud? Actually, I went to sleep fairly early." With that he shot Mac an amused glance.

"Well, Sir, it's just that I finally got that information you were waiting for off the computer. But when I tried to bring it to you, you didn't answer the door."

"Bud, I didn't intend to worry you. I was probably either in the shower or already asleep. I really slept well last night, so I might not have heard the door."

Mac smiled at him, almost choking on her coffee.

The first day of training was tougher than any of them had imagined. Harm's weapon jammed, causing him to spend far longer than he would have predicted at the firearms station. Mac had no trouble qualifying on the shooting range, but twisted her shoulder going onto the obstacle course, so that she had to repeat her efforts there several times. Bud, unused to the extreme humidity of southeast Georgia, overheated and spent part of the day in sickbay.

By the time the met for dinner, they were all thoroughly exhausted. It was going to be a long week.

After eating, Bud retreated to his room to call Harriet. This left Mac and Harm alone to study the upcoming transportation plans. Soon, however, the majestic purple hues of the setting sun called to them. They sat outside watching it, until Mac suggested that they take a walk.

Not wanting to miss out on a chance to spend time with the woman he loved, Harm readily agreed.

The grounds of the training base were extensive ­ and beautiful. They walked among the huge Georgia pine trees, taking it all in.

At first the conversation was light. It felt so natural and easy. Harm reached for her hand, giving it a little squeeze. Mac turned her head and looked up at him with a broad smile.

Then she stopped. "Harm, this isn't just going to go away. We need to talk about our relationship."

"Sarah, can't we just enjoy the moment?"

"I want to, really I do, but I don't think our relationship is really what either of us want it to be, if we can't define it."

"Okay, let's define it. I love you."

"And I love you, but what does that mean?"

"It didn't seem to matter last night," he teased, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"So, that's it? It's just physical. Our relationship is based only on sex?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Of course not. I do enjoy that aspect, but it's not the most important thing in our relationship."

"Then what is? We need to negotiate the terms of our involvement, so we'll both know what to expect."

"Do you hear yourself? Darling, you sound like you're drawing up a contract. This is not a contract negotiation, it's our lives."

"I just want to know where we stand. If we're just good friends who occasionally sleep together, that's okay, but I want to know."

He grasped her arm, turning her to face him. He was barely able to control whatever was working itself up inside him. "Sarah ....Mac, when we became lovers, it was because of something more between us. I would never have touched you, much less made love to you, if I hadn't been sure that there was something very special going on here. You're my partner; you're my best friend; you're the woman I love."

"Good.... Keep going. Eventually we'll get to what all that means."

"Sarah, I'm not going to play games with you. I can't predict everything that night happen in the future. I don't need an iron-clad contract to make this work. I trust you. I wish you could trust me."

She stared into his eyes almost in disbelief. She hadn't meant to anger him.

He had hardly finished speaking when he turned on his heel and walked away.

She was left alone in the field. His retreat had surprised her a little. All she could think about was how she wished he had stayed. It always felt better to have him close by.

His trip, alone, back to the motel was one of the longest he'd ever made. His mind kept bringing up images of the spark in her big, brown eyes, the way she felt in his arms, the sweetness of her kisses.

When she got back to her room, she could here the sound of the shower running in his adjacent room. She tried to think of something else. This was going to be a long night.

She went to bed, after her own shower, but 2 hours and 36 minutes later, sleep had not come. After her Article 32 hearing, she had had terrible insomnia. She had thought that she might never sleep well again. But she had. Falling asleep in Harm's arms produced the most restful nights she'd ever known.

It didn't help to know that he was lying in a bed right next door.

Harm knew that he was never going to fall asleep. Counting sheep hadn't helped. Then the knock came.

He quickly pulled a pair of sweat pants on as he made his way to the door. Who on earth would be here at this time of night?

Looking out the peephole, he identified Mac. He opened the door and admitted her with a sweeping arm gesture. "I didn't expect to see you."

"Yeah?"

"I thought you were mad."

"No, Harm. I think we need to settle some things, but I'm not mad."

"So, you want to settle things now?"

"No," she replied with an almost pleading look in her eyes, "Will you just hold me, please?"

Harm didn't say anything. He didn't have to. His arms enfolded her and drew her up tight against his chest.

She entwined her arms around his waist and leaned into his embrace. It felt really good to be this close to him.

He breathed into her hair, "Do you want to stay?"

She nodded. "If you'll just hold me."

He moved her over to the bed, where he lay down, still keeping her wrapped in his embrace.

They talked quietly for a few minutes, then both fell asleep.

When Mac awoke, she knew that Harm was already awake by the uneven nature of his breathing. But he hadn't moved much; she was still wrapped tightly in his arms and held firmly against his chest.

"Good morning," he whispered.

"You didn't do anything but hold me all night." She commented, a little surprised.

"That's what you asked me to do," he replied. "And after you accused me of only loving you for your body last night, what did you expect?"

"I never meant it to sound like that." She said, turning to face him.

Her arms wound themselves around his neck, then they pulled his head down for a quick tender kiss.

