AND NOW PART TWO...

Their lips barely met and clung for what seemed like forever. Tentatively, he kissed her, barely maintaining the contact of their mouths. Mac felt the slightest trembling in the hands resting against her face and knew he was holding himself in check. The minute his mouth touched hers, Mac knew she was home. She lifted her arms to wrap them around his neck and slightly parted her lips against the curve of his mouth. And that was all it took for both of them to let go. Harm moved marginally and slid his arms around her slender waist, shifting their positions until Mac was straddling his hard legs. His hands moved restlessly up her back, catching in the silky strands of her hair. Mac slid her fingers into the coolness of his dark hair and held him to her, squirming to get closer. Years of denial and longing, of subterfuge and craving, fell away in a single heartbeat. Their mouths melded and the kiss grew in proportion until it blocked everything else out. It was a fever in their blood and they couldn't get close enough. Hands grasped and bodies strained closer. Suddenly they broke apart and their eyes locked. Breathing hard, they remained still for several long moments. Mac's fingers curled into fists in his shirt and Harm's hands clutched at her hips, holding her close. By degrees, they both became aware of how precarious the situation was. Reluctantly, Mac eased herself back a bit, holding onto him for balance.

"Ummm..." she stuttered softly, at a loss for words.

"Mac..." he began, not sure what to say.

But his eyes were saying a whole lot and suddenly, Mac wasn't sure of what they were doing and it made her angry at herself.

"What was that? A heat of the moment?" she demanded, her voice low and tight.

"What?" Harm blinked, caught by surprise.

Mac pushed herself away from him. "I don't appreciate being used as a substitute, Harm. If you need a fix that bad maybe you should have Renee fly down!" she stated and stalked out of the bathroom.

Harm heard the outer door close and for several minutes could only sit there and wonder what the hell just happened, a stunned look on his face. He started to get up but then slowly sank back down.

"How on earth could you think you're a substitute?" he wondered aloud.

1300 ZULU - THE NEXT DAY
GUNNY'S OFFICE
MCAGCC MTU

Colonel Hollister was in Harm's office the next morning to see the damage herself.

"The Colonel was right," she murmured. "You did take quite a beating."

Harm managed a grin around his swollen bottom lip. "Yes, ma'am. But I think I held my own" he tried to lighten the situation a bit.

"Yes, Commander. I can see that. So our suspicions were correct," she mused, pacing the small office.

"Yes, ma'am," Harm answered again. "They have a meet at 0100. Mac and I are both supposed to be there."

Ava sighed. "I hope you know what you're doing, Commander Rabb. I don't want anymore deaths on my base."

"I know, Colonel Hollister, and we're doing our best to prevent that."

0530 ZULU - FRIDAY MORNING
HARM'S ROOM
MCAGCC BARRACKS

Mac slipped into Harm's room thirty minutes before they were due to meet the others in the 'club' and found him getting ready. He spared her a quick glance as he tied his tennis shoes. He was dressed in a tracksuit with the Marine emblem crossing the back and front pocket.

"This makes up for all the times I've had to borrow your Navy shirts," Mac murmured, a small smile at her lips.

He grinned, unrepentant at her. "Hey, what can I say?" he shrugged carelessly. "They always look better on you than me." He walked the few feet to her and stopped. "We've been ignoring what happened and if you want to keep it that way it's okay but I don't like the way we've been since it happened. I can't work like this and wonder what you're thinking or about the tension in the air," he admitted softly.

"I can't either," she confessed, reaching out to touch his hand. "We have to concentrate on what we're doing here and now," she reminded gently. "And not about how we feel or anything else that's happening in our lives. But would you promise me one thing, Harm?" she asked.

"What?"

"That we'll talk when we get home?"

His eyes bore in hers for an instant. "I promise," he murmured.

Her gaze cleared slightly and she released his hand after one more squeeze. "Let's go."

The training area was dark as they approached. The side door was unlocked and they slipped inside. Just then several spotlights clicked on, illuminating a mat in the center of the floor. Harm squeezed Mac's hand, still looking ahead.

