With exhaustion sagging her shoulders, Mac unlocked the door to her temporary quarters and went in. Her pumps went one way, her briefcase another as she walked over to the large windows. Beyond the glass, dawn was coming over the horizon, the sky a bright, warm blue. It was early November and the weather was a sight better than what they were having in D.C. She sighed softly and turned away from the sight to go shower. Tomorrow she had to go back home to the cold and back to the routine of JAG.

The court-martial investigation she’d just wrapped up involved several highly sensitive issues and the investigation in the defendant’s background was long and involved. She and the team assigned to her worked through the night to get the details finalized and the case over with. She'd been gone for two weeks but it was the last case in a long line of cases that had kept her and Harm away from each other for over a month. They had been back to JAG at the same time only twice and Mac was sorely missing her partner.

A short time later she stepped out of the shower and sat down on the bed to dry her hair. Just as she was about to switch on the dryer, someone knocked on the door. Tightening the belt on her robe, Mac went and looked through the peephole. Stunned, she took a quick step back and jerked open the door.

"Harm! What are you doing here?"

"I’m here to steal you away," he answered, flashing her the smile that never failed to weaken her knees.

"But I thought you were on…" she began as he walked past her into the room.

"I was but it’s done and so is yours and you and I are taking a vacation," he returned calmly. "And I missed you," he added, his eyes on hers.

She looked at him for a long moment. "I missed you, too," she said softly. "But..."

"No buts. Get dressed and meet me out front," he ordered, interrupting her. Then he was gone as fast as he’d come.

Mac stood there for a moment trying to gather her bearings. Her cell phone rang and she hurried across the room.

"Colonel MacKenzie."

"Get moving! We don't have all day to waste," Harm stated.

"Why are you calling me? You just left!" she demanded, torn between laughing and wondering if he'd lost his mind.

"I wanted to make sure you were moving. You've got ten minutes to get your Marine butt in gear."

"Aye, aye!" she answered and hung up the phone.

She dressed quickly in a pair of navy shorts and a white, sleeveless cotton shirt and slipped her feet into a pair of sandals. A light touch of makeup, sunscreen and a comb to her hair were all she needed and she dropped the rest of her toiletries into her bag. Taking one last look around to make sure she hadn’t missed anything, she locked the door behind her and headed for the front door.

"Commander Rabb will meet you in the parking lot, Colonel," The young Private at the CQ desk smiled brightly as he took her key.

"Thank you," she murmured and headed out.

She stopped short when she caught sight of her partner. At least she thought it was her partner. Someone who looked remarkably like Harm was behind the wheel of a cherry red convertible grinning at her, his eyes shielded by his sunglasses.

"Going my way, Marine?" he called.

"Depends on where you’re going, Sailor," she answered, her eyes travelling the lines of the Camaro.

"Hop in and see," he invited. "I guarantee you’ll enjoy the ride."

Without a word she threw her bag in the back with his and climbed in. With a squeal of the tires, they were on their way.

"Where are we going and what are we doing?" she called over the rush of wind.

"Wherever we want to go and whatever we want to do. We’re taking a week off. I’m tired, Mac," he stated frankly. "And I sure as hell know you’re tired, too. I called the Admiral before I left Boston to request a short leave for us both because we’re exhausted. And we’ve been running all over the country for a month with no break. He agreed," Harm explained.

"Just like that?" Mac asked.

"Just like that. So, I’m kidnapping you," he told her.

"Just you, me and the open road?" she teased.

"You got it. We have nothing but miles and miles of highway and hills and small towns and…"

"Harm?" she interrupted.

"Yes?" he glanced over at her.

"Shut up and drive."

The highway took them in the direction of Anaheim. Mac wasn't paying much attention to where they were going until Harm suddenly changed lanes and shot off the exit ramp.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Look to your left," he grinned.

She did and saw Disneyland. She looked back at him. "Are we going?" she demanded.

"If you'd like to," he answered.

"Oh, please!" she stated fervently.

Harm laughed. "Your wish is my command."

He parked the car in a lot that was just barely starting to fill with cars and she was jumping out before he could even turn the engine off. She came around to his side and jerked open the driver's door.

