By Kay

“Forget it, Harm. I’m not leaving you,” she said calmly, continuing to mop his brow with her damp shirt.

Frustrated, Harm tried to turn slightly, wanting to look at her while they argued. Pain shot through him at the movement, and he flopped back down in her lap. “Mac, you and I both know it’s the only way. I can’t even move, damn it!”

“I said forget it. I am not leaving without you.”

“God damn stubborn woman,” Harm grumbled.

Undeterred by his outburst, Mac agreed with him. “You better believe it. Especially when it comes to you. Now lay still!”

He laid there, eyes open, sulking as best he could with his shoulder throbbing. Why didn’t she see that there was no other way? Why couldn’t she just do what he told her to do? Just once? Didn’t she realize that knowing she was safe was the only way he’d survive this? Damn her.

Mac watched the emotions play across his face. In this case she couldn’t help but feel that anger and determination were exactly what Harm needed if they had any hope of getting out of here alive. Now that she’d fed his anger, it was time to offer up that determination.

“Harm?” her voice sounded softly in his ear.

The husky rumble of her voice caused Harm to shiver. That voice was definitely dangerous. Deciding he wasn’t ready to stop being angry yet, Harm tried his best to ignore her.

Mac, having seen Harmon Rabb in action before, pushed harder.

“Harmon, look at me,” she practically purred.

Even tired and wounded, her voice caused responses in his body he in no way could follow through on.

“Come on, look at me,” her voice was as soft as a whisper.

Reluctantly, Harm lifted his eyes to hers. “What?” he asked cautiously.

Brushing his hair from his forehead tenderly, Mac spoke in soothing tones. “I know why you want to protect me, Harm. I do. Because it’s the same reason I can’t leave you here.”

The fight seemed to go out of him all at once. A tenderness she’d never seen before filled his beautiful eyes. Reaching for her hand with his uninjured arm, he clasped her hand tightly in his. “I know.”

“Good. Now focus on getting some rest so we can make ‘our’ move tomorrow.”

They sat just like that for a few more minutes before he asked, “Have you gotten any rest at all, Mac?”

“I’m fine,” was her immediate response.

“That’s not what I asked.” He looked at her with that pointed look of his.

“I’ve been a little busy taking care of you, okay,” she pointed out a little defensively.

“That’s still not what I asked, Mac.” He wasn’t relenting.

With a sigh of resignation she answered truthfully. “No, Harm. I haven’t.”

With every ounce of strength he possessed he moved off of her, laying on the tarp next to her. “Go make sure everything is as secure as it can be and then come back here and lay down.” When she showed no signs of obeying he added, “Please.”

With another large sigh, Mac finally did as she was told. Moving around the hanger, Mac set about securing their hiding place as best she could. Just as she was about to head back over to their makeshift pallet she located what appeared to be an old radio. It was dusty, having not been used for a while, but it looked like it was in decent shape.

“Mac, what are you doing?” Harm groaned.

Plugging it in, and hoping that there was still electricity in this place, Mac offered up a silent prayer for at least something to go their way and flipped the switch. When it fired to life, Mac let out an almost childish squeal of delight. “I don’t know but I think I might have just found us a way out of here.”

“What is it?” he asked, curious.

“A radio. It’s old, but it seems to still be working,” Mac answered excitedly.

“Just be careful, Mac. With certain kinds of radios, anyone can hear what you’re broadcasting.”

Blowing out a breath she asked, “What do you think, Harm? Should we wait until morning to try?”

“Well, it seems for the moment they’ve given up on us. After we both get some rest maybe we’ll be ready for whatever might happen if it does work.”

What he said made a lot of sense, but the thought of waiting while Harm was in so much pain killed her.

“Come on, Mac. Come lay down with me,” his voice was sounding drowsy again.

Turning off the radio, Mac walked over and laid down on the floor next to him, where he had propped himself up on a section of the wadded up tarp. Without asking her Harm wrapped his arm around her, snuggling her into his good side, her head coming to rest on his bicep.

Unable to pass up the opportunity to tease him a little she leaned in and whispered, “I don’t think we need to conserve body heat, Harm. It’s hotter than hell in here.”

He chuckled. “No, but I won’t pass up an opportunity to snuggle with you, that’s for damn sure.”

After laying there a long moment, Harm had thought she had fallen asleep when she said, “Did you really think I might be seeing someone?”

Laying there, not really knowing how to answer, he said, “Well, I...I just didn’t want to assume that you weren’t...that you hadn’t been...”

“Harm,” she interrupted. “How could I be dating someone else when I spend all of my free time, which I don’t have much of, with you?”

He smiled at that, pleased with the revelation that she was not only unattached, but in a strange way “attached” to him. “So, Marine, what exactly does that mean for ‘us’?”

Propping herself up on her elbow, Mac looked down at him. “Well, what does spending non-working free time with someone you love usually mean?”

If possible his smile got even wider. “We’ve been dating, haven’t we?” he asked, in amazement.

“Yeah, I think we have.”

As they continued to look at each other, Harm’s smile turned sultry. “You know, Mac, I usually get at least a good night kiss after a date.”

“We aren’t on a date right now, Harm,” she countered, his voice doing funny things to her breathing.

“No, but on all of those other ‘dates’ I didn’t get one either. You owe me.” His eyebrows waggled suggestively.

Even injured Harm was still being...Harm. And even now Mac couldn’t resist him. “I owe you, huh? Okay, one kiss, Sailor,” she relented.

“Just one?” he pouted.

“At least until we’re home, you’re better, and can do more than just kiss me,” she replied saucily.

“Considerate it a promise,” he murmured right before her lips touched his.

The moment their mouths met it sent a jolt of need through both of them as her lips opened for him. Mac felt like she was drowning, the feel of his tongue against hers was exquisite. Before things got too out of control, Mac broke the kiss, gasping for breath.

Harm’s breathing too had become unsteady. Looking straight into her soul he uttered the words she would never get tired of hearing. “God, I love you, Mac.”

“I love you, Harm,” she replied, giving him another peck on the lips before settling back into his embrace.

“We’re going to make it out of this. I promise.” His lips grazed her temple. “Sleep now, Sarah.”

With a contented sigh, Mac allowed herself to fall into slumber in the protection of his arms.

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