"Hmmm," he sighed.

This time she kissed him deeply and passionately..

"Are you through with negotiating the terms of our relationship?" he asked.

"No, it still needs definition and parameters, but it's hard for me to give this up, cold turkey."

As they got up and dressed, he questioned her again about what had brought on her sudden commitment to this "defining thing."

Nothing was settled as they headed out for another day of training, but he didn't like arguing with her, so he just dropped it.

The rest of the week in training saw much vigorous activity and planning. By the weekend, they were ready to participate in the prisoner transfer. They would be working directly with the Bureau of Prisons staff, under the auspices of the Federal Marshall's Service.

Harm was to ride the bus with the guards and inmates.. He would provide extra security and spend time talking to Norberto Estruga. Any information he might gain could be useful.

Since there would be several inmates involved in the transfer, a chase vehicle would accompany the bus to provide surveillance and backup. Mac would be assigned to this car.

Bud had been sent ahead to the USP in Atlanta to await their arrival, and to monitor their progress.

Additional teams of federal law enforcement officers were assigned to the detail in Marion, Illinois, where the hostage situation continued. Carlos Estruga showed no signs of interest in the negotiations.

The bus trip began in Miami, so that's where Harm and Mac found themselves on the morning when the mission would begin.

They were outside the detention facility being briefed along with the others involved. Now that they were in this situation, they were careful not to display any outward signs of affection.

After listening to several speakers, however, Harm discreetly pulled her into an isolated area near the building. He ran his fingers lightly across her cheek, staring into her eyes, "I'm sorry that we've had all these disagreements this week."

"Don't even worry about it, Sailor. As soon as this is over, we'll go back home to Washington and figure this all out."

She reached up on her toes and gently kissed his cheek.

He pulled her close and initiated a more intimate kiss. Ending it, he whispered, "Whatever it means, I love you."

"Yeah, I know," she conceded, then added, "Be careful."

"I will. You be careful, too."

She smiled, radiantly.

Harm found Norberto Estruga no less charming than his brother. He had heard about Rabb from Carlos. The two men talked, companionably, during their ride, but Harm didn't really gain any information that he thought was useful

About the Georgia state line things began to happen. Later, Harm wouldn't be able to describe what the actual events were, they just created a haze in his memory.

The bus lurched to a stop. There was the sound of gunfire. The light and noise of an explosion rocked the vehicle and pavement under it. Harm was thrown violently against the side of the bus. He reached an arm out to try to steady himself, but had to withdraw it because of great pain. He was aware of chaos all around him, bodies being thrown about and people shrieking out in pain, then .... Everything went black.

The next thing he knew, there were voices around him. They were speaking, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. His left shoulder throbbed unmercifully. He could feel the cold hard ground beneath him, and could hear the soft sobbing of someone else nearby.

At first he wasn't able to open his eyes. Just as he forced his eyelids open a bit, he was roughly picked up and dragged by two strong figures that he couldn't quite see.

The men on either side of him, stuffed him, carelessly into the back of a van. His head hit something as he was pushed in. Soon he lost consciousness again. Whatever was happening, he knew that the chase vehicle was following the bus closely, so Sarah would be here to help him soon. His thoughts were only of her.

When he awoke again, it was to a bright light shining in his eyes. Voices were all around him. Opening his eyes, he saw a sparse room, painted white, filled with various men.

A vaguely familiar voice with a thick accent commented on his wakefulness. This person seemed to be in charge. "How good of you to join us, Commander Rabb."

As Harm's eyes began to focus, he identified Carlos Estruga..

"Where am I?" Harm asked him, really having no clue.

"Welcome to USP Marion," Estruga replied.

"In Illinois?" Harm asked in disbelief.

"That's right, Commander. You traveled a long way, though I'm sure you don't remember any of the trip."

Another man appeared beside Estruga. Harm recognized him as Carlos' brother Norberto Estruga. The second man smiled. "We are so sorry Mr.. Rabb, to have had to bring you here this way. We regret that so many innocent people were killed, but we have business to attend to ­ family business."

"What happened to the bus?"

Carlos took over again, "It was forced off the road, a terrible crash in which you were, I'm afraid, injured. We brought you here to negotiate with us for the release of our hostages. Of course, the government will be most anxious to talk to us now that we have a high ranking Naval officer in our custody.

Harm's mind was beginning to concentrate a little better now. "How did you manage to get away from all the guards and backups?"

"Well, Most of the guards were killed, or seriously injured, in either the crash or the explosion of the chase vehicle. Without that accompanying car, there really wasn't any backup. I guess, once again, the Bureau of Prisons didn't plan very well."

Harm felt as though a dagger had pierced his heart. The chase car had been blown up ­ the car that Mac was in. She was dead! How could this have happened? Not his Sarah! Numbness gripped him all over, and his blood ran cold.

The talking went on, but he didn't really hear much else. Finally someone gave an order for him to be put in "with the others."

Two large men grabbed him, one at each arm. They "escorted" him down several turns of corridor, eventually stopping to unlock the door to a small, isolated room.