"Let's go," she urged.

"Not excited, are you?" he teased.

"Not at all," she sniffed delicately. Then promptly spoiled it by saying, "Hurry up and put our stuff in the trunk. The day's half over."

Harm just laughed and quickly locked their things in the trunk. He took a moment to get his camera out and the extra rolls of film he'd packed, tucking them into the fanny pack strapped to his lean waist. Mac held the camera until he was done, her own pack already on. They walked over to where the tram was taking on passengers.

"Remember what lot we're in," she told her.

"We're in Pumbaa," she answered automatically.

"Pumbaa?" he asked.

"He's one of the characters in The Lion King," she explained. "Chloe and I know them all," she added.

A few minutes later they were passing through the gates, tickets in hand. They stopped in the middle of the giant courtyard and took a moment to just look around. To the left was the newest addition, Disney's California. The letters of the word were spelled out across the entrance in life-size display. To the right were the gates into Disneyland. They got in line and made their way in, picking up a map as they went. Inside the gates was a design of Mickey's head done entirely in flowers. People were already stopping to pose for pictures. Harm glanced down and took in the expression of awe and wonder on her face.

"You've never been here before, have you?" he asked.

She looked up at him. "No. It's wonderful!" she told him, her voice almost reverent.

"I've been a couple of times, when I was younger. It's better than I remember, though," he told her. "I like the magic of being here. It takes away age."

She nodded. "Where to first? Are the lines long? Will it take us all day? Do we shop first or after?"

Harm laughed. "Whoa. We have all day and it will probably take us that long. We can start at whatever's closest and work our way around and we definitely don't want to shop until after we visit all the rides or we'll have to haul everything around with us. Does that help?"

She caught the look in his eyes and laughed at herself. "So what if I'm excited?" she shrugged casually.

Harm tapped the end of her nose. "I want you to be excited. We’re gonna have a blast, Colonel," he promised.

"Then let's get to it."

After studying the map, they decided to start on their left, which led them to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. There was a slight line but nothing that held them up. They started up the walkway into the caverns that made up the attraction. Inside, winding though tunnels with skulls on stakes, hidden treasure and moisture soaked walls. They went up a staircase with woven rope rails and down another small set of stairs and came to the tracks with the cars, which looked like their Hummers. As luck would have it, they were seated in the front with Harm at the wheel and Mac next to him.

"Was this here the last time you came?" Mac asked.

"No but it looks like fun. Ready?" he asked as they started to move.

"Ready," she grinned.

The ride was wild. The 'road' twisted and turned, throwing them back and forth. Flames shot up around one curve, Indy himself waited on another urging them not to give up. Total darkness would engulf them only to come around a corner and run into a flock of bats. Then suddenly they rounded another corner and the car slowed. Dim light flickered on from somewhere and ahead of hem was the famous rolling boulder—and it was rolling right at them. A voice from a speaker yelled something about backing up and the car slowly started to reverse. Mac was torn between laughing and screaming and she grabbed for Harm in a death grip. His eyes were on the boulder, too, as it came closer and closer. Suddenly the ground gave way beneath them and the car plunged. Mac screamed from sheer surprise and then they were rolling into the loading dock where they started from.

"Oh, my, God!" she exclaimed. "That was so much fun!"

Harm laughed as they started toward the exit tunnel. "For a minute there I wasn't sure how they were going to get us out of that," he shook his head.

"Whoever designed that ride was a genius," she answered. "I thought that stupid boulder was going to roll right over us. That was a blast, like a mini roller coaster. What's next?"

"Let’s walk this way," he said, pointing to their left.

They started past the Jungle Safari and the sounds of a primitive jungle beat filled the air. Harm glanced down just in time to see Mac do a little shimmy. She saw him watching and flushed prettily, straightening up. He gave her that look of his with one brow lifted and a slight smile tugging at his mouth.

"Don't say a word," she warned, holding up a hand.

He managed to keep a straight face. "Wouldn't dream of it."

"Smart squid," she muttered.

