By Nicky Cubits

Exhausted and content from their love-making Harm fell quickly to sleep, still completely naked. He had finally let go, finally told
her the things he had wanted to tell her for so long now, finally held her in his arms and showed her exactly how he felt about her. He planned on doing that for the rest of his life, which, he was determined, would be a long one. He was not going to let it end like this. He had wasted too much time. One feverish act of love was not enough. They would get out of this and he would spend the rest of his life with Sarah MacKenzie.

Mac, on the other hand, dozed off slightly then jumped awake with a start. What had she just done? What had THEY just done? She had known Harm for seven years, loved him all that time, and now trapped in an old hangar, men with guns looking for them and Harm with three bullet holes in him she made love to him!!!

Was she crazy? Stupid? Desperate? What could possibly have possessed her to do such a thing?

She looked at him, his gorgeous body marred only by the blood soaked gauze bandages and the pained look on his face. Even in his sleep his pain was so evident and she was sure their activity had added to it. Well, at least it hadn't killed him. At least he wasn't dead because of her like Chris and Dalton. He groaned in his sleep. At least not dead yet, but he would die if he didn't get some help soon. Die for protecting her.

Damn it. She would not go through that again. This time would be worse, far worse. She knew that. Because this time she loved the man that would die because of her. No, she wouldn't let that happen. She wouldn't go through that pain. There were only two ways to handle it. Her conscious thoughts knew she simply had to keep Harm alive. Her subconscious, however, was hard at work. What if he did die, no matter what she did? If she didn't love him she wouldn't feel the pain, right? Simple.

She looked at him again and for a moment she thought he had stopped breathing. That was it! Her subconscious took over. Damn you Rabb. This was just another one of your hit and run games wasn't it? You used me. I gave you myself – all of myself this time and you are going to come out of this and act like it never happened. Maybe you'll conveniently forget about it. Maybe you just won't talk about it. Maybe you'll say something like "Where do we go from here?" But I know that if you make it through this you are only going to hurt me again. Her subconscious was in complete control now, making excuses so she wouldn't have to deal with the pain of losing Harm forever. Damn you Rabb!

Mac pulled herself out of his embrace, having fully convinced herself that Harm didn't care about her, the evidence of his wounds not enough to overcome her fears. Grabbing the flashlight and turning it on again she headed back to the radio. "Rose Red, are you there?" The voice sounded stressed.

"I'm here Chameleon," Mac answered.

"Where have you been? My god, is Flyboy all right? He's not...?" The voice on the other end couldn't even say it. She knew how much Harm meant to Mac even though she didn't know either ones true name.

"He's fine," Mac answered back, startling Chameleon with her cold tone.

"I got hold of the Admiral for you. I'll patch you through."

With that, Mac heard a click and then the familiar baritone of her Commanding Officer's voice. "Who is this?"

"It's me, sir."

"Mac? What in heavens is going on?" the Admiral asked abruptly. "I get a phone call in the middle of the night from a total stranger saying that Rose Red and Flyboy were on the radio. What kind of game is this?"

"It's no game sir. Rose Red is my radio name. That's all Chameleon knows."

"Where are you?"

Mac quickly described their location in relation to Camp LeJuene.

"Where's the Commander? I figure he's in on this, too." He still wasn't convinced this wasn't some elaborate hoax. "Flyboy," he
scoffed.

"Sir, he's sleeping." She flashed the light on his form, the sweat from his feverish body reflecting back as he tossed and turned
fitfully. Her heart told her to go to him, comfort him, but that nasty little voice in her subconscious told her to stay away. He didn't care for her. He'd only hurt her. Best to keep your distance.

"Sleeping?!" he shouted as Mac whispered a hush to him through the radio. She didn't want them to be heard.

Suddenly, the Admiral realized that this was no hoax. "Good lord Mac is he all right?"

Back to Collaborations Continue On To Part 14