Harm, as he was shoved into the room, hands behind his back, noticed a middle-age man lying face down on a cot. The other occupant of the room was a young, attractive blonde woman, probably in her early twenties. She sat in one of the corners, sobbing.

He wondered if these goons had hurt her, or only frightened her. Why wasn't the man helping her?

One of Estuga's men hit him on the back of the head, rendering him unconscious. He fell into the room.

When he came to, he could feel a gentle hand dabbing a wet cloth on his brow. Mac? No, he remembered Mac is dead. A shutter went through his whole body. "Sarah!" he called. But there was no answer. His eyes finally fixed on the blond, who was trying to attend to some of his cuts and scrapes. How he wished it were his Mac!

Seeing he was awake, the woman spoke to him. She was Liz Johnson, the unit secretary here on this housing unit. She'd been performing her regular duties when the armed men had taken over. She admitted to being scared. She had a husband and a baby waiting for her on the outside, so she'd do whatever the hostage-takers wanted to try to stay alive -- for them.

Harm introduced himself, but was sketchy on the details of why he was here. After all, he really didn't know her yet.

"Who's that guy?" he indicated the security guard, still lying face down on the nearby cot.

"Charlie Wainwright," she supplied, "He's worked n this prison for almost 20 years.

Harm nudged Wainwright's leg. "Wake up, fellow. We all need to make plans."

The man didn't move.

Liz sobbed, "I think he's dead. One of the men shot him."

Harm turned him to find a mass of blood covering his chest. There was no pulse in his neck.

Suddenly, he reached out, pulling Liz into his arms. All he could think about was trying to comfort her after all she'd been through.

She relaxed in his embrace, obviously what she needed. Soon she fell asleep in his arms. Her light hair and pale skin were so unlike Mac's, but if Harm closed his eyes, he could almost imagine that he was holding the woman he loved.

After the explosion, when Harm and Norberto Estruga had been taken off the bus, things were very quiet along the transport route.

A Bureau of Prisons rescue team arrived to lend assistance, but it was obviously too late. They counted the bodies from the bus explosion, tagged them, bagged the remains and had them taken away. All personnel accounted for. Nobody had escaped.

Then, they noticed some movement from beneath a nearby car. This must have been the chase vehicle.

With a little help, they were able to pull a dark-haired woman from the wreckage. Fortunately, her injuries seemed to be limited to some cuts and a few nasty bruises. She was being attended by medical personnel, but as soon as she was able to get her limbs stretched out to reduce the kinks, she began pulling away from them.

There was an urgency about her as she assessed the situation. When her eyes fell on the bus wreckage, she became agitated. Although she was obviously sore, she was determined to get to the site

She ran toward the bus, looking for someone.

The Lieutenant in charge stopped her. "Ma'am, there were no survivors."

She let out a yell that couldn't cover the pain she was feeling.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes, Ma'am, we found all the bodies."

She walked dejectedly away, seeking consolation in solitude.

At first, she would talk to no one, but eventually she consented to accompany the officers back to the penitentiary in Atlanta.

Harm awoke with a start. Liz was already awake, and eating the meager breakfast (or was it lunch? ­Mac would have known what time it was!) that the guards had left for them. He joined her.

After eating for a few minutes, she broke the silence, "Harm, who's Sarah?"

"Uh, how do you know about her?" he asked.

"I don't. That's why I'm asking. You called out her name in your sleep."

"Did I?" He really wasn't surprised; he'd had nightmares all night about what her death must have been like. And even worse‹what his life might be like without her.

"Yeah, you dd. Who is she?"

"Major Sarah MacKenzie ­ my partner. One of the best lawyers to ever step into a courtroom."

"And your girlfriend"

"Why do you say that?"

"If you could see the look on your face, you'd know."

"Yeah, more than just a girlfriend, the love of my life, my soulmate."

"Does she know where you are? Maybe she'll send somebody looking for you."

"She was in the chase car behind the bus. She died in the accident."

"Oh, Harm, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me too," he answered softly. "you know, we had been having a kind of argument. I couldn't tell her exactly what our relationship meant to me and why, because I wasn't sure I knew. Now, though it seems so clear." Tears were falling freely down his face.

She didn't really know what to say to him, so she just squeezed his hand.

At about that time, Carlos Estruga entered the room.

Commander Rabb, I hope you are finding the accommodations to your liking?"

Harm, at least had the presence of mind to ask him, "What are you going to do with us, Senor?"

"I am going to set you free to go back to your family and friends, of course. As soon as the United States government provides a jet aircraft to transport my brother and myself back to our home in Columbia."

"They won't negotiate. They won't meet your demands." Harm stated rather emphatically.

"I hope you are wrong, Commander. Because if that is the case, I will be forced to kill you both. But let's be optimistic. They have 24 hours to decide."

"Estruga, let the girl go. You don't need her. Surely you don't want to wage your war against young women. I'll stay, but let her go."

"No, Harm!" Liz pleaded, afraid to leave him alone. She had worked in a federal prison long enough to know that he wouldn't stand a very good chance by himself.