A few minutes later they were piling into the small boat for the Pirates of the Caribbean. Almost immediately they went down a slide, the fine spray cooling them after being outside in the morning sun. There were so many things to see as they slowly moved forward. Pirates of all shapes and sizes were everywhere. Some were drinking and some were hauling treasure. Others were singing or sparring.

"Look at the detail!" she marveled, pointing to a group of men with their arms slung around each other singing.

"It's amazing how they make them look so lifelike," he agreed.

"My purse! Someone stop that man! He stole my purse!"

A woman's cries split the air and Harm and Mac, along with everyone else in their car turned to see what was going on.

"Thief! Stop him! Stop that man! Help!"

They could barely make out the car behind them in the darkness but they saw the silhouette of someone moving and heard the water splashing. Then a man burst into the open, running right past them. Without a second's hesitation, Harm was up and climbing out of the boat. Mac scrambled out behind him, the small craft rocking under their movements. The other people held on and watched as they gave chase. The thief threw a panicked look over his shoulder at Harm and scrambled onto one of the sets, climbing over pirates and treasure. Harm and Mac followed, trying to be careful of the adornment. The man ran into the water again, skirting the next boat, which suddenly came to a halt. Security must have gotten wind of the theft. The path veered upward ahead where two pirates were struggling to haul an enormous bag of treasure up a steep hill. Ahead of that were the remains of another pirate with a heavy bag still over his shoulder trying to make it up the same hill. Using their hands for leverage they followed the young man with the purse up that hill, ducking under the cobwebs and skirting the swords. They jumped back into the water and found themselves in darkness. They kept and came out in the middle of a battle between two pirate ships.

"Where'd he go?" Harm called, panting slightly.

Mac squinted into the waning light. "There!" she answered, catching sight of the purse swinging.

They took off running again, right into the battle. Cannons fired overhead and pirates battled on the ships and the shore. Harm dodged a kneeling pirate with a pistol and was nearly skewered by the thrust of a sword from another one.

"Harm!" Mac cried.

Reacting instinctively, Harm jumped back, his tall body bowed back as the tip of the sword came perilously close to his midsection.

"Be careful!" Mac scolded.

"It's kinda hard to see in here, if you haven't noticed!" he called back.

The next stop on the Caribbean was the head pirate's boudoir. The man they were chasing skirted the foot of the giant bed and fell right over a chest of gold coins. Before he could recover his balance, Harm grabbed the back of his shirt. The kid came up swinging but the blow only glanced off Harm's shoulder and he moved back. Mac ran up behind him just as Harm was yanking the smaller man's arm around behind him.

"Get your freakin' hands off me, man!" the kid yelled.

"Not a chance," Harm answered grimly.

Mac snatched the purse out of one grubby hand. "I'll take that, thank you," she snapped.

"Let's go," Harm ordered, frog marching the guy forward.

They followed the boat path, passing the many curious onlookers in the waiting boats. They finally saw the welcome sight of daylight ahead and as they emerged, a team of park security officers raced forward. Behind them was the woman who obviously owned the purse if the ravaged look on her face was any indication.

Two of the officers took the man by the arms and handcuffed him as the grateful woman raced over and threw her arms around Mac.

"Oh, thank you so much!" she cried. "Thank you! How can I repay (you)? Please let me give you a reward – anything!"

"That's not necessary," Harm answered, speaking for them both.

"Are you sure?" she asked, biting her lower lip.

"Positive," Mac answered. "We're just glad we got your purse back."

"Oh, so am I! I'll never forget your help. Most people wouldn't have done anything. Thank you!" she said again.

"Sir, ma'am? We've already taken a statement from Ms. Parker but we'll need them from you as well. If you'll come with us we'll get you cleaned up(and) take your statements," one of the remaining officers stated.

"Okay," Harm nodded, taking a deep breath.

A few minutes later they were seated in the security office answering questions. A park attendant had been dispatched with Harm's socks and tennis shoes and Mac had a towel to clean up her sandals and feet.

"Are you two on vacation?" Officer Kerr asked.

"Yes, sir," Harm answered.

"Names?"

"Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. and Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie," Mac answered automatically, wiping her feet.

