Author: Nancy
Disclaimer: JAG and its characters do not belong to me so this effort
is not for monetary gain, just
for my own pleasure and perhaps a few who like to read about my
favorite show.
Classification: Harm and Mac Romance/Drama
Rating: PG
Summary: How many times can Mac deal with saying goodbye to Harm?
Will this be their last goodbye? This contains some of the current
events of the times. This was written October 2001.
PART 8
Mac waited for the operator to connect her to the Patrick Henry. She finally felt at peace with her decision. Phillip was right. She had to know.
She had to hear it from him. His written word was null and void after he didn't show up for their date. He asked her once if she loved Mic. Now it was her turn to ask him if he loved her.
"Yes, I would like to speak with Captain Harm Rabb."
"Are you sure?"
"Thanks." She sat the phone down and walked to the Admiral's office.
"Tiner, I need to see the Admiral."
After speaking with the Admiral Tiner replied, "He said to go on in Colonel."
"Colonel? " The Admiral pulled off his reading glasses and gestured for Mac to take a seat. "I don't remember us having a meeting scheduled today."
"Sir, we don't. I was just wondering, I mean I was trying to contact, Sir, do you know where Captain Rabb may be located?" Mac bumbled through her question like a first year law student.
"I assume he is still on the Patrick Henry." He raised his eyebrows questioningly.
"I called, and he is no longer on the Henry, Sir."
"Did they tell you where he transferred?"
"No they told me that that Admiral Ingles was unavailable, and that I should contact Naval Operations. And they have him listed as on leave." Mac sounded exasperated.
The Admiral thought before responding, "Mac apparently he doesn't want us to know where he is."
"I thought maybe we could call Webb Sir." Mac persisted.
"Mac, this is personal isn't it?" The Admiral folded his arms and leaned back against his chair.
"Yes sir." Mac sighed.
"I'll keep my eyes open. But Mac when he wants you to locate him, he'll give you directions." The Admiral replied gently.
"Yes Sir." Mac replied not convinced of the Admiral's advice. She retreated to her office and stared absently out of the window. The vent blew warm air into her office and activated the musical sound of the crystal windchime that swayed in her window.
Harm stood next to the newly covered grave. The air was chilly as the wind blew along the gently sloping hills of the Pennsylvania town creating a haunting whistling sound .
Harm shivered as he looked at the headstone next to his grandmother's burial site. His grandfather's name was carved in the gray stone along with his birth date and day of his death. He was only thirty years of age. He died nearly sixty years ago. His grandmother had lived alone most of her adult life.
"You're finally together again Grandma. Say hello to Dad for me." His chest tightened as he thought about his grandmother's smile, her encouraging words, her tenaciousness. "I guess I always believed you would live forever Grandma. I don't know if I can be as brave as you but I will try. Goodbye Grandma." He stood alone until his leg began to ache. Slowly he walked towards the old truck were Jim waited patiently.
Mac had tried several sources in the Navy to locate Harm only to reach a dead end. She also tried calling his mother's home and his grandmother's home. She reached his mother's answer machine while no one answered at his grandmother's.
A young naval lieutenant made his way through the bullpen. "Can I help you?" Harriet Sims addressed the young man.
"Yes I was looking for Captain Rabb?" His gold wings caught Harriet's eye.
"I'm sorry but Captain Rabb transferred to active flight duty nearly a year ago." Harriet replied.
"I know. I served under him on the Patrick Henry." Lieutenant Corey Henshaw smiled.
Mac walked out into the bullpen after overhearing the interchange.
"I was his RIO. I'm Sherlock." Henshaw smiled even bigger offering his hand."You must be little AJ's mom."
Harriet smiled, "It's nice to meet you lieutenant!"
"Lieutenant would you come into my officer." Mac interrupted.
"Yes Ma'am! You're Colonel Mackenzie. Captain Rabb talked about you all the time. Did you and he really punch out of a Russian MIG?" Sherlock asked excitedly as he followed her into her office.
"Yes, I'm surprised the Captain shared that fact with you."
"Wow! That is just awesome!" He replied bringing a chuckle from Mac.
"How did you end up with the call sign Sherlock?" Mac instantly liked the exsuberant young man.
"I like to read mystery books. The CAG, I mean Captain Rabb said that maybe I should consider going into law. I could do investigations and solve real mysteries.Ma'am."
"Lt. Henshaw why did you come looking for the Captain at JAG?" Mac shut the door to her office.
"Ma'am, I figured this is were he would come back since he couldn't fly anymore." Sherlock looked confused.