Estruga laughed. "How chivalrous of you, Commander. But no, I think I'll keep both of my hostages, I like the odds better.

AJ Chegwidden entered the large room set aside for the gathering of emergency staff at USP Atlanta. He quickly spotted Sarah MacKenzie, and rushed to her side. "Are you okay, Major?"

"Sir, what are you doing here?" She moved closer to him, and didn't pull away when he dropped a protective arm around her shoulders.

"Checking up on my officers. Webb should be here any minute. When he gets here, if I even suspect that he might have known that something like this could happen, I'll......"

"You'll what Admiral?" as if on cue, Special Agent Webb had come into the area.

"Did you expect anything like this?"

"No, of course not. Harm was just supposed to talk to the prisoner and feed us information we could use to neutralize the hostage situation."

"Mac glared at him. "Harm's dead, Clay."

"Yeah, I heard. I'm awfully sorry, Mac."

"Well, sorry doesn't bring my officer back." Chegwidden interjected.

After a few more minutes, the BOP official who was monitoring the communications interrupted them, "I've got Estruga on the line. He says he'll talk to Agent Webb."

Clay moved toward the radio. The radio officer continued, "He says the two of you are old friends."

"We've met." Clay corrected as he put on the earphones..

Mac and the admiral moved closer, so that they could hear at least part of Webb's conversation with Estruga.

"What?" they heard him say.

"Are you saying that you have Commander Rabb?"

Mac's heart leaped just as her jaw slacked open. Could it be true? Could Harm be alive?

The conversation went on for a while longer, but to Mac nothing else seemed important.

Bud, who had just joined them, after being relieved from a post he was manning, commented, "I heard that the CIA had a team of recon marines ready to storm the prison and rescue the hostages. If Commander Rabb is alive, they can get him out."

As soon as Webbb had finished talking to Estruga, Mac grabbed him by the collar and demanded, "What did he say? Did Harm survive that crash? Does he have him?"

"Call her off AJ," Clay insisted.

Placing his hands on Mac's shoulders, he gently said, "At ease. Let him talk."

"Yes. He said that Rabb was rescued off the crashed bus along with his brother. He's added him to the other hostages, I guess.. They want a plane to take them back to Columbia."

"Well, give it to them!" the admiral yelled.

"The United States government does not negotiate with terrorists. You know that, Admiral."

Bud insinuated himself into Webb's face, "Are you going to send a recon team in there to free them?"

"That's classified." Clay replied.

"Answer the lieutenant's question." AJ ordered.

"Well, an elite team of marines is in route to Marion, Illinois. The command center for this crisis is being moved up there. I'll be leaving to go there shortly. Since you're already involved, I guess you can come too."

"Damn right, we're coming." Admiral Chegwidden assured him. "Lieutenant, Major, are you both ready to go?"

"Ready, Sir." Mac and Bud chorused.

When the guard came in to bring them food, Liz questioned him regarding various details of what was going on. While he was distracted, Harm attempted to get to his weapon.

He wasn't quite distracted enough, and Harm ended up taking a fairly swift blow from his rifle butt. He fell backwards on the floor, his head bleeding profusely.

Liz tried to control the bleeding with a damp cloth. Finally though, he lost consciousness. She called his name, but there was no response.

Soon, both Estruga brothers entered the room with 3 armed guards.. "Tie them up." Carlos ordered.

Harm and Liz were tied to a sturdy metal door with their hands behind them, seated side by side.

Liz yelled at her captors, "He's hurt! He needs medical attention." They ignored her.

Arriving near the prison in Marion, AJ, Bud and Mac were all assigned duties to help set up a crisis control center. Webb was giving orders, too, but it was unclear whether anyone was actually listening to him.

Before long, Mac had spotted the marines, outside, going through drills. She implored the crisis manager to send them in quickly. She was told, though, that the recon team wouldn't be going in on this one.

The admiral could see the fury in her eyes, so he made inquiries as to what was going on.

Before Chegwidden could find information for Mac, though, Bud had convinced her to get some rest. He knew her well enough to be able to tell that she was near her breaking point. Of course, Mac put up a fight. Bud told her that Harriet had made him promise to take care of her and Commander Rabb, so she would really be helping him, if she'd just get a little rest. "Besides, Ma'am," he implored, "pretty soon the Commander's really going to need our help. We won't be any good to him, if we're not in top form."

Mac hated to leave, she felt like she was abandoning Harm, but she knew it was true, they did need to stay alert. Something deep inside told her that Harm's safety might depend on her ability to help him, so off to the motel, she went.

She left Bud with instructions to have Admiral Chegwidden get in touch with her, as soon as he knew what was going on with the Recon team. If they went directly in, it shouldn't take long to liberate those hostages.

Liz and Harm had talked until one of the guards threatened them if they didn't "shut up."

They continued the conversation, but in barely audible whispers. Liz answered Harm's questions about her husband Ron and their 8 month old daughter, Gabriella. Then she prompted him, "Tell me more about Sarah."

He told about how beautiful she was and how her smile could literally light up a room. "I just wish," he concluded, "that I hadn't argued with her."