"Navy?" the other man asked.

"I'm Navy, Mac's a Marine," Harm responded.

"Cool," the young officer grinned. "My Grandpa, Dad and both his brothers were Navy."

"And you?" Harm asked.

"I'm in the Reserves," he answered.

It took a few minutes for him to get all the information he needed then he had them read over the reports and sign them.

"The park authorized a refund of your ticket money and we're also giving you lunch today on us," Officer Kerr explained, handing them an envelope.

"Thank you," Harm answered, taking the envelope.

"That's really nice of you," Mac added. "Unexpected, too. We just did what we could."

"It's more than a lot of people would have done," Officer Kerr stated, echoing Ms. Parker's earlier words.

When they were finally on their own again, Harm laughed softly and shook his head.

"What is it?" she asked as they walked back toward the Pirates of the Caribbean.

"We're supposed to be on vacation and we're not even here for an hour when we're chasing down a thief. I think trouble follows us," he grinned.

"I think it follows you Hero Harm," she teased.

They took a second ride on the Caribbean so they could actually enjoy the sights and sounds before making their next stop at the newly opened Haunted Mansion. It was based on A Nightmare Before Christmas, a movie neither of them had seen but they were enthralled.

"How about a drink before we head to Splash Mountain?" Harm asked her as the came out of the Haunted Mansion.

"Sounds good. It's getting a little warm out here. I would probably not want to be here in the summer," she said.

They found a street vendor and Harm bought two bottles of water. "You hungry?" he asked her.

"Not really but I could use a snack," she hinted.

"Wanna share an ice cream?" he asked her.

"A Mickey ice cream sandwich?" she wheedled.

Without a word he turned and bought a cookies and cream Mickey and handed it to her. Just like a little kid, she tore the wrapper off and took a small bite from one of Mickey's ears.

"Mmmm," she murmured. She held it out to him.

Instead of taking it from her, Harm cupped his hand around hers and dipped his head for a bite. Mac's breath hitched in her throat as she watched him take a small chunk from the same spot she had just bitten. Chewing, he turned it back to her and she took another mouthful. He reached his other hand slowly toward her face.

"You have ice cream of your mouth," he whispered, his voice deep and warm against her nerve endings.

Slowly, he dragged the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip. The tip of Mac's tongue darted out, touching his skin. His eyes darkened as he slowly drew back.

"Did you get it?" she asked, a touch breathless.

"I got it," he answered.

Without a word, they went and got in line for Splash Mountain. He helped her finish the ice cream as they moved forward. When it was their turn, they ended up in the rear of the car behind the other passengers. It was a very tight fit, especially for Harm's long legs. He sat all the way back as Mac moved back against him. There wasn't room for him to stretch out because of the other passengers so his legs were bent at the knee, surrounding her. Going with the flow, Mac looped her arms around his knees to anchor herself. Harm rested his arms on the sides of the 'log' car and Mac felt surrounded by him. His warmth was at her back, his breath stirring her hair. Talk about being in close quarters!

They started moving and almost immediately, the car climbed a vertical path. Then they plunged down the other side, water spraying them and splashing over the sides. Laughing, Harm was forced to draw his arms back inside so he put them around her. Mac held onto him as they plunged down another drop. The people in the front of the car screamed and all around them they heard people singing Zippity Doo Dah, the theme music from the Song of the South and the backdrop of the ride. They got off the ride laughing and slicking back wet hair. Minutes later they were climbing in the car of Big Thunder Mountain.

"This is going to be tame for you after flying Tomcats," Mac teased.

"Yeah, but the company is better," he grinned.

The small roller coaster was pretty thrilling for its size. It turned corners fast and at one point they were looking sideways at the ground far below them as the car zipped around the passes of the old 'mining town'/mountain. When it was over, they headed for Mickey's Toontown and ducked into a couple of small shops. There were so many things to see; from stuffed Mickeys to photo albums to key chains. They came upon a rack holding Mickey Sheriff's badges. Harm looked at the ones closest to him and suddenly he held one up to Mac. It had 'Sarah' printed on the front of it.

"Come on," he said, grabbing her hand.