"Why couldn't he fly anymore?"
"We were flying near the Afghanistan Pakistan border doing recon when we took on ground fire. The Captain was able to fly us back to the carrier, but he was wounded badly. The last I saw of him was when they air transported him to Germany. I heard he was grounded and was sent back to DC. I thought you knew Ma'am."
"No I didn't. I've been searching for the Captain myself." Mac sighed.
"He talked about how great it was being a JAG lawyer. I think he really missed it. I thought maybe I could catch up with him here." The young lieutenant explained.
"I guess he didn't miss it that much. He's probably been reassigned to another carrier." Mac replied blandly.
"I hope so Ma'am, I'm sure he's a great lawyer, but I guess we just needed him more than you did. I mean he is a great CAG! All the guys really looked up to him. If you catch up with him tell him that Sherlock said hello." He stood to leave.
"I wish you were Sherlock Holmes. Maybe you could help me find him." Mac sounded defeated.
"Me too. I'm sorry Ma'am." He stopped at the door. "I guess he never made it to the Parker House?" Sherlock stopped and added.
"No he didn't." She mumbled.
"It was nice meeting you Ma'am." Sherlock turned and left.
He had planned on meeting her. She felt even more determined to find Harm. "Where are you Harm?" Gunny Galendez always had a knack for finding people. Where would he look?
Mac tried an internet search without success. "Try a search including marriages, obituaries, legal notices." Mac remembered Gunny's words.
Mac typed in Harmon Rabb and came up with nothing. Trying a broader search she typed in Rabb.
Ten pages concerning Rabb turned up. Mac began scanning until she stopped finding an obituary for a Sarah McCleary Rabb of Bealsville, Pennsylvania.
Harm's parents flew back to California several days after the funeral. Trish had tried to persuade Harm to come home with them, but he insisted he wanted to remain in Pennsylvania. Sarah had left him the farm, and he wanted to stay where Rabbs had lived for nearly a century.
He looked around the desserted farmhouse imagining his grandmother busily completing her household chores. She would never sit around and moap. The firewood had dwindled down to the last few pieces. "Get off you six and get busy." He admonished himself.
He made his way to the woodpile where he rested his cane next to the chopping block and slowly, but methodically began to split the larger logs into useable size pieces. He had to brace his right knee against the side of an outbuilding next to the woodpile to maintain his balance. Beads of sweat poured from his brow. A warm front had granted a temporary reprieve from the cold so he stripped off his shirt and continued pounding away.
As the pile grew, he realized he felt more alive than he had in months. He could almost feel his grandmother gently prodding him along each time he lifted the axe.
Mac watched as he split another log. He was so engrossed in his task that he didn't notice her standing no more than twenty feet away. He looked good.
"Are you going to chop enough wood for next winter?" Her voice startled him causing him to lose his balance. He quickly reached for the block to steady himself.
"Mac." He breathlessly. He wiped his forehead and turned so that he could sit on the chopping block. His cane concealed behind him, he reached for his shirt and slipped it on as his breath slowed.
She walked up to within five feet of him, "I heard you weren't flying anymore."
Harm tensed ever so slightly, "No." He didn't know how much she had found out.
"Why didn't you come back to JAG?" She asked still keeping her distance.
"Decided I had enough of the Navy." He stated avoiding her gaze.
"I heard you were in the hospital in Germany. Sherlock came by JAG the other day. He told me to tell you hello."
"He's a good kid." Harm answered.
"He seemed to be." Mac replied
The discomfort between them was intense.
"I'm sorry about your Grandmother. That's how I found you. I read her obituary."
"She was special." Harm shifted uncomfortably and made no offer to invite her inside.
"You are a pretty difficult guy to locate." She felt her resolve melting. "Harm why didn't you come to the Parker House? Were you still in the hospital?" Mac asked trying to give him an excuse.
"I was in DC. I just decided it was better that we didn't get together." He replied mustering up all the coolness he could.
"I see." Mac looked hurt.
He felt his hand tighten on the axe he held. His own resolve was beginning to falter.
"I just needed to know. You never really loved me did you?" Her gaze held his penetrating his soul.
He swallowed deeply and answered flatly. "No."
"I guess we've said our last goodbye then." Tears burned in her eyes. She then turned and ran to her car.
Harm could hear her wheels spin as she sped away. "I lied Sarah, come back." He said softly and reached down to find his cane. He felt so empty as he made his way back into the empty house.
* NancyT's Stories * Please send Feedback! *