"All couples fight." Liz assured him. "What was the argument about?"

"She was trying to negotiate the terms of our relationship like she was writing a contract or something."

"Harm, she is a lawyer, maybe that's the best way she could deal with her insecurities."

"Yeah, but she shouldn't be insecure about me, I love her."

"Even though you didn't give too many details, you said she'd had a history of bad relationships with men. If that's true, no wonder she's trying to take control of this one, before it takes control of her."

"You're right, Liz. You're so right. I just wish I could have told her how I felt one last time; held her just once more." He paused, then announced, "I don't want to think about any other man having to feel that way. We've got to get outta here, and get you back to your husband."

"So, what are we gonna do?"

"I've got an idea." He said. The restraints around his hands weren't as tight as they had probably been meant to be, so he was able to slip out f them without the guards noticing.

Harm stood up and turned over the chair and the small table in the room. He grunted and yelled, then threw himself against the wall, while biting his lip. The result was a bruise on his face and a stream of blood down his chin.

Liz dropped her jaw in surprise. "Harm, what are you doing?" she yelled.

He winked at her and whispered, "I could be going crazy.. You better call for help."

Taking his cue, Liz screamed for the guard and relayed her fear (?) that Harm had lost his mind and become dangerous.

Three guards entered their room, followed by the Estruga brothers.

Harm grabbed Liz's arm and swung her around toward the door. It was his intention that they get away while their captures were distracted, but the guards tackled and subdued him before ho could get them away.

Estruga gave the order to have them tied up again, with more care this time.

So, Harm and Liz were tied, hands behind their backs to a heating pipe running parallel to the floor, near the center of the room. It was rather uncomfortable, but they were seated side by side and could still talk. Harm worried that they would be gagged, but that didn't happen, thankfully.

Carlos Estruga, himself, slapped Harm hard across the face before leaving, so that now both sides of his face were sore.

Mac fell asleep very quickly, she hadn't realized how tired she'd actually been. Losing the man you love can be hard work. Her last thoughts were to try to conjure up the sensation of Harm's arms around her; of him lying next to her.

A dream attacked her almost immediately. The action moved back and forth between two distinct scenes. The first was her fussing at him and berating him because he couldn't give her an answer to her doubts about this "perfect" ­ and it did seem perfect ­ relationship. Her mind relived all the hurt and pain in his face that she hadn't really paid that much attention to before. This vision disturbed her greatly.

The second image in her dream was a much happier one.. She could see Harm sneaking into her room their first night at Glynco and making love to her. She could literally feel his touch and hear his voice. The combination of these two things interrupted her peaceful sleep. So, she wasn't completely asleep when the knock came at the door.

She opened the motel room door to admit Admiral Chegwidden.

"Mac, I know that you're upset about the possibility that Harm might be in there, in danger. I know that the two of you are close."

She knew that he didn't have any idea how close.

"Sir, is the Recon team going in?"

"No. Their leader, Lt. Jarvis was injured in a training accident. He has a broken leg, so he can't lead them in. There's nothing they can do. I'd offer to lead them in myself, but you know they wouldn't follow me. I'm not even a marine; they're too loyal for that. The Recon marines are specifically trained to act as a team, with their individual people, no one else can motivate them the same way. They just couldn't be the team they're supposed to be."

"Yes, Sir. That's one of the disadvantage of the way special forces are trained, but surely they could overcome it for one mission."

"Jarvis said he won't order them to go in without him."

Mac sighed.

The admiral excused himself saying he needed to get back to the command center, but encouraged Mac to get more rest.

After he left, she sat down n the bed and threw the telephone book across the room. It felt good to vent a little frustration. Now would be a good time to work out, but that wasn't what she had in mind.

When she got back to the command center, she called her C.O. to the side. "Admiral, the men on that Recon team are marines. The Corp teaches marines to have great respect for each other. Sir, I'm a marine. They'd follow me in there."

"Wait a minute, Major. I'm not sending you in there to get yourself killed, you're too emotionally involved."

If he only knew how emotionally involved she was.

"Sir, I'm trained to deal with combat type situations. If you can get me a copy of the schematics for the area where the hostages are being held, we can be in and out very quickly. I'll go talk to the team."

"Wait a minute, Mac. What are you going to do, if you get in there, and Harm's not really there?"

"Then, you're going to approve my involvement? Thank you, Sir."

"Wait, you didn't answer the question."

"Sir, we'll go in and bring the hostages out. I'll just pray that Commander Rabb is one of them."

"Okay, I'll talk to Webb and the BOP officers. You can mention it to the Recon team, but nothing's approved yet, understand?"

"Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir."

When Mac spoke to the Recon team, she found that they were as anxious as she to do something instead of just hanging around talking about it. They were, however, a bit skeptical of taking their orders from a female lawyer, even if she was a major.

She won them over by entering a one on one competition with their martial arts expert, who they believed was the best.

Mac soundly defeated, but stopped short of humiliating Corporal Demetrius. By the time the match was concluded, the Recon team was ready to follow her to where ever she wanted to go. Salutes were bandied about with much respect.