"Ready for our act?" he whispered under his breath.

"Ready," she answered.

Wrapping one arm around her shoulders, Harm drew her against his side and they started forward, taking in the room as Glenn and several other men came out of the shadows.

"Evening, Gunny. Hey, little fox - at least our Gunny followed his orders and brought you. Now he has a cheering section," Glenn sneered.

Mac simply stared evenly at the man, choosing not to answer him.

"You want to tell me what this is all about?" Harm questioned, his voice flat and cold.

"I think you know, Gunny. You did a fine job proving yourself the other night. Welcome to the club," Glenn stated.

There were about twenty other men gathered, all seemingly younger than Harm and dressed in various states that included fatigue bottoms and undershirts. "We have guests tonight, gentlemen," Glenn went on, looking around at the group. "So we want to put on our best show. $50,000 to the last man standing."

Harm and Mac both looked covertly around and finally made out the barest edges of several silhouettes sitting in a section of chairs. Harm looked down at his partner then back to Glenn.

"Let's get it to it, men," the younger man ordered and stepped back.

Harm and Mac moved to the edges as well and watched as two men faced each other on the mat.

"For the benefit of the Gunny, I'll recap the rules. There are no rules. You fight until you go down and can't get back up. Got it, Gunny?"

"I got it," Harm growled, disliking this situation more and more.

Without further hesitation, the two men in the center started fighting. And it was quickly apparent to Harm and Mac that they weren't watching the garden-variety boxing match. This was dirty street fighting. Harm stripped off his jacket and handed it to Mac, their eyes never leaving the fighting.

"Harm," she hissed. "This is insane!"

"We'll never get to the bottom of this if we don't get closer to them," Harm told her. "I'll be fine - promise."

"Hey, Gunny! You're up after the first fall! Better get your good luck kiss!" Glenn called from across the mat.

Mac and Harm looked at each other.

"Now what?" she demanded.

"Guess you'll just have to kiss me," he teased, trying to ignore all the sensations the thought raised.

"Oh, for..." Mac muttered crossly and then caught him off guard by grabbing the front of his shirt and yanking him down to touch his mouth.

Amid the catcalls and the grunts from the men fighting, Harm and Mac kissed, their intent to put on a show for those watching but somehow getting lost in the process by their own feelings. Mac jerked away as fast as she'd moved in and winked at him sassily.

"Kick ass, Jarhead," she purred loud enough for the others to hear.

Harm gave her his biggest flyboy grin. "Anything for you, baby."

Several minutes later, Harm was the one fighting - his first opponent the victor of the first go around. Blocking his mind to everything but the younger soldier he was facing, Harm marshaled all his strength and finally beat the man down until he couldn't get back up. Breathing heavily and smarting from the man blows he'd taken, Harm dropped his fist and faced the group. Without giving him anytime to rest, another stepped forward. And so it went.

Mac watched from the side, biting her lip until she tasted blood. Wanting to call out to him or go to his aide but knowing she had to stand her ground and wait it out. She could tell he was hurting. He'd fought four men already - guys younger and stronger with quicker reflexes but somehow he'd managed to down them all. There was something to be said for experience and he certainly had that. Her eyes went to the group watching them and wandered about their identities. She turned her attention back to Harm who was facing his fifth antagonist. He hit the man square in the face and catapulted him to the mat. As he struggled to get up, Harm grabbed him but the throat and hit him again. Worn beyond exhaustion, his mind shut down, his only though to keep this one from getting back up. He hit him again - once, twice - a third time before he realized he'd beat him unconscious. Letting him go, Harm stepped back, swiping at the blood running down his face.

"Well done, Gunny! Looks like you're our winner! Not bad, old man, not bad at all," Glenn whistled as he clapped his hands insolently. He looked at a couple of the others and jerked his head toward the unconscious man on the floor. "Take care of him," he ordered and they stepped in to do his bidding. "Here's your pay off, Gunny. You got two days to rest before we go again. I think I'm gonna like having you on the team," he chuckled. "You got good potential."