He paid the cashier for the tin star and then drew Mac to the side. Unhooking it from the paper, he carefully slid his fingers inside the front of her shirt and affixed the star right over her heart.

"The law's come to Disney," he said in a fake cowboy drawl.

She grinned and fingered the edges of the star. "Duel at ten paces in main street," she giggled. Impulsively she threw her arms around him. "Thank you for my badge," she whispered.

He squeezed her briefly. "You're welcome, ninja-girl. Do you want to go have lunch now or wait until we go on a few more rides?"

"Is there something that might upset my stomach if we do it after I eat?" she asked.

"Hmmm," he pretended to think for a minute. "I have just the thing for us to do," he said, taking her hand. "Let's go."

They went straight across the huge park to Tomorrowland and stopped in front of the George Lucas Star Wars attraction.

"What kind of ride is this?" she asked.

"You'll see," he answered.

There was no line outside so they went on it and got in line where the attendant indicated. As it turned out, they were in the front row of the auditorium-like seating. It was announced that their flight was now ready for takeoff and this little robot came up in front of them as the screen was lowered.

Seconds later, they were flying through the galaxy on their way to another planet, with the their little pilot talking the whole way. The ship lurched and spun as they went into warp drive. Mac grabbed Harm's hand when they found themselves in the middle of a battlefield with enemy Tie Fighters. It was over all too soon and for a minute, all she could do was sit there and stare at Harm.

"That was like being up in your Tomcat!" she stated.

He grinned boyishly. "Now are you ready for lunch?"

"Yes, I think that's just the thing," she nodded.

They ended up at Buzz Lightyear's Café with lunch on behalf of the Park. Harm actually had a burger and fries along with her and they watched people getting their pictures taken with Buzz.

"Aughh," she teased, grasping her throat. "I can hear you arteries clogging up from over here!"

"All right, already," he growled, throwing a French fry at her.

"Help me, I'm melting! I'm melting!" she went on, giggling like a little girl.

Calmly, Harm swiped a finger through his ketchup and glopped it on the end of her nose. She stopped in mid-giggle and stared cross-eyed at the end of her nose. "Harm!"

"We'll see who gets the last laugh," he muttered, picking up his hamburger.

"How childish," she grumbled, wiping the ketchup off. Then she picked up the extra straw on her platter and blew the wrapper at him.

He looked down, burger halfway to his mouth at the wrapper caught partway in the neck of his shirt. "Keep it up, little girl, and you'll be wearing your lunch," he threatened calmly, plucking the straw wrapper loose and dropping it on the table.

"Me?" she asked, her eyes going wide.

"Yes, you," he repeated, looking across the table at her.

She could see the amusement sparkling in his eyes. With a delicate sigh, she picked up her hamburger. "Men. I'll let you off the hook this time but only because I wouldn't want to embarrass you in front of all these people."

"That does it," he stated, putting his burger down.

He was out of his chair and around to her side before she could react. A second later she found herself hanging over his shoulder.

"Harmon Rabb, what are you doing?" she cried, grabbing at his waist to steady herself.

"I'll show you who ends up being embarrassed."

"What are you going to do? Harm!" she called again, twisting to try and get him to put her down.

"Stop struggling," he ordered with a light swat on her bottom.

As they walked, Mac could see people staring at the spectacle they were making and some were even laughing. Fuming, she held onto Harm's shirt as he walked. Seconds later, she saw the familiar costume of Buzz Lightyear. Then the character bent at the waist and looked into her upside down face. He grabbed her hand and shook it then turned as Harm did to shake his hand. Then Buzz squatted down next to Mac and waved to his assistant who took their picture that way. Then Buzz shook her hand again and blew her a kiss to the delight of the audience.

Without a word, Harm carried her back to their table and plopped her down in her seat. Then he reclaimed his own seat and picked up his hamburger. Right before he was about to take a bite, he looked at her and winked.

"So there."