It never hurts to know how to handle yourself.

Bud and AJ both wanted to go in with Mac and the Recon marines, but it was safest to keep the squad size down to just what they needed.

They collected their equipment and studied the building diagrams.

The team would enter the premises in groups of two from 4 different points. They would stay in radio contact with Mac who would be in contact with the admiral and Webb on the outside, to direct the operation.

Just before the entry was to begin, Clayton Webb squeezed Mac's hand and said, "You and Harm have always been good friends to me. Bring him home."

She smiled, and they began.

Mac was acutely aware of the safety of the seven marines now under her command. It had been some time since she had been in this type leadership position. Like any good officer, though, she trusted her instincts. After all, this was what she was trained for.

The Recon team member that she was personally paired with, Corporal Henry, seemed to be a capable man. He listened intently to her instructions and had already offered some good suggestions. She thought that he probably had a sense of how important this mission was to her. She trusted him.. She also knew that he had nothing but the utmost confidence in his team mates, which helped her to have faith in them, as well.

Mac and Henry entered through a back gate, just outside the housing unit where the Estrugas were holding their prisoners. Oh, how she prayed that Harm was one of them! They made their way down an outside corridor, between buildings, then entered the unit from a basement hallway. Webb, by radio, guided them through a maze of turns and stairs up to the main floor. While they actually snuck into the public-use areas of the building, a second team created a diversion by setting off fire alarms and sprinkler systems. Other teams covered the entrances to the area where they were looking for the captives.

Mac rapidly crossed a hallway and backed up flat against the wall, just in time to see an armed man pass by. He was not one of the marines she had brought with her. It was reassuring to know that they were headed in the right direction, but this time the opponent had gotten a little too close to her position. She would have to be more careful. Henry, on the opposite wall, made a gesture with his shoulder that told her that he would enter the room first. According to their calculations, a door off the room they were entering should lead into the area where the hostages were being held.

As she crossed the threshold, she came out just behind the single guard who was watching this side of the door. She was trying to decide how badly to disable him, when Cpl. Henry came up right beside her.

Henry tapped the man on the shoulder, then, as he turned around, came down hard with the butt of his side arm between the man's shoulder blades. The guard slumped to the floor. Mac gave him an approving nod.

Harm heard a little commotion from outside their cell. He whispered to Liz to be still and quiet.

She leaned over to lay her head against his shoulder. "Who is it?" she asked.

"I don't have any idea," Harm confessed, "It could be a rescue attempt or more of Estruga's men, or even a rival faction come to get them. We just need to lie low and be quiet."

"Harm, I'm scared."

"Yeah, me too. You just think about your husband, and how glad he's going to be to see you when we get out of here."

"Are you thinking about Sarah?"

"All the time," he responded, wistfully, then, "Let's be quiet now."

Mac was glad that they had worn these black clothes, even though the collar of her turtle-neck was itching and felt as though it might suffocate her. When they turned the lights off, it would make it much easier for them to move around unseen.

She had just gotten word from Webb that they had isolated the electrical circuit to this wing. Soon the electricity to these rooms would be cut, plunging them into relative darkness. The only illumination would be from a few windows high up on the walls. It wouldn't be pitch black, but it would be dark enough to provide them with some cover.

Henry was drawing circles in the air with his finger to show Mac which direction he planned to enter from, when they were ready. She motioned back that she would take the other side. Their plans made, they felt ready for action.

Mac was startled, just a bit by the radio message from Sargeant Tuttle coming through her earpiece. She asked him to repeat himself twice. He and his partner had positioned themselves on the floor above the target room, where they could get to cover Mac and Henry and provide backup if needed. They were right next to one of the windows high above the hostages' room, and could see down into it.

Mac asked frantically, "What do you see?"

The answer was a little hesitant, "Two guards in the room and three hostages. One of them is lying face down on the bunk, not restrained, he may be injured. The other man and the woman are tied up to a pipe. They're both alive, but I can't tell if they've been hurt."

Mac took a deep breath, "The man .....is it ......."

Tuttle sighed heavily, "Ma'am, it's Commander Rabb."

Mac's heart took a giant leap into her throat. She wanted to cry out, but controlled the urge. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind. Harm was alive, and he was right behind that door. She was sure that her facial expression probably indicated all the love that swelled up in her. She would get the chance to apologize to him for all the hell she'd put him through lately.

When all of her teams had reported in and she'd told Agent Webb to go ahead with the lights, Major MacKenzie gave the order to move in.

Once inside, she stopped to speak to the guard at the door. She thought it only fair to warn him before she disabled him. He, of course, wasn't interested in cooperating, so she was eventually forced to land a swift, but carefully placed kick to his midsection and watch him crumple to the floor.

Corporal Henry easily took out the second guard, then moved about his task of securing the room.

Harm watched as two shadowy figures burst into the room. Due to the darkness, his difficulty seeing in dim light and the intruders' dark clothing, he wasn't able to be sure of exactly what was going on.