Harm glared at him, tempted to grab the cocky sergeant and beat him down like the others he'd just fought. But instead of saying anything, he simply took the envelope Glenn held out and staggered off the mat, practically falling into Mac's waiting arms. Worry knitted her brow as she held on to him, letting him use her for a crutch.

"Let's get the hell out of here," she whispered, steering him toward the door and momentarily forgetting all about the men behind them.

The trip back to the barracks was slow and painful and Mac grew more worried by the minute. Harm's breathing was labored and he could barely stand up.

"You need to go to the hospital," she murmured.

"Can't," he answered, his voice slurred. "Be fine. Let's jus' get home," he muttered.

Mac got the door to his room open several minutes later and they stumbled into the dark interior. Shutting the door with her hip, she reached for the light switch, flooding the small room and she guided him to the bed. He fell like a tree and she grabbed at him to keep him from just dropping, the momentum carrying her down with him. Pushing herself back to her feet, she quickly took off his shoes and then stripped his pants off, tossing them to the floor. Grasping his big hands, she managed to pull him up so she could get his shirt off. Tucking him under the covers, she went to the bathroom for the first aid kit and a wet cloth.

Back at his side, she sat down on the edge of the bed and started cleaning his face, her liquid brown eyes roving over him again and again as if to reassure her he was really all right. He seemed to be asleep so she went on with her work, putting cream on the cuts on his face. She went to wet another cloth in the icy tap water and then folded it over his eyes to help with the swelling. Then she set to work on his hands. Mac bit her lip hard, feeling tears well up in her eyes. She held his big hand in her smaller one and gently wiped off the blood, seeing the raw, exposed skin stretch across his knuckles. Through blurred vision, she saw one tear and then another splash against his skin and she sniffed.

"Hey," he whispered, startling her.

She hastily swiped her forearm across her eyes and he pulled the washcloth from his face with his free hand.

"I'm almost done and then you need to sleep. I'll tell Colonel Hollister you won't be in today," she babbled.

"Mac," he covered her hand, trapping it between his own and effectively stopping her. "We're going to be okay," he whispered.

Mac raised her eyes to his - well, what she could see of them and blinked rapidly. "We've been on so many different cases but this one..." she swallowed hard. "Seeing you go through.... Harm, I can't..."

"I was scared, too," he confessed, cutting her off and bringing her eyes to his again. "I felt something just... take over," he admitted. "I could have killed one of them."

"We have to stop this now, Harm. Before someone else does get killed. It could be you," she whispered. Her voice trailed off and she simply looked at him for several minutes, seeing some new things. "Just rest now," she ordered gently, rising to go rinse the cloth again. "We'll talk about this later."

THAT NIGHT...

When Harm woke it was dark beyond the windows. The only light in the room was that of a small lamp near the door. His gaze fell on Mac's sleeping form curled up in his armchair. He tried to move and couldn't stop the groan that escaped. Mac was awake instantly, rising from the chair and coming to the bed.

"Shh," she murmured, gently pushing him back down. "Don't try to get up," she told him.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"It's Friday night."

"Night? I've been asleep all day?"

"All day and night. You wore exhausted, Harm."

"Have you been here the whole time?"

"Most of it. I called the Admiral and Colonel Hollister."

"I have to get up."

"You need to rest."

"I can't. Help me, please."

He reached for her and Mac carefully helped him into a sitting position. He groaned harshly as pain racked him. Mac reached for a clean pair of sweats she'd put nearby and helped him get them on. Then jamming herself beneath his arm, she got him on his feet. Harm swayed unsteadily and held onto her with both arms, closing his eyes against the dizziness that swamped him. Mac stood her ground and waited it out.

"This is insane," she muttered harshly. "You can't fight again. You'll end up in the hospital," she stated crossly.

"Can you yell at me later when my head stops buzzing?" he sighed.

They reached the bathroom and he moved away from her, gripping the doorframe to keep his balance. A few minutes later he came back out and made his way to the bed without her assistance. Sitting down heavily, he winced and put a hand to his side.

"Whew," he muttered.

Mac just watched him, arms crossed over her chest. "So what now?"

