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�Shit, Mac, did this happen because of tonight?� Harm asked, moving inside to keep the cold night air away from his ailing partner.
�I dwas gettin sick alweady. Du rain jus maded worse,� Mac said, sounding terrible.
�I�m so sorry, Mac,� Harm said as he led Mac over to the couch where it was clear she had been resting before he knocked on her door.
�It�s dot your fault,� Mac said firmly. Her insistence was somewhat undermined by her inability to articulate. �What�s up?� she asked after blowing her nose.
Harm shook his head and headed for the kitchen. �I�m going to make you some tea and you�re going to get some sleep. Your health is more important.�
Mac threw off her blanket and went after Harm. �Damn it, Harm, for the past two years I�ve been living in the shadow of a woman I didn�t even know existed until a few hours ago and I could have lost you tonight because if you had killed Holbarth tonight you would not be the same person anymore and I asked you to come to me if you needed to talk and you�ve come and now you�re chickening out because I have a little head cold?� Mac yelled, her words coming out clearly in her anger.
It seemed even the cold bug was afraid of the Marine�s wrath.
She took a deep breath and then continued, much more calmly this time. �If you want tea, make some, then we�re going to talk, alright?�
�Alright,� Harm said softly.
They went back to the living room and Harm made sure that Mac was properly wrapped up in her duvet before he sat down on the couch with her. Mac didn�t push, knowing that it would just make it harder for Harm to open up with her. She just sat there, waiting for him to speak.
�I didn�t lie to you, Mac. I really don�t know what I would have done tonight if you hadn�t shown up,� Harm started. He was looking right at her, his eyes piercing right to her soul. Mac knew he was seeing her, and not Diane, not even Diane�s ghost, maybe for the first time ever.