Mac forgave him for the debacle at Lightyear Café as soon as they arrived back in Toontown. The larger than life home of Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and the others was a sight to behold. They stood in line to take pictures with the Goof man himself, met Minnie at her front door and toured her delightful home. Mac got a kick out of all the things in her refrigerator that were made from cheese and the plate of cookies she left on the kitchen table for visitors. There was a note that read, "Please help yourself to my 'diet' cookies. (tee hee) Love, Minnie." Mickey's place was next. It was much bigger and they got to tour it first before going into a big screening room with a long line of people waiting to meet him. On a big screen before them were original Mickey cartoons, depicting how it all began.

"You can tell who the big shot is around here," Mac whispered.

Harm grinned. "You got that right. He's under tighter security than Leavenworth."

But it was worth it when they finally got their turn. Mickey hugged Mac, shook hands with Harm, pretended to blush when Mac kissed his cheek and took pictures with them both. And they left feeling like little kids again.

"I have had so much fun today!"

Mac looked down into her tired but radiant face. "That was the whole idea. It wasn't the plan for us to buy out half the shops, though!" he complained, pretending to buckle under the weight of all the bags he was carrying.

Mac blushed delicately and bumped into him since she didn't have a free hand to sock him with. "I couldn't go home without bringing souvenirs," she stated. "What about that walk we had into Space Mountain? I'd hate to be waiting in line if it were all the way to the door," she shook her head. "You can get your exercise just making the trek to the actual ride."

Harm laughed at the way she said it. "I'm glad we were still here for the parade," he added. "It was amazing to see all the characters."

"So am I," she sighed. "It was beautiful."

Harm was captured by the look on her face. "I've had the best time watching you," he murmured as they reached the car.

She didn't say anything as he unlocked the trunk and put all their bags in. As he was closing the trunk, she reached out and caught his hand. He curled his big fingers around hers and she smiled.

"Thank you, Harm, for coming to California."

He gave her a tender smile and touched her cheek. "It's been my pleasure."

"That's what you think," she teased softly, her eyes sparkling in the parking lot lights.

They got back on the highway toward San Diego, the cool night air whipping around them. In the distance, a bright light came into view. As they drew closer, they saw a drive-in movie theatre.

"Are you really tired?" he asked.

Mac met his small smile. "Not that tired."

The theatre had six movie screens and most of the parking places were full. They drove up to the ticket attendant and looked at the movie listings. Harm wanted to make the day's magic last for her. And there among the listings, he found a double-header for An Affair to Remember and Anchors Aweigh.

She raised an eyebrow at him when he made the suggestion. "Are you sure you don't want to see an action movie?" she asked.

Harm shook his head. "No. I happen to like Gene Kelly and Cary Grant," he answered, knowing the romance with Grant and Kerr would be a secret pleasure to her. And he did like the two actors.

Finally she smiled. "Okay. Let's see those."

By the time they got popcorn and drinks and found a good place to park, the opening advertisements were flashing on the screen. Harm adjusted the driver's seat all the way back so he could stretch out his legs and held the popcorn bucket between them on the console. Anchors Aweigh showed first, complete with the dancing between Gene Kelly and Jerry the Mouse. They laughed their way through the scenes, marveling at how young Frank Sinatra was and the very young Dean Stockwell. The Navy background was the perfect thing for Harm and Mac delighted at the look on his face at seeing the way the Navy men looked so many years ago.

Nearly halfway into An Affair to Remember, Harm really started to grasp the value of this impromptu vacation and the time it gave him with Mac. For months their relationship had been strained and then they had one hard case after another, keeping them apart more than they were together. They couldn't have dinner together or even find some private time to talk. He'd been telling the truth about being exhausted but he also craved the simple act of being alone with her. He wanted some of the moments they used to have back when it was pizza and a movie while they worked on a case or a drink and darts and McMurphy's. Something—anything—to give them some time to reconnect.

She must have felt the weight of his stare, because she turned her head against the seat and gave him a tired smile.

"You gonna last through the rest of the movie?" he asked her.

"You better believe it, Squid. This is one of my favorite movies," she answered.

"Come here, Mac," he ordered gently, holding out his hand to her.

"What?" she asked.

"Come here. Come sit over here with me."