The smaller of the two figures appeared to stop and talk to the guard. Harm's hopes fell, So, these were more of Estruga's allies. They were all together, and there was no rescue attempt. Then, he wasn't certain, but he thought he saw the smaller intruder attack his guard. In fighting?

The second figure had moved off to the side. This same first figure moved quickly into the main part of the room, coming up behind him.

Harm felt the unmistakable sensation of cold, hard steel against his arm. He wondered if this would be the instrument of his death. Then, he felt something else, it was a knife blade, and it was cutting the ropes which held his hands.

After the restraints were removed from his hands, he began to move them, but was stopped by something totally unexpected. A hand behind him grabbed his collar and pulled him around .......

He thought that at least he would see his killer face to face. But then, the intruder's face moved close to his. He couldn't make out any features in the darkness. Soon, a pair of lips descended upon his own, giving him a quick kiss.

Now he knew. There was no mistaking those lips or that kiss.

"Mac!" he uttered breathlessly, reaching for her.

She evaded his grasp, but dropped the knife into his hands before rising to meet a new challenge.

"I guess you know these people." Liz observed as he cut her free..

"That one I do." He responded, pulling her away from the action now taking place in the room.

They moved back against the wall and watched while Mac and Cpl. Henry moved to meet the group coming into the room. With a few smartly placed kicks, Mac sent two additional guards to the floor.

Henry clubbed a third with something he had seemed to have picked up from the floor.

That left the two Estruga brothers standing alone in the doorway.

Norberto moved toward Mac , swinging at her. She caught his arm and translated his attack into an effective hold, so that he couldn't move. It was then that Carlos, having to do some of the dirty work himself, moved toward her with a raised hand. He held a handgun, and intended to bring it down over her head.

Harm held his breath. He had never felt this helpless before. His absolute joy at discovering she was alive could be turned to sorrow, if he had to watch her being hurt.

Just before the blow came down on her, Corporal Henry produced a handgun, leveled it in front of him and pulled the trigger..

Carlos Estruga fell to the floor. Mac used this diversion to land a blow against the back of Norberto's head, sending him to lie next to his brother.

Harm heard sobbing and realized that Liz didn't know what was going on.

"Come on," he ordered, pulling her up behind him as he ran to Mac.

"Mac! I'm really glad to see you!" he exclaimed, tears running freely down his face.

He caught her up in a fierce embrace.

"Thank God I found you, Flyboy." She responded, falling into his arms.

He kissed the top of her head, then her cheek. "They told me you were dead."

"I thought you were dead, too." Now she was crying as well.

Harm remembered his companion. "Liz, this is Mac...I mean Sarah."

"Liz Johnson," she said, as the two women shook hands.

Finally, Harm's lips met Mac's in a passionate kiss. Time stood still, At that moment they were the only two people in all the world ­ and they were one.

That feeling could have lasted forever, but was interrupted by the noisy intrusion of six heavily armed men.

Harm looked up to see a team of Recon marines, then gazed into Mac's eyes. "Yours?" he asked.

She laughed.

One of the newly arrived marines blurted out, "Major, what do you want us to do with these guys?" He indicated the men lying unconscious on the floor.

"I'll take care of that." Came the voice of Clayton Webb.

Mac pushed Harm away, slightly when he entered, closely followed by the admiral.

They looked into each other's eyes, and exchanged knowing grins.

THE NEXT DAY


Sarah MacKenzie approached her commanding officer. "Sir, I don't think Commander Rabb is in any shape to go through this interrogation.."

"Major, this is not an interrogation, it's just a debriefing.. The Bureau of Prisons calls it an After action report. However, I do agree that the commander looks like he needs some medical attention.. They're going to delay his testimony to the committee until after he's thoroughly recuperated. He'll be transferred this afternoon to Bethesda. I told the helicopter crew that you'd accompany him."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Sir."

"Oh, Mac, good job leading that Recon team. Those marines were impressed; so was I. The Corp will be issuing a special citation for you on this one."

"Really? Thank you, Admiral. I'm just grateful that we were able to get in there and get the job done."

"Go with Rabb back to the hospital, then call me tomorrow with a report on his progress. I'm going to authorize you to be assigned to the hospital until he's ready to be discharged. I expect you to get all the information he has that's pertinent to this case, and file a complete report with this After Action Committee."

"Aye, Sir. And thank you, Admiral."

THAT NIGHT
BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL


Harm tossed fitfully in his sleep. When his eyes opened, the ceiling didn't look familiar.

"Sarah!" he yelled.

She was dead, killed in the explosion that had wrecked the bus and destroyed the chase vehicle. He thought she had come to rescue him ­ she'd been alive. But now he didn't know. Did that really happen, or was it a dream?

He felt a slight pressure on his hand, then a gentle touch on his face. A voice was telling him that everything was all right. It was a familiar voice. It was Mac's voice. Maybe it hadn't been a dream. Maybe it was real. His head turned just a little, and he found himself looking directly into her beautiful brown eyes.

"I'm glad you're here." Was all he could manage to say.

"I wouldn't be any place else." She assured him.

"Mac, I love you." He said.

"I know you do." She whispered, as she stroked his forehead, planting a light kiss there.

