Disclaimer: The characters and the premise aren't mine. They belong to CBS, etc., etc. I'm not making any profit on
this, and it's intended for recreational purposes only.
Author Notes: This story follows my previous fic entitled "The Promise". I had indicated in response to e-mail that I probably
would not be doing a sequel, but as often happens, this popped into my head, and the only way to get it out was to let
it travel down my arm, though my fingers and into the pen. Although it's technically a "part two", I think it can be
understood on its own. Oh, and in this universe, Harm did not return from flying, Mac never got involved with Mic, and
Baby Sarah did not die. Hey, it's my universe - I can do what I want.
"You wanted to see me, sir?" Colonel Sarah Mackenzie asked, coming to attention smartly before Admiral Chegwidden's
desk.
"Yes, Colonel. Please, sit down." The Admiral waved a hand at the chair in front of his desk. Once she was seated, he
circled the desk and perched on the corner.
"I'm not quite sure how to tell you this," he said, running a hand over his bald head. "I just spoke with Clayton Webb.
He informed me that for the last four years, he's been running an operative in Kosovo. This operative was planted with
the cover of an American ex-military officer selling arms to splinter groups of rebels. Through the use of this operative,
State slash CIA was able to bring down several arms manufacturers both here and abroad, and they've crippled illegal arms
sales to under-developed countries. For now anyway," he added wryly.
Mac looked at her commanding officer, attempting to appear interested in what he was saying until she could figure out
how what he was telling her applied to her. Her mind was on many other things this morning.
"Now that the operation is over," the Admiral continued, "Webb is sending his man home." Here he paused. "Mac, his
operative was Harm."
All other thoughts were chased from Mac's head by this news. She was stunned, not yet able to take in the news. "But
how could that be?" she whispered. "His plane went down. He was lost at sea."
"An elaborate cover story concocted by Webb," the Admiral explained.
"All this time," Mac said. "It's been almost four years. We all thought he was dead! How could he do this?"
Mac remembered as though it were yesterday the last time she'd seen Harm. She'd gone' to his apartment frequently after
he'd returned to flying, missing him terribly, wanting to feel as close to him as she could. One night, when she was
spending the night in his bed, he'd come home unexpectedly and found her there. They'd finally allowed themselves to
give in to the attraction both had felt for the other, and they'd made love, sweet, delicious love. She'd left before
they could talk the next morning. She'd written him a note, asking him not to call before he left, and he'd honored that
request. He deployed to the carrier hours after they parted. She hadn't seen him since.
She also remembered that day, almost six months after that night, when the Admiral had again called her into his office.
That time, the news was devastating - Harm's plane had gone down. His RIO had been retrieved, the plane wreckage had been
pulled from the ocean, but no trace of Harmon Rabb, Jr., had ever been found. It was as though the had disappeared.
And now she found out that was exactly what had happened. He'd been on a mission for Webb all this time. After all she'd
been through - the months of believing that every phone call would bring news of him, the dull acceptance that came after
a time that they may never know what happened, the dim hope she'd not allowed to die that one day he'd turn up. All of
that, and so much more, had been for nothing. She didn't know how to feel now - relieved, angry, curious, and a host of
other emotions she couldn't put her finger on.
The Admiral watched her sort everything through in her mind. He was one of the few that knew just how much she had been
through in the time since they'd received the news about Harm's disappearance. He'd come to admire her greatly in that
time.
When she spoke, her voice was sure and restrained, leaving no doubt that she was a Marine in complete control of herself.
"When will he be home?"
"Tomorrow. I'm picking him up at the airport. I think it best if I just bring him directly to your place." He looked at
her, questioning her agreement with his suggestion.
Mac glanced up at the Admiral in surprise. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he knew more than she'd ever
suspected. She nodded. "Yes, that's probably for the best. We have much to discuss. Have his parents been told?"
"I was just about to call them," AJ told her.
"Why don't you let me call them," she requested absently, her mind trying to figure out the best way to tell them and
already thinking about tomorrow's reunion.