Mac eyed the driver's side of the Camaro. She looked like she was about to protest but instead she looked at him and started to move. Harm helped her get settled across his lap, her legs over the console. She shifted until her head was tucked beneath his chin and his arms were draped loosely around her. It was a totally unprofessional position and neither one of them cared a hoot. When the movie reached its climactic end, Harm heard her sniffling and shifted to look at her. He handed her one of the leftover napkins from earlier and tightened his arms her, hugging her close to his heart.

"You big softie," he murmured, his breath stirring her hair.

Her only answer was to pinch him lightly at the waist. She pushed herself a little higher and wrapped her arms, around his neck, cheek-to-cheek with him as they watched the two lovers on screen figure out what there was nothing more to keep them apart. Then the credits were rolling and Mac was sniffling all over again. Harm's big hands rubbed her back.

"Excellent movie," she sighed, wiping away her tears.

"Feel up to making one more stop?" he asked.

"Where?"

"It's a surprise."

"Another one?" she arched one brow. "You're just full of them today, aren't you?" she added, moving back over to her side of the car.

"Hey, a guy has to have some secrets," he shrugged.

The got back on the highway and Harm prayed the spot he had in mind was still the way he remembered it. It took almost an hour to find the nearly hidden dirt road. The Camaro's headlights picked up the gate preventing people from driving all the way in so Harm parked and turned the car off.

"Where are we?" she questioned, peering into the darkness surrounding them. Moonlight from above helped some but the night around them was quiet and still.

"You'll see in a minute. Come on," he prompted, getting out of the car.

He found a flashlight in the trunk, locked up the car and then they set off down the path, Mac following close behind him. A couple minutes later they came into a clearing. Harm caught her hand and drew her around beside him and she gasped.

"Oh, Harm, this is beautiful!"

Spread out in majestic splendor before them was the Pacific under a blanket or stars and moonlight. They walked over to the edge of the cliff and looked down at the rippling waves.

"How did you know this place was here?" she asked him.

"I used to come here when I was younger. I didn't know if it was still accessible."

"I'm glad it is. It's so quiet here."

"I have something for you," he murmured, pulling something from his pocket.

"When did you get this?" she asked.

"I have my ways," he teased. "Here."

He handed her a small, brightly wrapped package. Giving him a small smile, Mac took it from him and gently tore the ribbons off. Inside was a black jeweler's box. She popped the lid and gasped softly.

"Harm…" her voice trailed off as she stared at his gift.

Inside the box was an exquisitely crafted heart with a matching key, both on tiny chain key rings. On the front of the heart were Mickey and Minnie Mouse hugging.

"Here, look," he instructed, reaching his big hands around hers to pick up the heart.

He turned it over and held the flashlight closer so she could see. Engraved on the back were the words, 'SM holds the…' Then he held up the tiny key and she saw the rest of the inscription, 'key to HR's heart.'

Mac raised her eyes to his and saw his tender smile.

"You'll always have the key to my heart," he whispered.

"I…I don't know what to say," she answered.

"You don't have to say anything."

"Thank you doesn't seem to be enough for all you've given to me today but thank you especially for this," she continued.

"Today has been just as special for me. Watching the glow in your face makes it all worth it," he admitted. "These words," he said, indicating the heart and key. "Have to be together to be complete. Kinda like you and me."

Mac's breath hitched a little as she looked at him. Then she gave him a coy smile. "When did you come to this conclusion?" she asked.

"Much later than I should have," he grinned sheepishly.

"All that matters to me is you know it now," she whispered, swaying a little closer to him.

Harm slipped one arm around her, the gift still between them, cradled in both of their hands. Lowering his head, he covered her mouth with his own, kissing her so tenderly it made her heart skip a beat. Abruptly he jerked his head back and looked at her.

"What's wrong?" she asked,

"I just remembered that Thanksgiving is next week!"

"Already?" Mac questioned. "My goodness, we just started November!"

He chuckled, his deep voice soothing and exciting her at the same time. "Already. I have what I'm most thankful for right here in my arms," he added.

Mac pressed one hand over his heart, feeling the strong, reassuring beat. "My own miracle," she breathed.

Just before he kissed her again.

The End