0220 ZULU
UNKNOWN LOCATION
MCAGCC

"He's not a Gunnery Sergeant."

"What do you mean he's not a Gunnery Sergeant?"

"Just what I said, Sergeant Glenn! His name is Rabb and he's a Navy Commander. I don't know who the woman is but you better find out and find out why they're here."

Glenn studied the man across from him. "How do you know him?"

"He was here a couple of years ago investigating a midair crash with a helicopter. I'm sure you've heard of it - there was talk about it being a UFO or some kind of test craft. The point is I know who he isn't - and that's a Marine Gunny. You better watch your back, Glenn, and you can count us out until you get this resolved."

Glenn watched the man stalk away and ground his teeth together furiously. So they'd sent someone to spy on him had they? Well, he'd just find out who this Commander Rabb really was and the little fox with him and if they got in the way he'd deal with them.

0100 ZULU - SUNDAY MORNING
SERGEANT'S COURSE
MCAGCC

Stiff but feeling much better, Harm walked into the training center with Mac at his side like before and found the others waiting.

"Gunny," Glenn acknowledged. "Ready for another go?"

Harm simply nodded.

"Then get to it, old man."

Handing his jacket to Mac, Harm bent and kissed her hard, one hand going to the back of her head and holding her to him with a feeling that almost bordered on desperation. The men whooped behind them but Harm ignored their catcalls and gave her a slow wink when he pulled back.

"Wish me luck," he grinned.

"Luck," she whispered back.

"Woo-ee, that's better than watching you fight," Glenn jeered, sending Mac an appraising look.

"Stuff it, Glenn," Harm ordered coldly.

Moving to the center of the mat, Harm took a slow, deep breath and started battle all over again as the first one came at him swinging.

By the time the third man fell, Harm could barely stay on his feet and was sure now that he had a broken rib - or two. He forced himself to concentrate but he could feel Mac's eyes on him from the sidelines. Using the hem of his shirt to wipe his face, he turned to wait for the next man to face him. Without warning, he found himself caught between to of them, his arms pinned behind his back.

"What the hell..." he began only to be cut off when Glenn hit him hard.

"Save it, Commander Rabb!" Glenn spat furiously.

"What are you talking about?" Harm demanded, trying to divert their attention.

"Don't play stupid with me. I know all about why you're really here. You and your pretty partner," Glenn went on, turning just in time for Harm to see two other men grab Mac.

"So what do you think you're going to do now?" Harm challenged.

"Were going to go on with our fight and this time we'll see how well you really hold up, Commander."

Mac watched helplessly from the sidelines as Glenn took up a baton and motioned for the other men to release Harm. They moved back out of the way and Glenn charged him, catching Harm across the face. Glenn stood back, dancing lightly on the balls of his feet as he waited for Harm to get back on his feet. No sooner did he do so when Glenn rushed him again, catching him in the stomach this time and then catching him with an upper cut that sent him back to the mat.

"Harm!" Mac cried.

Shaking his head, Harm came up on all fours, breathing shallowly. Head down, he watched Glenn's feet as the young man came again. Harm waited until the last second and threw himself forward, crashing into Glenn's legs. They both went down in a tangle and Harm rolled away from his opponent. Staggering, he rose halfway and launched himself at the Sergeant. They hit the ground with a thud and the baton went flying out of Glenn's grasp. Harm hit the younger man with all his strength, snapping his head back. Still full of strength, it barely fazed the younger man and he came back at Harm, hitting him with two quick jabs that sprawled him on his back. Harm rolled over on his stomach and tried to push himself up only to collapse back to the mat. Gaining his footing, Glenn came over to him, laughing. He kicked Harm as hard as he could, rolling him several feet across the mat.

"I knew you couldn't take me," he sneered. "I was just biding my time for my chance. Take her outside and do what I told you. And keep her quiet!"