"All right," the Admiral agreed. "In his defense, they had no idea the op would last this long. Once he was in, it was too
dangerous to pull him out."
"Too dangerous?" Mac challenged. "Or too detrimental to the success of the operation?"
AJ nodded in acquiescence to the point she'd made. "Just remember, Mac. This *is* good news."
She smiled at him. "Yes, sir. Whatever else it is, it certainly is good news."
The next day
Mac flitted nervously around her house. She'd cleaned it top to bottom in preparation for Harm's visit. She wasn't sure
why she was so nervous, except she knew she had a lot of explaining to do. So did he, for that matter. She heard a car
pull into the drive and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He was here.
She waited until she heard footsteps on the porch, then she pulled the door open. Harm stood not ten feet away, dressed
in jeans and a t-shirt, big as life and handsome as ever, and alive as could be. She launched herself at him, nearly
knocking him over. He enveloped her in his strong embrace and smoothed her hair while she cried tears of relief into
his shirt.
Finally, she lifted her head and looked up at him. "I don't know whether to kiss you or drop kick your flyboy butt to the
moon!"
"Do I get a vote?" he asked with a smile. It was so good to see her. If the Admiral hadn't been standing there, he would
have swept Mac off her feet and taken her inside and re-enacted their last night together without a moment's
hesitation.
AJ was beginning to feel unneeded and unwanted. "I'm going to go now. You two have a lot to catch up on."
"Thanks for the lift, Admiral. I know I owe you a huge explanation."
AJ held up a hand. "Save it. You'll need it for a certain little lady."
Harm looked confused. AJ had just referred to Mac as a "little lady". And Mac hadn't decked him. That was a little weird.
The Admiral nodded at Mac and turned to go.
"Come in, please," Mac said, drawing him inside and closing the door.
"This is very nice, Mac," he said, looking around her home appreciatively.
"Mommy! Is that Grammie and Grumpa?!" a small voice called excitedly from another room. Harm turned as a small child
burst into the room. When she saw a stranger in her living room, she stopped short, staring openly at Harm.
Harm was staring back, thoughts whirling in his brain. Good thing I didn't just sweep her off her feet, he thought first.
Her husband probably would have killed me. Maybe this homecoming wasn't going to go quite as he had hoped. He studied
the child before him. She was an exact replica, only in minute version, of Mac, and he could have no doubt that this
was her daughter. As he studied her more closely, he realized that the only feature the child hadn't inherited from her
mother was her eyes. The eyes looking back at him seemed eerily familiar.
Mac watched them regard each other closely. She knew that she should say something, but she had no idea how to
start.
Finally, the child stepped closer to him. "Hi," she said.
"Hello," Harm said, smiling at the child. He looked at Mac, his eyes holding the questions he didn't want to put to
voice in front of the child.
As is wont to happen, the truth came tripping out of the mouth of a babe. "You're my picture daddy," the child said.
Harm felt as though a strong gust of wind could knock him over. He looked at Mac again, pleading with her to explain what
was going on here.
"She's got a picture of you beside her bed," Mac explained softly. "We say good-night to you every night after she says
her prayers. Harm, I'd like you to meet Sabbrina. Your daughter."
Harm lowered himself to the couch, not sure he could stand any longer. "Hello, Sabbrina," he said, trying to hide most
of what he was feeling, but not very successfully.
"Hi, Daddy," Sabbrina said with a smile, her mother's smile.
Harm lowered his face. He gave up all pretense at having control over his emotions and began to cry. This was too
much -- finally coming home and finding that he had a daughter, a daughter whose life he'd missed out on, who he hadn't
even known existed.
He felt a gentle touch on his knee and looked up through his tears into the face of his child.
"Don't be sad, Daddy," she said.
"I'm not sad, honey," Harm said with a weak smile. "Sometimes people cry when they're happy. I'm really, really happy
right now." She absorbed this, seeming to understand. "Know what would make me happier?" he asked.
"Uh uh."