"I understand now," he continued, "I know what that means. I can tell you now."

"Shh, Harm, not now. That's not important. You rest and heal.. She let her lips brush against his before saying, "I love you so much."

"Thank you," he said, "Thank you for loving me, and for coming to get me."

She sat down in the chair beside his bed, still holding his hand. "Go to sleep now, My Love."

10 DAYS LATER


".......but I still don't think you 're ready to go back to work yet."

"Mac, it's been almost two weeks. The doctor says I'm doing well. I think tomorrow is the perfect time to go back. You said yourself that everybody's really busy without me."

"And we're happy to be busy if it's letting you get the extra rest you need, Harm. Nobody wants you to come back too soon and have a relapse. I'm sorry, but it really scares me."

"Scares you? Don't tell me that the great marine is afraid of something."

She was up pacing, her voice rising a little with each sentence. "Harm, I almost lost you. I'd rather not take any chances." Finally the stress was a little too overwhelming, and a few tears began to escape her eyes.

Harm rose quickly from the couch and moved to her side. His arms reached out and drew her to him, wrapping themselves around her. He stroked her hair as he held her close.

They just stood that way for several minutes, then he pulled back to look into her eyes, "You know, Mac, I almost lost you too. Let's not argue."

She stretched up to place a kiss on his cheek.

Holding his hand tightly in hers, she suggested, "Why don't we go for a walk?"

"Okay."

They moved in and out of the shadows created by the streetlights and the crescent moon.

Carefully, he broached the topic that he felt they really needed to discuss, "Sarah, I want to answer your questions, now, about what 'I love you' means."

"Harm, you don't have to."

"Yeah, Honey, I do. I finally know what to tell you."

"It was wrong of me to try to force you into something you weren't ready to do."

"Well, it wasn't that I wasn't ready. I just didn't know what to say. I felt like it put a real strain on our relationship."

"Let's just drop it and never think about it again."

"No. I can't do that. I've got things to say to you."

"I'm listening."

"Sarah, I love you." He pronounced, grasping her shoulders and turning her to face him.

He stopped under a lamppost and let the light illuminate her face. Then he tenderly kissed her lips. She responded, to his relief.

Backing her up against a tree, he cupped her face in his hands. This time the kiss was deep and passionate. Then, he wrapped his arms around her and held her so tightly that she thought he must be attempting to mesh their bodies into a single entity.

Her head reeled from his nearness and energy. She never wanted to be out of his embrace again. Was it really possible to love some one this much?

She wondered.

Finally, he began to speak, "I love you, and what that means is that you are the part of me that makes me whole and complete. You are what I've spent my life looking for ­ the one thing that makes me real and alive. Without you, I can be no more than half. Mac, I need you."

"Yeah?" her tone was a little glib. "Well, I'm pretty fond of you too, Sailor. But what does it mean?"

"Then you are still negotiating!"

"No, Harm, not really. I'm happy just to be here with you like this."

"Sarah, what it means for me to be in love with you is that I want to be with you all the time. I don't want us to be apart any more than necessary. We should do everything together. I've never felt these things about anyone before. I want to hold you and talk to you and just be near you."

"I think we can definitely negotiate those points."

She took his hand and led him back onto the sidewalk to continue their stroll.

"Harm, are you sure that all of this is what you really want?"

"What!?! Yes, Ma'am, I'm sure."

"Good." She said.

THE NEXT MORNING


She awoke in his arms. It was the most comfortable place she could imagine. Everything was perfect.

His breath was warm against her neck as he whispered, "I want to negotiate some more of the finer points of our relationship with you."

"I thought we were through with doing that to ourselves."

"Well, there's one more term we haven't discussed, yet."

She jumped quickly out of the bed. "It's going to have to wait. I didn't realize it was so late. I'm going to have to hurry to get to work on time."

"Come back to bed," he offered.

"Not today, Flyboy."

She rushed around putting on her uniform, which she was glad she had left in his closet.

He sat up in the bed and watched her, contentedly.

When she was dressed, he reached for her, pulling her down beside him.

"Harm, don't!" she exclaimed. "You're wrinkling my uniform."

He ran his hands over her, as if to smooth out the wrinkles.

She couldn't help but grin. Then she admonished him, "I do have to go now."

Harm pulled her closer, holding her hand firmly. She felt him slip something on her finger, but it didn't dawn on her what he was doing.

He looked deeply into her eyes when he said, "The one thing that we haven't talked about is how long this is going to last."

"There's no way to know that for sure. Let's just enjoy it now."

"Mac ......Sarah....Honey.......I'd like to suggest that this last forever and ever.

"What!?!" she exclaimed, a little disbelieving.

"Will you negotiate with me on that term?"

"Harm, I ......I........." she stammered.

He held her left hand, where he had placed the ring up to the sunlight streaming through the window, and said, "We've negotiated the terms of this relationship to death, but still what I know is that I love you. This is my final point. Marry me."

Mac threw her arms around him and kissed him soundly.

"I'll take that as a yes." He ventured.

She smiled, then whispered, "Negotiations complete."