Harm glanced up in time to see Glenn motion to the men who held Mac. Fury blossomed in his body, blotting out everything else in its path. With a cry of rage, he lunged forward and hit Glenn in the legs. The men holding Mac stopped and they all watched as Harm launched himself at Glenn again. Grabbing him by the throat, Harm banged his head hard against the mat then hit him with every ounce of strength he had. Stunned, it took Glenn a second to react. He managed to dislodge Harm's hold and knocked heads with him hard enough to have them both seeing stars. Shaking it off, Harm hit him again and again, trying to move back to keep Glenn from getting a hold of him. The men were locked in an all out battle now.

"Harm!" Mac cried again, struggling against the men holding her.

She kicked the one on her right hard enough to make him let go of her then she turned to attack the other man. He hit her hard, snapping her head back as the other man got a firm hold on her arms.

"Everyone freeze!"

Amid the commotion the command cut across the room like a whip, bringing everyone to a halt except for the two men on the floor. Mac turned toward the door and saw Colonel Ava Hollister crossing the room with swift strides. At her back were a dozen armed SPs. One moved past her, a rifle outstretched and aimed at the men holding Mac.

"Release Colonel MacKenzie!" The man thundered, his vision sighted down the gun barrel.

Slowly, the men holding Mac let her go, arms upraised. She turned back to the mat where Harm had Glenn in a headlock, holding him pinned to the mat. Mac ran forward, halting just a few feet away.

"Harm!" she cried. "Harm, let him go!"

Her partner didn't seem to even hear her. She dashed around behind him and grabbed at his arm. Glenn's face was to starting to turn blue. Mac gave Harm a firm shake and he seemed to come out of the daze he was in. Slowly, he loosened his grip on the shorter man and he slid forward, gasping. The SPs jumped right in and grabbed him by the arms, pulling him to his feet and away from Harm. Colonel Hollister hurried over, her expression mottled by concern.

"Commander Rabb, are you all right?" she demanded.

Harm managed a slight nod as he fell back against Mac.

"We better get him to the hospital," the older woman told Mac.

"No. I'll... be fine..." Harm muttered.

"Shut up, flyboy. We're going whether you like it or not," Mac ground out, struggling to help him stand.

"I have a Jeep outside," Ave remarked, leading the way.

0400 ZULU
MCAGCC HOSPITAL
PRIVATE ROOM

Mac slipped into Harm's room, afraid she might wake him. Just as she reached the bed, he turned and looked at her. She smiled softly and touched the back of his hand as she sat down. "I thought you might be asleep."

"Not yet," he mumbled. "Did they get everything taken care of at the training center?" he asked.

"All done," Mac confirmed. "They don't know who all was involved in the gambling part yet, though, or who ratted on us but Colonel Hollister is sure it's only a matter of time. I gave her the envelope with the $50,000 in it."

Harm's eyes twinkled at her. "Sure would've been nice to have that," he sighed wistfully.

"And you certainly earned it," she teased gently. "I have to say this was one of the strangest cases we've ever handled."

"More like on of the scariest," Harm allowed.

"Careful, someone might hear you admitting it," she murmured.

"You're the only one here and I don't mind that," he answered. "I was so mad I lost all reason, Mac - especially when he told them to take care of you. I wanted to kill him. I think I might have if you hadn't gotten me to let go," he admitted gently.

Mac's eyes roamed over his face, taking in his eyes, blackened and almost swollen shut, the cut from the first fight in his dark brow, the split lip, the cut at the corners and the numerous other abrasions from the fighting.

"I hope I never have to see you like this again," she stated fervently. "You have no idea what it felt like to stand there and watch you fight with someone - no matter what the reason."

His eyes searched her face and saw the quick tears she blinked away. "I was glad to have with me. I wouldn't have wanted anyone else."

Mac forced a laugh to ease the tension. "Good thing you're stuck with me then, huh?" she asked. "I'm going to get out of here and let you get some rest now. I'll be back later and then I want to go home."

"You and me both," he answered, mustering a small smile around his swollen mouth.

Mac rose and leaned forward to brush the barest hint of a kiss across his forehead. "Don't terrorize the nurses, Sailor."

"Yes, ma'am," he answered dutifully.

She smiled once more before heading for the door.

"Mac?"

"What?" she asked, pausing to turn back to him.

"It's the other women who have been the substitutes."

The End.