"A hug. Think I could find someone to give me a hug?"
"Mommy probably would. She likes to hug. I like to hug, too. I could give you a hug."
"I'd like that very much," Harm said, and she stepped into his arms. He had to tell himself to be gentle and not squeeze
her as tight as he longed to. He looked up at Mac as he held his daughter for the first time. He had many things he
wanted to say to her and many questions he needed to ask. But for now, a simple, whispered, "Thank you," was enough.
Mac smiled at him and nodded, tears forming in her own eyes.
Sabbrina squirmed. She'd been still for too long. She pulled away and looked up at him. "Are you going to go away again?"
she asked him.
"No," Harm said. "Never again."
"Good," the child said. She slipped from his grasp and wandered back in the direction she'd come from.
Harm watched her go. "I don't know whether to kiss you or drop kick your Marine green butt to the moon," he said to
Mac.
"Welcome to my world for the last twenty-four hours," she said.
"I guess we both have some explaining to do," he said quietly. "Mac, you have to know that I never would have gone
along with Webb's plan if I'd known."
"I know," she said. "But before I got a chance to tell you, we were told that you were missing at sea."
"I'm sorry about that. It was necessary."
"Do you have any idea what you put your mother through?! After what happened with your father, you put her through the
same thing again, this time with her only child!"
Harm put a hand up. "I've already heard it from Mom. I spoke to her on the phone late yesterday."
"Did she tell you they're coming to dinner tonight?"
"No. Do they know about. . ." Harm ran the words "my daughter" around in his mind before he said "Sabbrina?"
"I couldn't keep that from them, not after we got the news about you. She was a living reminder to them of you. They're
the most doting grandparents you've ever seen. I wouldn't have made it without them. Or the Admiral. Or Bud and Harriet.
They have a little girl now. Did you know that?"
"The Admiral told me," Harm said.
"They named her after me," Mac told him. "Sarah Catherine Roberts."
"The Admiral neglected to tell me about my own daughter," Harm noted.
"I think that was for the best, don't you?"
"I suppose so. How old is she?"
"Baby Sarah? She'll be eighteen months ... Oh, you mean Sabbrina. She'll be four in February. Look, I'm sure you have lots
of questions, but there are more practical things we need to discuss. First, I want you to stay here with us. I kept your
apartment as long as I could, waiting for you to come back. I held onto it long after everyone told me to let it go. But
babies are expensive, and I couldn't afford it. All of your stuff is packed up in the basement. I've already brought
some of your clothes up and put them in the spare bedroom. You can stay here until you're ready to get a place of your
own." She didn't add "unless you'd like to stay here permanently", but she was thinking it. "You can get to know Bree a
little better while you're here. Also, your parents will be here soon. When they get here, things will get a little
hectic. Would you like to spend some time alone with your daughter while you can?"
"My daughter." Harm said it aloud for the first time. It would take some getting used to. "Yes, I'd like that."
Mac reached into her pocket, pulled out a ten dollar bill, and handed it to him. "There's an ice cream stand just around
the comer. Bree knows the way. Let her have whatever flavor she wants, but don't let her talk you into more than a single
scoop."
Harm hated taking her money, but he'd come home with only the clothes on his back. Until he could get the details of his
life squared away, he'd have to rely on her generosity.
"Bree! Would you come here, please!" Mac called.
"Just a minute, Mommy! " was the response.
Mac smiled. "She never does anything now. It's always 'in a minute'."
Moments later, Sabbrina skipped into the room.
"Daddy was wondering if you'd like an ice cream," Mac said.
"Yes!" Sabbrina shouted. "Yesyesyes!"
"Okay okay. Show Daddy the way, all right? Make sure he doesn't get lost. Can you do that?"
"Course I can," the child assured her.
"Don't forget the rules," Mac reminded. "Hold Daddy's hand and no running."
"'kay,Mommy. Let's go, Daddy!" Sabbrina took his hand and pulled him toward the door.
"Take your time," Mac called after them as the door closed.